The Connector

It’s the holiday season! As you prepare to gather with friends and family, now is also a great time to prepare to handle conflict and difficult conversations that may come up during your holiday gathering. In this episode of The Connector, IEI Director Sarah Hall speaks with MDC Vice President of Partnerships and Programs Calvin Allen and MDC Program Director Kathryn Gaasch about navigating confli...

In this episode of The Connector, IEI Assistant Director Pat Cronin introduces the 2024 Emerging Issues Forum, Weathering Financial Storms: A Resilient Future for North Carolina Families .  Cronin provides an overview of financial resilience and shares a sneak peak into what attendees can expect at the forum, including keynote remarks from The Washington Post personal finance columnist Michelle Si...

In this episode of The Connector, Wake Forest University Pre-College Programs Executive Director Kyla Hollingsworth discusses the long-term impact of their College LAUNCH for Leadership program - a free, nine month leadership program that prepares high school juniors in Winston-Salem, Charlotte and surrounding communities for college. This is the fourth installment of our “Checking In” series with...

In this episode of The Connector Podcast, Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) Digital Inclusion Initiative Leader Samantha Graham is joined by High Country Council of Governments GIS Analyst and Planner Tatiana Magee, and Avery-Mitchell-Yancey Regional Library Regional Director Amber Briggs to discuss how they got involved in digital inclusion planning, the biggest successes and challenges they’re...

A recent review of digital inclusion plans across North Carolina showed that libraries were the most cited community asset for digital access and support by people of all ages.  In this episode of The Connector Podcast, Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) Digital Inclusion Initiative Leader Samantha Graham and BAND-NC Project Specialist Jess Epsten are joined by State Library of North Carolina Dig...

In episode this of The Connector, guest host and IEI Digital Inclusion Initiative Leader Samantha Graham is joined by National Digital Inclusion Alliance Policy Director Amy Huffman for the first installment in our newest series exploring the challenges and opportunities of bridging North Carolina’s digital divide. Graham talks with Huffman about what the NDIA is doing nationally to help states in...

In episode this The Connector, host James Herrick and Institute for Emerging Issues Assistant Director Pat Cronin are joined by Wilson Education Partnership Executive Director Robin Williams for the third installment of our “Checking In” series with members of IEI’s Educational Attainment Community Cohort .  Williams talks with Herrick and Cronin about the work Wilson Education Partnership is doin...

In episode this of The Connector, host James Herrick is joined by Institute for Emerging Issues Assistant Director Pat Cronin and Isothermal Community College Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Greg Thomas for the second installment of our “Checking In” series with members of IEI’s Educational Attainment Community Cohort . Thomas talks with Herrick and Cronin about ICC’s approach to co...

In episode this of The Connector, host James Herrick is joined by Institute for Emerging Issues Assistant Director Pat Cronin and Communities Supporting Schools (CSS) of Wayne County Executive Director Selena Bennett.  Bennett talks with Herrick and Cronin about the work CSS of Wayne County is doing to close the educational attainment gap and help kids stay in school, the many ways the local Wayne...

In episode this of The Connector, host James Herrick is joined by Institute for Emerging Issues Director Sarah Hall and NC Tech Paths Director of Strategic Partnerships Ariana Williamson. Williamson talks with Herrick and Hall about her time on the Talent First Economics Task Force , the common barrier she has seen faced by groups of underrepresented workers, and the impact learning pathways are m...

In the final installment of Talent First Tuesdays, Institute for Emerging Issues Director Sarah Hall and ncIMPACT Initiative Research Director Jess Dorrance are joined by NC Department of Commerce Economist Jonathan Guarine, Men and Women United for Youth and Families Executive Director Randolph Keaton, and NENC Career Pathways Workforce Connector Brandi Bragg to discuss barriers faced when connec...

In our Families and Caregivers of Young Children conversation, IEI Director Sarah Hall and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC Foundation Early Childhood Director Rob Thompson were joined by NC Department of Commerce Strategic Data Analyst Neil Harrington, NC Early Childhood Foundation Executive Director Muffy Grant and Community Action Opportunities Life Works Coach Ashanti Ternoir to discuss the ba...

In our Individuals with Disabilities and/or Neurodiversity conversation, IEI Director Sarah Hall was joined by NC Department of Commerce Data Analytics and Research Team Director Oleksandr Movchan, NC Department of Commerce Executive Assistant to the Secretary Toya Crichlow, NC Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Employment and Inclusion Chris Egan, Disability:IN North...

In the second installment of Talent First Tuesdays, Institute for Emerging Issues Director Sarah Hall and Industry Expansion Solutions Director of Defense Industry Initiatives Michael Mullins are joined by Josh Levy with the NC Department of Commerce, Erin Ananian-Gentile with the NC Military Business Center and Tyler Klemas with Duke Energy Corporation to discuss barriers faced by military vetera...

The Institute for Emerging Issues is hosting a special five episode series of The Connector Podcast called Talent First Tuesdays. In this series, IEI is welcoming back each breakout session panel from the 2023 Emerging Issues Forum, Talent First Economics to continue the important conversations that took place earlier this year.  In this episode, IEI Director Sarah Hall and NC State University Dir...

In episode six of The Connector, host James Herrick is joined by NC Association of Workforce Development Boards Executive Director Stephanie Deese. Deese provides an overview of workforce development boards—what they are, what purpose they serve, how they help communities and how people can get involved. IEI’s The Connector Podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspe...

In episode five of The Connector, host James Herrick takes us back to the 2014 Emerging Issues Forum where the topic was teacher quality in North Carolina - specifically training, retaining and supporting world-class teachers in every classroom to secure our state’s future economic competitiveness. Guest Brenda Berg, president and CEO of BEST NC joins Herrick to discuss the recommendations that ca...

In episode four of The Connector, host James Herrick is joined by Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) Practitioner-In-Residence Philip Cooper, NCWorks Commission Executive Director Annie Izod and IEI Director Sarah Langer Hall. Together, Cooper, Izod and Hall recap the 2023 Emerging Issues Forum, including connections that were made and explored opportunities that will help break down barriers for...

In episode three of The Connector, host James Herrick is joined by Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) Director Sarah Langer Hall and IEI Policy Intern Brodie Smith .  The 2023 Emerging Issues Forum is examining ways to overcome barriers and help workers find employment and stay engaged in the workplace. As part of his internship with IEI, Smith took a deep dive into each of the five groups of und...

In Episode two of The Connector, Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) Director Sarah Langer Hall is joined by IEI Practitioner in Residence Philip Cooper and Daniel Vuono with East Fork Pottery in Asheville.  Hall, Cooper and Vuono discuss the importance of inclusive hiring and working with talent partners to open opportunities to overlooked candidates. They also discuss how working with talent par...

The Institute for Emerging Issues presents: The Connector IEI’s The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. In Episode One, host and IEI Director Sarah Langer Hall speaks with IEI Practitioner in Residence Philip Cooper and Vitrelle Hospitality General Manager Scott Kirschner about the lab...

In this episode, we talk with North Carolina's Governor Cooper on his look back at 2021 and forth to 2022.  We hear his thoughts on how we might get more people back into the work place and get 400,000 more people with skills and abilities beyond high school into the work force.  He discusses his push to get more broadband home adoption to the people to help with work, education and telemedic...

In this episode, we focus on "Can Kitty Hawk Take Flight", a college solution for 1.5 million NC adults with guests Dr. Andrew Kelly, Senior VP Policy and Strategy with the UNC System; Dr. Susan Barcinas, Adult and Community College Education at NC State and Conni Branscom; Adult Completing Student at UNCC. They discuss one of North Carolina’s biggest hidden assets,  a group that goes by...

In this episode of the “Connected” podcast series, host Maggie Woods (IEI Policy and Program Manager and BAND-NC Program Director) speaks to Robert Hiett; Executive Director and Ben Farmer; Economic Development Planner for the Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments . IEI's “Connected” podcast series explores the challenges of the digital divide as well as opportunities for digital equity...

In this episode, we focus on "Where Are The Workers" with guest host Sarah Hall, Senior Policy and Programs Manager; Andrew Berger-Gross, NC Department of Commerce, LEAD Division; Barbara Brothers, Business Engagement Director, Capital Area Workforce Board; Trey Goodson, Marketing Director, NC East Alliance. They discuss the “the most difficult hiring environment for employers in a gener...