Writer: Vittorio Parravano
2 min read January 2023 — The Raleigh-Durham business community gathered at PNC Arena for the first in-person Invest: Raleigh-Durham launch conference since the pandemic, with more than 200 industry leaders attending the networking and panel discussions.
In her opening remarks at the event, Capital Analytics’ Regional Director for Southeastern markets Jimena Teran provided an overview of the current economic climate of the state of North Carolina, and specifically the Raleigh-Durham market — highlighting the continued growth over the past year and key challenges facing the region.
Education, technology and workforce trends were focal points of the event. The leadership summit was kicked off by opening remarks from NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson, who spoke about the different dynamics of developing workforce talent along with the University’s efforts and contributions to that matter. “We are very fortunate to be in such a vibrant part of the country, here in Raleigh-Durham,” said Woodson.
The first panel, ‘What’s next? What a red-hot real estate market returning to a semblance of normalcy means for future development demand,’ focused around the real estate market in Raleigh-Durham and featured distinguished panelists including Diego Munoz, president of KW Commercial, Shawn Pepple, business unit leader at DPR Construction, Jim Allen, president of Jim Allen Group and Tucker Shade, executive vice president & branch manager at Savills Raleigh-Durham. “What I believe we’re going to see is a continued growth of the market; we’re no longer three little cities sitting in the Triangle. The Triangle now spreads over 12 counties,” said Allen during the panel discussion.
The second panel, ‘Future focus: The Research Triangle was the country’s original tech hub. How is the region working to lead the next generation of tech innovation?’ was moderated by Cheryl Richards, CEO of Catapult. The panel examined the future of technology, the implications that digitalization has had on the Raleigh-Durham region and how to attract and motivate innovation developments. The panelists included Vlad Rozanovich, senior vice president of Lenovo North America, Kevin Hart, CEO of Segra, and Mark Yusko, CEO of Morgan Creek.
During the discussion, Hart noted, “We want to be a destination employer,” in regards to talent acquisition and retention. “We want people to feel empowered. What is our purpose? Our purpose is to connect our customers and help them do great things.” Yusko added, “We want to incentivize tech innovators to show up and stay.”
The panelists also discussed contemporary housing conditions and innovation being an asset class. The combination of innovation and technology in the Raleigh-Durham sector was also discussed, with an emphasis on keeping an open-minded attitude towards the future.
The final panel, ‘Education’s economic heft: How the Triangle’s educational ecosystem provides a driving force for economic growth and regional development,’ was led by representatives from the region’s higher education sector and covered the panelists’ teaching developments, innovation plans and the diversity of the higher education system. The panel was moderated by Mary Nash Rusher, Raleigh’s managing partner of McGuireWoods LLP. The panelists included Randy Woodson, chancellor of North Carolina State University, Connie Ledoux Book, president of Elon University and Angela Quick, senior vice president of the education practice area at RTI International.
Closing remarks were delivered by Chris Chapman, Capital Analytics’ senior executive director. Chapman shared his gratitude on behalf of Capital Analytics and announced his excitement for the next edition of the Raleigh-Durham publication.
For more information, visit: https://capitalanalyticsassociates.com/
To watch the Invest: Raleigh-Durham 2022-2023 Launch Conference in full, please visit our Youtube Channel.
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About Capital Analytics & Invest: Raleigh-Durham 2022-2023
Capital Analytics is an integrated media platform that produces in-depth business intelligence through its annual print and digital economic reviews, high-impact conferences and events and top-level interviews via its video platform, Invest:Insights.
The Invest: Raleigh-Durham 2022-2023 report provides an in-depth look at what makes the region’s economy tick and the challenges that remain from the perspective of over 150 local leaders and elected officials.
The steady supply of a well-educated workforce along with the strong, collaborative environment among academic communities, state and local government and private industry have bolstered Invest: Raleigh-Durham and made the region a popular landing point for businesses and residents alike.
Invest: Raleigh-Durham looks at the region’s key industries, including financial services, real estate, technology, tourism, and infrastructure, that drive the local economy. The area has enjoyed continuous growth and economic expansion in recent years, fuelled by business friendly policies and a number of business relocations and expansions during and after the pandemic. Based on this solid foundation, the region is poised to continue its robust growth in the years to come.
For more information, contact:
Max Crampton-Thomas
Regional Editor
305-523-9708 Ext: 233
