Chatter with BNC | Tim Walsh - Banking, Analytics and Cognitive Principal at Deloitte
Release Date: 12/10/2025
Chatter with BNC | Zeb Smathers - Mayor of Canton
Chatter with BNC
Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people. In this episode, Ben Kinney speaks with Zeb Smathers, the mayor of Canton, North Carolina, about how his small western North Carolina town has weathered an extraordinary run of adversity — from COVID to Tropical Storm Fred's devastating floods, the sudden closure of the paper mill that employed 1,100 people, and Hurricane Helene. A Duke undergrad and UNC law graduate who returned home to practice law with his father, Zeb shares...
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Chatter with BNC | Wit Tuttell - CEO, Visit NC
Chatter with BNC
Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people. In this episode, Ben Kenney interviews Whit Tuttle, Director of Visit North Carolina, about the state of travel and tourism in North Carolina in 2025, industry trends, and the impact of economic factors. They also discuss Whit's musical interests, especially Warren Zevon, and the influence of cultural icons.
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Chatter with BNC | Sasha Weintraub - EVP & Chief Customer Officer for Duke Energy
Chatter with BNC
Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people. On today's episode of "Chatter with BNC", we speak with Sasha Weintraub, the executive vice president and chief customer officer for Duke Energy. He’s worked for the company for more than 25 years, including as president of the natural gas business. He explains how North Carolina and Duke Energy are preparing for surging power demand from more data centers needed for artificial intelligence computing. The utility is balancing...
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Chatter with BNC | Kit Cramer - President & CEO, Greater Asheville Chamber
Chatter with BNC
Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people. On today's episode, Ben Kinney speaks with Kit Cramer, President and CEO of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. Kit shares her journey from PR work in Florida to 18 years at the Charlotte Chamber, a stint leading the International Downtown Association in Washington, D.C., and ultimately landing in Asheville. The conversation covers her philosophy on leadership and being a "fixer," the ongoing recovery of Western North...
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Chatter with BNC | Kevin Howell, the 15th chancellor of North Carolina State University
Chatter with BNC
Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people. On this episode, Ben Kinney speaks with Kevin Howell, the 15th chancellor of North Carolina State University. As an NC State alum himself, Ben chats with Chancellor Howell about his journey from student body president in the late 1980s to leading the university today. They discuss NC State's unique role as a land-grant institution with a presence in every North Carolina county, the innovative Centennial Campus partnership, and...
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Chatter with BNC | David Jackson - President & CEO, Boone Area Chamber of Commerce
Chatter with BNC
Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people. In this episode of Chatter with Business North Carolina, host Ben Kinney speaks with David Jackson, the president and CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. They discuss David's journey from working in college athletics to leading the Chamber, the impact of Appalachian State University on the local economy, and the community's resilience in the face of challenges like Hurricane Helene. The conversation also touches on the...
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Chatter with BNC | Gary Frey - Owner, Director of Business Development at BGW
Chatter with BNC
Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people. In this episode of Chatter with Business North Carolina, host Ben Kenney speaks with Gary Frey, co-owner and director of business development for BGW Advisors, a Charlotte-based accounting firm. Gary shares his unconventional journey through various challenges in his career, emphasizing the importance of resilience, community, and connection in entrepreneurship. He discusses the growth and culture at BGW Advisors, his passion for...
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Chatter with BNC | Jessica Aguilar - Policy and Program Manager, NC State Institute for Emerging Issues
Chatter with BNC
Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people. In this episode of Chatter with BNC, host Ben Kenney speaks with Jessica Solis Aguilar, the Policy and Program Manager at the Institute for Emerging Issues at NC State. They discuss the upcoming Emerging Issues Forum, celebrating its 40th anniversary, and the focus on water infrastructure as a critical issue for North Carolina. Jessica shares her professional journey, the importance of community engagement in selecting forum...
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Chatter with BNC | Winn Maddrey - CEO, Blue Nine Partners
Chatter with BNC
Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people. In this episode of Chatter with Business North Carolina, host Ben Kenney speaks with marketing expert Winn Maddrey about the evolving landscape of media and marketing, the impact of AI, generational differences in communication, and their shared love for music. They discuss how companies are adapting to changes in media consumption and the importance of quality content, while also reflecting on personal experiences.
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Chatter with BNC | Chris Moeller - Founder and CEO, Orion Growth
Chatter with BNC
Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people. In this episode of Chatter with BNC, host Ben Kenney speaks with Chris Moeller, founder and CEO of Orion Growth. They discuss Chris's entrepreneurial journey, the challenges of starting a business during the Great Recession, and the evolving landscape of work and housing in the wake of COVID-19. Chris shares insights on affordable housing issues in North Carolina and his passion for vinyl records, highlighting the importance of...
info_outlineWelcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people.
On today's episode, Ben Kinney speaks with Tim Walsh, Banking, Analytics and Cognitive Principal at Deloitte and Chair of the Dean's Advisory Board at UNC Charlotte. Tim shares his journey from his first university hire in advanced analytics to building Deloitte's data and analytics practice in Charlotte over two decades ago. The conversation explores the dynamic state of banking today, from the surge in M&A activity among regional banks to innovation in products like stablecoins and tokenized deposits following the Genius Act. Tim also discusses Charlotte's remarkable growth as a banking talent hub and UNC Charlotte's forward-thinking approach to computing education, including its standalone College of Computing and Informatics, pioneering undergraduate data science program, and 26-year-old cybersecurity symposium that attracts national and international speakers.