Belk College launches ‘Charlotte Business Buzz’ podcast

Charlotte Business Buzz
Wednesday, July 29, 2020

A new podcast mini-series is pulling the resources and partners of UNC Charlotte to help Queen City businesses weather the financial storm brought on by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

Charlotte Business Buzz, which launched recently with five episodes, features one-on-one interviews with UNC Charlotte researchers, experts who advise businesses and alumni who are driving business in the Queen City. 

The miniseries is hosted by Jeffrey Jones, director of Executive Education and Professional Development for UNC Charlotte, and presented by the Belk College of Business and the Office of Industry and Government Partnerships. 

“COVID-19 is the global crisis of our age,” said Jennifer Troyer, dean of the Belk College. “Many small businesses have been hit especially hard. Closer to home, thousands of people in the Charlotte region are out of work and the region’s record economic expansion has slowed. Our goal for the series is to tap the resources of the Belk College to help business leaders succeed in this unprecedented climate.”

Topics and guests for the series include: 

  • Leadership in Tumultuous Times: Janiki Gooty, associate professor in the Belk College's Department of Management and in the interdisciplinary organizational science Ph.D. program, discusses her research into leadership and offers practical tips for leaders during COVID-19. 
  • Career Searching in the AI Age: Patrick Madsen, executive director of UNC Charlotte's University Career Center, offers strategies for job seekers during a difficult economy, a look at job interviews in the artificial intelligence age, and how the University is meeting students where they are during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
  • Family Business Amidst COVID-19: Torsten Pieper, associate professor in the Department of Management, provides an overview of family businesses in North Carolina. He also focuses on how a global research project will help gauge how family businesses are adapting to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 
  • Driving Business in University City: Darlene Heater, executive director of Charlotte's University City Partners, talks about this growing business district, UNC Charlotte’s impact, the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and what lies ahead.
  • Elevating Queen City Entrepreneurs: Bryan Delaney ’03, co-founder of Skookum, offers a look at the maturing market for entrepreneurial ventures in the Queen City and what Charlotte can do to support entrepreneurs during these unprecedented times.   

Charlotte Business Buzz, produced by University Communications, is available on all major podcast platforms, including Apple, Google and Spotify. Additional episodes are in production.