Chatter with BNC | Douglas Searcy - President, Barton College
Release Date: 05/01/2026
Chatter with BNC | Michelle Bolas - CEO of NC Innovation
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 Michelle Bolas, CEO of NC Innovation. Michelle shares her 25-plus year career working at the intersection of North Carolina's public universities and economic development. They dive into how NC Innovation was born from collaboration between business, university, and state leaders to build a regionally focused pipeline of high-value technology companies, modeled after the...
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Chatter with BNC | Nat Robertson - CEO & President of the Greater Fayetteville 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 Nat Robertson, CEO and President of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber. Nat shares his unique journey from running a family jewelry business to becoming the youngest city councilman ever elected in Fayetteville at age 26, eventually serving two terms as mayor before taking the helm at the Chamber. They dive into Fayetteville's thriving business community, the Chamber's robust...
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Chatter with BNC | Dr. Monty Sullivan, President and CEO of the North Carolina Community College System
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 Dr. Monty Sullivan, the new president and CEO of the North Carolina Community College System. After leading Louisiana's system for 12 years—doubling graduates and securing half a billion dollars in facility investments—Dr. Sullivan brings his passion for transforming lives to North Carolina's 58 community colleges. He shares his vision for modernizing student onboarding,...
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Chatter with BNC | Robyn Fehrman - Executive Director of Teach for America, North Carolina
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 Robyn Fehrman, Executive Director of Teach for America, North Carolina. Robyn shares her journey from growing up as a military kid in eastern North Carolina to leading TFA's statewide efforts to transform education. They discuss the critical challenges facing North Carolina's schools, including chronic absenteeism and early literacy gaps, while highlighting bright spots like...
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Chatter with BNC | Jay Gestwicki - Founder & Director of Coffee for Charlotte's Magnolia Coffee Company
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 Jay Gestwicki, founder and director of coffee for Charlotte's Magnolia Coffee Company. Jay shares his nearly 30-year journey in the coffee business, from his early days managing restaurants to opening Caribou Coffee's flagship location in Charlotte, to eventually launching Magnolia in 2010. They dive into the art of specialty coffee sourcing, how terroir affects flavor, and...
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Chatter with BNC | Kenny Flowers - Chief Deputy Secretary of the NC Department 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. On today's episode, Ben Kinney speaks with Kenny Flowers, Chief Deputy Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Commerce. A North Carolina native with rural roots from Wadesboro in Anson County, Flowers shares his journey from UNC Chapel Hill and the University of Michigan through budget battles at the General Assembly to leading rural economic development across the state. He discusses the First in Opportunity...
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Chatter with BNC | Dr. Susan Mims - CEO, Dogwood Health Trust
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 Dr. Susan Mims, CEO of the Dogwood Health Trust, about her lifelong commitment to population health and the 80% of factors beyond clinical care that shape well-being. Inspired by her work in Guatemala, she leads the place-focused foundation serving 18 counties in Western North Carolina, funding housing, education, and economic opportunity. Mims shares how flexible funding...
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Chatter with BNC | Brian Etheridge - VP of Business and Community Development for Delta Dental of 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. On today's episode, Ben Kinney speaks with Brian Etheridge, the new VP of Business and Community Development for Delta Dental of North Carolina, just days after stepping down from 20-plus years leading Leadership North Carolina. Brian shares his winding career journey from elementary school teacher to the helm of LNC, the Stanley Cup energy sweeping the Carolinas, and why oral health is a gateway to overall wellness....
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Chatter with BNC | Kevin Dick - President & CEO, Carolina Small Business Development Fund
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 Kevin Dick, president and CEO of the Carolina Small Business Development Fund. Kevin shares his winding path from a first-generation American inspired by Alex P. Keaton to studying German and international business at Georgetown, then pivoting to urban planning and a career in local government. He explains how his nonprofit CDFI drives small business growth across all 100...
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Chatter with BNC | Kathie Sidner - Director of Workforce and Partnerships Strategy and Policy for the UNC System
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 Kathie Sidner, Director of Workforce and Partnerships Strategy and Policy for the UNC System. Kathie shares her winding career journey — from engineering at UVA and a paper mill gig to the intelligence community, Army Research Office, and finally the UNC System. She discusses the new Military Equivalency System, which maps military training to academic credit across all 16...
info_outlineOn today's episode, Ben Kinney speaks with Doug Searcy, president of Barton College in Wilson, North Carolina. Doug shares the story of his western North Carolina upbringing, the family courage that opened the door to higher education, and an unforgettable college lesson in accountability after he dented the president's car. He and Ben dig into Barton's growth alongside a thriving Wilson, new programs in health sciences and AI-driven business, and why civil discourse and critical thinking matter more than ever. Stick around to the end for Doug's love of 80s rock, James Taylor, and a good Dick's hot dog.