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www.greensboro.org
The growth of Greensboro in 2022 showed that our membership and investors play an important part in the success of Greensboro as a whole. Our community is growing and we at the Chamber are focused on ensuring your business is on solid foundation. Through our Pay It Forward Fund, in 2022 we were able to provide a year of membership to 23 small businesses, helping to ensure their success for years to come.
2022 began with a Boom, quite literally. On January 26, 2022, we announced that Piedmont Triad International Airport would be the new home for Boom Supersonic’s Overture Superfactory. With an initial investment of 1,761 jobs and $500 million, the site will be a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, including the final assembly line, test facility, and customer delivery center for the Overture supersonic airliner. Known as Project Thunderbird, it was truly a collaborative community effort years in the making. Flip to page 8 of this report to read about the work that went into landing this transformational project.
While new projects are exciting, we also had an amazing year that included expansions and announcements from companies that have made Greensboro home for many years. We learned what keeps us on the leading edge - whether it’s groundbreaking research, state-of-the art design, new technology, or educational programs focused on the future - the assets available in Greensboro are second-to-none with a workforce to match.
2022 ended with the thrilling news that we earned our 5-Star Accreditation from the United States Chamber of Commerce - the highest-level of distinction in the Chamber industry. We are one of only two Chambers in North Carolina to hold the 5-Star distinction, and out of approximately 7,000 Chambers nationwide, only 141, less than two percent have earned this top honor. We were commended for our leadership role in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and for our commitment to continuous improvement - receiving a perfect score in Governance, Human Resources, Program Development, Technology, Communications, and Facilities.
As we head into 2023, we hope you will continue to be a part of the largest business organization in the ‘Boro. We can’t wait to see what the future holds. With your unwavering commitment to our organization and mission, we will continue to grow a future bright with possibilities.
To the 1,240+ members and investors of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, we thank you for your support.
Legislative Agenda Rollout: The Greensboro and High Point Chambers of Commerce hosted a lunch with members of our state delegation at GTCC’s Cameron Campus Conference Center on Monday, February 21, to thank them for all of the support they provided in the FY 21/23 biennial budget. In addition, the 2022 State Legislative Agenda draft was “rolled out” to get their feedback on FY 22/23 priority items for the upcoming short session using a “roundtable” approach this year, which they enjoyed and found most productive.
Vote Smart/ Vote YES & YES: Two critical referendums were on the May 17 voting ballot for Guilford County. A strong public school system is critical to attracting and retaining businesses in our community, supporting economic development, and preparing talent for the workforce. First on the ballot was a school bond referendum to address those and many other critical needs to make our schools safe, modern, accessible, renovated, and tech-ready; and secondly, a fraction of a penny sales tax to support public schools and repay the bond. The $1.7 billion school bond referendum passed in Guilford County with 60.68% voter approval. The sales tax did not pass.
4 Our Future Municipal Election Forum: On June 15, the Chamber, synerG Young Professionals, and Action Greensboro hosted a Candidate’s Forum featuring mayoral and city council candidates answering questions about four focus areas: equity, housing, safe community, and transportation.
Midterm Elections Candidates’ Forum: The Chamber co-hosted a series of Candidate Forums on October 11 and 18 featuring candidates up for election in November. Forums were held for the Guilford County Board of Education, Guilford County Board of Commissioners, and the North Carolina General Assembly – House and Senate Candidates. Forum Partners include: Action Greensboro, Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, East Greensboro Now, Greensboro Jaycees, Guilford Education Alliance, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, synerG Young Professionals, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and YWCA of Greensboro.
Guilford Delegation Thank You: In November, we thanked our Guilford Delegation to the North Carolina General Assembly for their work in advancing our education and talent pipeline in Guilford County. Projects such as the Mobile Career Center, the Eastern Triad Workforce Development Initiative, Guilford County Schools career academies, and aviation training at GTCC were funded due to their work at the state level. These projects are instrumental in developing tomorrow’s talent within our community.
December Legislative Agenda Rollout: On December 12, members of the Guilford Delegation to the N.C. General Assembly joined representatives from the Greensboro and High Point Chambers for a preliminary and productive discussion of priorities being considered for the joint 2023 State Legislative Agenda. Valuable insights were provided and will be incorporated into a draft of the Agenda that will be rolled out to the entire delegation in Q1 2023.
See more of the work accomplished in the last five years in our full report.
Volvo Group North America announced on February 21 a $41 million investment in Greensboro and High Point to purchase and expand the building housing its U.S. Uptime Center, which will also serve as the new global headquarters for Volvo Financial Services (VFS). The expansion of the building will bring about 360 VFS employees onto Volvo Group North America’s campus.
Toyota announced an additional investment of $2.5 billion in its newest North American facility, Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina (TBMNC). This investment adds capacity to support battery electric vehicle (BEV) battery production and adds 350 jobs, bringing the total employment to approximately 2,100. Scheduled to begin production in 2025, the facility will produce batteries for hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and BEVs.
“This marks another significant milestone for our company,” said Norm Bafunno, senior vice president, Unit
Manufacturing and Engineering at Toyota Motor North America. “This plant will serve a central role in Toyota’s leadership toward a fully electrified future and will help us meet our goal of carbon neutrality in our vehicles and global operations by 2035.”
In 2021, Toyota, in partnership with Toyota Tsusho, announced the new Liberty location with an initial investment of $1.29 billion for battery production and the creation of 1,750 new jobs. With today’s announcement, TBMNC’s total investment is $3.8 billion.
This is an exciting time for Toyota, the region and the many North Carolinians we will soon employ,” said Sean Suggs, TBMNC president. “This incremental investment reflects our continued commitment to ensuring jobs and future economic growth for the Triad region.”
Greensboro and Guilford County have been selected as the location of the new, state-of-the-art RPM Wood Finishes Group Research, Development & Innovation Center of Excellence. The facility will occupy nearly 60,000 square feet of office and lab space at Thorndike Road creating roughly 53 new jobs paying an average wage of $70,000. The company plans to invest $25 million for this expansion. The RPM Wood Finishes Group is a division of the OEM Industrial Group.
Syngenta held a groundbreaking event on March 10, 2022, for its new North American Crop Protection Headquarters, a major capital construction project at its current location in Greensboro. Syngenta intends to construct a more than 100,000 square-foot office building to connect with its existing laboratory facility on the north side of the 70-acre campus. The new workspaces will support about 650 employees and 100 contract workers. The entire project is expected to be completed in 2024.
MANUFACTURING -84%
SPECIALIZED BUSINESS - 1%
N/A - 10%
AVIATION - 5% LIFE SCIENCE - 4%
SUPPLY CHAIN - 2%
On Wednesday, January 26, 2022, Governor Roy Cooper announced that Boom Supersonic had chosen Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTI) as the location where it will manufacture its new supersonic passenger aircraft, Overture, which will be capable of flying at twice the speed of today’s fastest passenger jets.
The Overture “Superfactory” will begin production in 2024. The first Overture aircraft is slated to roll out in 2025, fly in 2026, and carry its first passengers by 2029. Commercial interest in Overture includes orders and options from multiple airlines, and the company is also working with the United States Air Force on government applications of the aircraft.
However, this project began decades earlier for the airport and the Triad. Without the foresight, strategy, and decisions of leaders from 10, 20, and even 50 years ago, the airport would not be competitive for a project like Boom. Leaders like former director Ted Johnson, former board members and chairs like Steve Showfety, Henry Isaacson, Hudnall Christopher, Stanley Frank, and all the way back to Caesar Cone.
The vision of these leaders led to the acquisition of thousands of acres of land, the attraction of companies like FedEx, Honda, HAECO, and Textron, and the construction of a third runway which opened up much of the land now marketed to the
community.
Throughout the last 12 years, PTI was very deliberate in its mission to make the airport the location of choice for the aerospace industry -- developing a clear plan of action; acquiring additional land; undertaking the required environmental analysis; performing earthwork to grade the sites; providing airside and landside access; bringing utilities to the sites; and planning for various types of possible demand and users.
While reflecting on this mission, PTI Director Kevin Baker says, “Early in my career, a mentor said to me: ‘Baker, there are three parts to any project. Scope, budget, and schedule. The client gets to pick TWO of those’.” Baker continued: “We realized to win major projects, we had to find a way to allow potential tenants to pick all three. The site they wanted, at a reasonable cost, and ready when needed.”
The most important of the three was schedule. The years of work put into preparing is what enables the airport to offer a company a quick path to bring their products to market. Now, the airport has nearly 1,000 acres of land ready for customers in the aerospace industry.
In early 2021, Site Selection Group called Brent Christensen, President & CEO at the Greensboro Chamber, and indicated interest in PTI for the Boom project under the code name “Thunderbird”. This began a nearly nine-month pursuit during which the airport
and the community would have to clear numerous high hurdles to remain in contention.
PTI faced heavy competition for the Boom Supersonic project from multiple airports in multiple states. Boom ultimately chose PTI and the Triad because of the transportation and airport infrastructure, pipeline of skilled labor, available educational opportunities, business-friendly environment, and last but not least, because of a significant incentive package and investment by the State of North Carolina.
The North Carolina legislature approved $106.7 million for improvements at PTI to help secure the aerospace manufacturer. In addition, the state has also approved an $87.3 million Jobs Development Investment Grant (JDIG) for the company, subject to Boom meeting employment and investment goals set out by the State. Under the terms of the grant, the company will invest $500 million by 2030.
During one of the Project Thunderbird visits, Christensen told the company the Piedmont Triad has the “Power of Three”. We don’t just have one downtown, we’ve got three. We’ve got High Point, Winston-Salem, and Greensboro. We’ve got three different communities that all that rely upon and support this airport, and during that same Thunderbird visit, all three mayors participated, and demonstrated regional solidarity to Boom Supersonic Founder and CEO, Blake Scholl. It was a powerful message.
“It is both poetic and logical that Boom Supersonic would choose the state that’s first in flight for its first manufacturing plant. Like the success of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, this innovative company will succeed by transforming passenger air travel with speed and sustainable energy.”
-ROY COOPER NORTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR
In addition to having the support of the three cities, two of the region’s economic development entities, the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce and the Piedmont Triad Partnership, presented a united voice with PTI, to bring this victory home. Both entities are committed to bring new opportunities to our community and helping Greensbor and the Triad stay on the cutting edge of innovation and aerospace technology.
But most notably, we appreciate the help of Governor Cooper, Secretary of Commerce Machelle Sanders, the Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, and the state legislature, particularly President Pro Tem of the Senate Phil Berger and Speaker Tim Moore. All of these individuals and organizations worked in a bi-partisan way, to pull in the same direction all for the benefit of North Carolina, the Triad, and PTI.
The Overture Superfactory campus at PTI will create 1,761 jobs and bring an inthrough 2030. The project will bring an investment of more than $500 million through 2030. Annual salaries for the new jobs created by Boom will vary by position and will average $68,792.
To develop the next generation of supersonic professionals, Boom will also create 200 internships
through 2032 for students who attend publicly funded North Carolina universities, community colleges, or technical schools.
Boom’s leadership team, including CEO Blake Scholl, returned to the Triad on December 12 to announce Florida Turbine Technologies, a business unit of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, as its engine design team. GE Additive and Standard Aero are also involved in the engine development and on-going maintenance.
“Selecting the site for Overture manufacturing is a significant step forward in bringing sustainable supersonic air travel to passengers and airlines. With some of the country’s best and brightest aviation talent, key suppliers, and the state of North Carolina’s continued support, Boom is confident that Greensboro will emerge as the world’s supersonic manufacturing hub.”
- BLAKE SCHOLL FOUNDER AND CEO, BOOM SUPERSONIC
Inclusivity and Collaboration are two of the Greensboro Chamber’s core values and are at the center of many of our programs. Whether it’s by filling gaps in the pipeline for early-stage businesses in Guilford County, with a specific focus on minority-owned businesses, the targeted programs, including Accelerate Greensboro, Scale to Excel, and LaunchLab, are designed to provide a continuum of programming and needed support.
Supporting entrepreneurs increases revenue and net income for the participants, and in turn provides the opportunity to create jobs in minority-owned businesses. This has an opportunity to provide generational impact on the most racially segregated geographies in our city, thus impacting opportunities for these often-marginalized communities to create revenue, jobs, and generational wealth.
Diverse talent is developed, retained, and attracted through the work of Action Greensboro’s synerG Young Professionals and Campus Greensboro to build an equitable and thriving community for all. Young diverse talent is the key to our community’s workforce, civic leadership, and vibrancy. Equitable internship programs lift diverse talent and create greater access for college students to get their foot in the door.
Urban planning and the built environment play a key role in reducing disparities in our community and in public health outcomes. Greenways break down barriers and connect people and communities that have been segregated for generations. The Downtown Greenway has the potential to provide equal access and reward for everyone in our community regardless of race or socioeconomic status.
$824k INCREASED REVENUE DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTED TO WORK AND KNOWLEDGE GAINED IN SCALE TO EXCEL
$11.3M NEW MINORITY BUSINESS REVENUE, 2018-2022
85% AVERAGE MWBE PARTICIPATION IN LAUNCH GREENSBORO PROGRAMMING
59% OF CAMPUS GREENSBORO FELLOWS ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR
40% OF CAMPUS GREENSBORO FELLOWS ARE FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS
$352M IN COMPLETED AND PLANNED INVESTMENT ADJACENT TO THE DOWNTOWN GREENWAY IN HISTORICALLY
On May 24-25, we traveled to the Greenville/Greer/ Spartanburg region to learn about “The BMW Effect.” On Day 1, we toured BMW and heard their story - how they started in South Carolina and how they’ve grown. From the region we learned first-hand their lessons: what they would do the same, what they wish they had known, and how they prepared for an influx of thousands of jobs in a short amount of time. On Day 2, we split our group into three concurrent tracks focusing on Education & Workforce Development; Industrial Development & Infrastructure; and Community Impact & Quality of Life.
Key Numbers
On Wednesday, March 23, we welcomed 650+ of our members to celebrate the success of the last year at the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts. Award recipients included Walker Sanders, President of the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro (Thomas Z. Osborne Distinguished Citizen Award) and Mary Jo Cagle, MD, CEO, Cone Health (ATHENA Award). Special guests included representatives from Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina and Boom Supersonic.
NEW MEMBERS CURRENT MEMBERS SIGNATURE EVENTS
153
1,247 attendees present at our events
Over 5,300
On April 27, 2022, we celebrated our 2022 Small Business Award winners with a reception at Piedmont Hall.
• Community Contributor: Carolina Digital Phone
• Culture Creator: Savor the Moment Bakery
• Goal Setter: Spectrum Reach
• Pivot Pro: Deep Roots Market
• People’s Choice: Fiber Space
• 2022 Small Business of the Year: Core Technology Molding Corporation
Attended by more than 850 business leaders, elected officials, and community leaders, this year’s event shared five ways the Greensboro community is spearheading cutting-edge technology in vastly different industries including the Greensboro Science Center, White Oak Legacy Foundation, UNC Greensboro, Volvo Group North America, and North Carolina A&T State University. The prestigious Stanley Frank Economic and Workforce Development Award was presented to Kevin Baker for his work as the Executive Director of the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority. The 2022 Hubert B. Humphrey, Jr. School Improvement Award was given to Dr. Angela Monell, Principal of Southwest Guilford High School.
Research shows that well-defined organizational cultures that are tended to, shaped, and cared for drive results in a way that wins over the competition. The 2022 impact. Leadership Conference featured dynamic speakers including Garrick Throckmorton, Tiffany Tate, and Will Sutton addressing the idea of organizational culture and
how it can make your business more competitive.
Internationally renowned speaker, Simon T. Bailey, joined us for the 2022 impact. Leadership Conference to teach our 200 attendees how to hear, heal, and help their teams.
“As Xtern Software marks our 20th anniversary, the Chamber aided us in a ribbon cutting and other ways to commemorate the milestone. We’ve hosted talented interns vetted through the Campus Greensboro program. We’ve highlighted our business through Chamber member spotlights, sponsored events, and virtual presentations. The Chamber continually provides innovative and creative ways to broaden our relationship with the Greensboro business community. We are so appreciative of the Chamber’s support of small, local businesses.”
- EMILY LINDEN COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, XTERN SOFTWARE
2022 was an incredible year to “Pay It Forward!” While we were highlighting the recent large wins in our community at our Annual Celebration, we wanted to bring attention to the small businesses that make up the large majority of our members. Through the sale of “Boom & Toyota & Greensboro, North Carolina” t-shirts, we were able to fund one year of membership for 23 small businesses in our community.
Allison Amos
Rebecca Buffington
Teresa Davis
McWhorter Concepts, Inc.
Hannah Pomphrey
Ashley H. Raper
Larice White
Wayne Young, Allen Tate Realtors
The Scale to Excel program has significantly increased my knowledge base about how to operate a sustainable and successful business. Thanks to this class, the future of my business is brighter. I’ve learned that there is no vision too big to attain if I have a well-thought-out plan with goals and a continuous effort to network with others in my community to learn new information.”
- MONIQUE CRUTCHFIELD, MSW, LCSW, LCAS OWNER, PIEDMONT LIFE SOLUTIONS SCALE TO EXCEL ‘22
Through our partnership with the national organization Interise, Scale to Excel, taught by Dr. Channelle D. James, UNCG, helps minority-owned businesses with $175k$10m in annual revenue accelerate their growth.
On September 21, eight companies celebrated seven months of work in the Scale to Excel program. This program equips minority business owners with the executive education, management know-how, and business support systems they need to take their enterprises to the next level. Our graduates included: William Allen, The Allen Real Estate Group; Winsome Barnett, Helping Hands Cleaning Services of the Triad LLC; Monique Crutchfield, Piedmont Counseling and
Development Services, PLLC; Dhanraj Emanuel, Dhanraj Emanuel Photography; Ashleigh Odom, Ashlen Staffing Solutions; FaLon Thomas, Onyx Ocean Technologies; Tara Tillman, Westchester Realty LLC; Jacqueline White, African American Art & More.
In June, our inaugural and current Scale to Excel classes spoke with Congresswoman Kathy Manning about their businesses and how they are scaling for growth. Congresswoman Manning heard directly from our entrepreneurs about legislative need and priorities they would like to see address at the congressional level
Launch Greensboro, the entrepreneur initiative of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, provides education, mentoring, and access to capital to existing and aspiring entrepreneurs in the Triad. Our work encourages and supports an expanding pipeline of innovation, the formation and growth of high-potential emerging businesses, and a vibrant entrepreneurial community to create new jobs and increase the tax base of the City of Greensboro and Guilford County.
Here’s a look at three ways we help businesses succeed:
1. EDUCATION
2. MENTORSHIP
3. ACCESS TO CAPITAL
Launch Greensboro’s signature accelerator program, LaunchLab Growth, celebrated 10 new companies in our region at Demo Day on May 23 at Elm & Bain. These companies included: 3D Upfitters, A Moment with Monet, Eleanor Jade Handmade, Little Light Series, iMPACT Project, Insightful Branding, Optera, Shown N3D, Soledier Socks, and Vibin In Peace. Literary and arts education company, Little Light Series, was selected by a panel of judges to pitch at Capital Connects in 2023.
In partnership with transform GSO, and thanks to a generous donor, Launch Greensboro is providing free access to professional office space for four earlystage BIPOC entrepreneurs based in Greensboro. The entrepreneurs also have complimentary access to Launch Greensboro’s leadership and programs. Companies are: Royal Event Staffing, Shown N3D, The Staton Wood Co, and Village Sis Doula.
On January 21, FLCF announced its seventh investment Fuse Oncology (Fuse), a spin-out of Cone Health/ Cone Ventures. Fuse is creating a new practice management platform that improves efficiency, quality, and safety in oncology practices supporting the entire patient engagement cycle. James Bauler, CFO of Fuse Oncology, said, “We highly value the relationship with First Launch Capital and their presence here in Greensboro. FLCF’s support and funding will allow us to commercialize a scalable version of our proven Signal software as step one in our vision to build a seamless radiation oncology experience that drastically reduces the time to initiate treatment.”
Additionally, FLCF provided follow-on funding to two of the existing portfolio companies – Unbox the Dress and Beam Technologies.
Launch Greensboro named F3TCH, a Wilmington-based innovative and disruptive mobile app for hotels and resorts, and Without a Trace Foods, an allergen-friendly, gluten-free snack company, the 6-minute and 2-minute winners, respectively, at its annual pitch competition, Capital Connects, on April 13. Audience members voted PulmonIx, lung-focused clinical research team, the Fan
Favorite of the night. Tara Darnley was presented the 2022 Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
2-Minute Pitch: iMama, My Relief Wear LLC, Medherd, Without a Trace Foods, Optera, Pulmonix, WorkLife Solutions Concierge (Fall 2021 Demo Day Winner)
6-Minute Pitch: F3TCH, Inc., TIDLE Inc., Doggos, Estas, Unbox the Dress
Launch Greensboro hosts our LaunchLab 101 programming twice a year. In 2022, eighteen companies participated in the Spring and fifteen participated in the Fall. Over the course of this five-week program, entrepreneurs learn how to identify their ideal customers; how to legally structure their business and protect their intellectual property; digital marketing strategies and building their brands; and taxes and finances from local experts.
In March, 29 LaunchLab Sustain members met for education and networking. Over the summer, fourteen companies received internship support from two Campus Greensboro interns. And then in August, six companies spent 5 weeks with The Brooks Group. Local entrepreneur and sales expert, Anita Greenland, led these companies through their IMPACT Sales Training Program – scoring it a 5 out of 5 in learnings and outcomes.
Launch Greensboro hosted three LaunchCamp weekend programs in 2022 – April, July and October. These hands-on business BootCamp weekends are dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs at the earliest stages to: define their customer, determine product/market fit, and evaluate feasibility. In each session using the Lean Canvas methodology, there were a lot of “Aha!” moments and as
well as valuable connections made. With 34 participants throughout the year, seven moved on to be a part of our Fall LaunchLab 101, program and we expect many more to join our Winter 2023 LaunchLab 101 program in January.
This fall, 12 companies completed LaunchLab Growth, Launch Greensboro’s signature accelerator program, and presented at Demo Day on December 12. Participating companies included: AE Academics, Black Girl Candle Company, Family Room Triad, FinePrint Data, Fresh AF, Gate City Physio, Remedy Beauty Bar, Royal Event Staffing, Savor the Moment, Staton Wood Co, Sundae Pets, and Thriving Doula.
Aston Anglin-Stone with Fresh AF, and Terri Bannister with AE Academics were selected as winners of Demo Day and will go on to present at Capital Connects in 2023.
The Leadership Greensboro Class of 2022 graduating on May 11 included 43 diverse leaders from across the city. They completed a robust nine-month leadership development program that includes: successful completion of the Center of Creative Leadership Foundations of Leadership curriculum, numerous independent activities, program day assignments, and an extensive action-learning project.
The Other Voices (OV) Class of 2022 graduated on May 4 from the eight-month program with approximately 30 participants who were challenged to talk about “oppressive-isms” that affect their personal lives, community, and overall quality of life.
The 30th Class of Other Voices began in September. The OV Advisory Council began planning our celebration of the longest running diversity, equity, and inclusion program in Greensboro throughout the class year.
Action Greensboro convenes, catalyzes, and advocates to develop, retain, and attract diverse talent with the aspirational goal to support per capita income growth in order to build an equitable and thriving community for all. To achieve these goals, Action Greensboro upholds the values of collaboration, equity, and inclusion.
BIRTH TO 12 EDUCATION
ATTRACT AND RETAIN SKILLED TALENT
DEVELOP GREENSBORO’S BUILT AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
The 2022 Campus Greensboro Fellows Program kicked off on Tuesday, May 31. Campus Greensboro received more than 1700 applications for internships in the 2022 Fellows Program. This year’s program included 75 Fellows interning at 40 organizations across the city of Greensboro and Guilford County. More than 50 community mentors connected with and supported students this summer as well.
Reporting on recent Fellows cohorts indicates that of those students eligible to enter the workforce or to continue their internship roles, 53% accepted full-time, part-time, or internship employment in the Greensboro area following the program.
59% of the 2022 Fellows cohort are students of color.
40% of the 2022 Fellows applicants indicated they are first-generation college students and 34% are Pell Grant recipients
89% are interested in staying in Greensboro after graduation
92% built a network they believe will help them professionally
85% better understand which companies in Greensboro are in their desired industry
97% had a summer experience they believe will help them toward their career goals
93% feel more prepared to apply for job/internship opportunities
92% feel more confident to advocate for themselves and their needs as a professional
92% have more knowledge about diversity and inclusion in the workplace
In October, Action Greensboro co-hosted over 150 economic development, education, philanthropic, and business leaders from 30+ cities to share best practices in talent attraction, retention, and development.
Young, Smart & Local is a robust and growing national network of talent development organizations across the country. The lunch keynote, “How Anchor Institutions Drive Impact for their Regions”, was live streamed. Connections, dialogue, and engagement took place over three days of shared learning and fun.
Action Greensboro is thrilled to receive a 1.2 million dollar investment from Guilford County ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds. This significant four-year investment in the young professionals and students who are so important to our community will scale emerging talent development programming, including Campus Greensboro’s Fellows Program and synerG Young Professionals’ Career Seeker Cohort and Young Professional Educators Academy.
New York City-based Global Business Coalition for Education named Action Greensboro the winner of its “Big Ideas, Bright Cities Challenge” that honors teams for their bold, innovative ideas that equip young people to participate in the workforce. Action will receive $100,000 to support Campus Greensboro, which aims to connect young people, including low-income and first-generation college students, with paid internships. It also provides stipends for youth to work in minority- and womenowned businesses. Greensboro earned top honors in the Challenge, besting finalist teams from 14 cities.
synerG Young Professionals is committed to young professional attraction and retention programming, including leadership, professional and personal development, community engagement, and social networking for the city’s young professional community. Through both virtual and in-person opportunities, young professionals in Greensboro continued to learn, connect, and engage in 2022.
To reach the general young professional population, synerG continued to scale and diversify its engagement of over 3,500 young professionals. Each month, synerG offered a variety of ways to engage the young professional community through professional and personal development trainings, volunteer opportunities, and social networking.
Signature events included Lead Your City, synerG’s annual
leadership summit, which featured keynote speaker Glenn Gonzales, Co-Founder and CEO of locally-based Jet It. Around 140 young professionals attended a full day of learning and networking at Elon University for this year’s summit. synerG also hosted a virtual Making Connections, an event focused on connecting young professionals to seasoned leaders working in community impact, like Greensboro city manager Taiwo Jaiyeoba. Additionally, synerG, Action Greensboro, and the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce partnered to host the 4 Our Future candidate forum ahead of the July municipal general election. The forum featured candidates for Greensboro Mayor and City Council. The event was held in person at the Van Dyke Performance Space and also live streamed.
synerG members enjoyed opportunities to connect at monthly social networking events called On Taps. These
drew around 50 young professionals each month and took place at venues across the city, including House Divided, Dram & Draught, State Street Wine Company, and The Abbey Tap House. In August, synerG hosted a special On Tap along with seven other young professional organizations at First National Bank Field. Over 150 young professionals attended the event in August to network, learn about ways to get engaged in the community, and enjoy a Greensboro Grasshoppers game!
In addition to these initiatives, synerG hosted opportunities for YPs to engage with each other through virtual lunch and learns, fitness classes, hikes on local trails, YP Table Talk Instagram series, a downtown business tour, and Dear Greensboro, a placemaking project which will be installed at Blandwood Mansion. Outside of monthly programming, synerG launched a new program this year focused on professional development
and networking. synerG Grow Group meets weekly and provides participants with a spotlight opportunity to share who they are and what referrals, connections, or support they are seeking. Grow Group concludes each week with a professional development learning moment. Since its start in July, over 50 YPs have engaged with the group.
synerG hosted its fifth cohort of Young Professional Educators Academy, a professional development program for young Guilford County Schools educators. This year, educators focused on career and technical education, spent five weeks learning new skill sets, and discovering the assets of our community. Participants will use their experience in the program to grow their careers within GCS and become better leaders in their classrooms.
The NC Chapter of the American Planning Association recognized the Downtown Greenway as a Great Place for Public Art at the statewide conference held in WinstonSalem in September.
The Downtown Greenway received a $20,000 grant from Safe States Alliance for Violence and Injury Prevention. This grant allowed for the hiring of a public health intern through the Campus Greensboro Fellows program. Relationships established with Cone Health’s Congregational Nursing Program in seven congregations and organizations in East and South Greensboro surrounding the Downtown Greenway strengthened opportunities for community engagement. A program developed with the Interactive Resource Center encouraged clientele to use the Downtown Greenway for exercise. An evaluation survey gathered valuable information about user experience and collected recommendations for future improvements.
Programming, communications, and volunteer coordination transitioned from the Downtown Greenway office at Action Greensboro to the City of Greensboro’s new Greenways and Gardens Program Coordinator, Chelsea Phipps in July. Laura Lorenz who had been in this position for Action Greensboro for the last 13 years has transitioned to the Chamber as the Director of Leadership Greensboro.
The Final Mile Campaign wrapped up in 2022 and raised more than $546,000 of a $250,000 goal.
The Western Branch section (the final mile) is expected to go out to bid in March 2023.
LANDSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS:
·Pollinator garden at Woven Works Park – pathways added for access by New Earth Designs.
·High Grove between Prescott Street and Spring Street –by David Mudd and Justin Vettel.
PROGRAMMING/VOLUNTEERS:
Programming continues to be strong with more than 150 classes, workshops, and volunteer activities. Signature programs Wheels on the Greenway, Run 4 the Greenway Block Party, and free fitness classes continued. A first ever Community Picnic was held in June in the Ole Asheboro neighborhood.
Made in Greensboro reached more than 25K individuals through local news media & publications, economic development pitches, and social media platforms. We repurposed valuable content and shared stories of makers and celebrated their successes. Through our partnership with the City of Greensboro, profiles were highlighted on GTN, NextDoor, and on the downtown kiosks.
On May 17, Guilford County voters approved the 1.7B Guilford County School bond to complete the $2B need to renovate, remodel, and rebuild every school building in Guilford County. The $1.7 billion school bond referendum PASSED in Guilford County with 60.68% voter approval. The bond makes history as the largest county bond referendum approved by voters in North Carolina and the third largest school bond in U.S. history. The campaign, led by Action Greensboro, was a team effort, including an advocacy committee, campaign contributors, and more than 250 volunteers.
Action Greensboro launched the Boomerang Greensboro campaign in late 2020. Boomerangs are people who grew up in Greensboro or went to college locally and then moved back after spending time away. Boomerangs are unique because of their familiarity with Greensboro, local roots with family and friends, and special appreciation for the growth our community underwent while they were living elsewhere.
The presence of young people in Greensboro is a direct reflection of our health and well-being, and these individuals and families fuel economic growth. Like many other mid-sized cities across America, we continue to make our community attractive to “young transitionals.” And most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted interest to mid-sized communities for our quality of life and cost of living.
Phase one of the Boomerang Greensboro Campaign was a targeted marketing effort to potential Boomerangs who were identified by members of the Greensboro community at-large.
Since the launch of the Boomerang Greensboro campaign, 75+ degreed professionals have returned to Greensboro and connected to our relocation and welcome services. In 2022, we celebrated more than 20 new Boomerangs and their families return.
The campaign mailed special boxes of locally roasted coffee beans to prospective Boomerangs. The gift box also included customized cost of living comparisons to the metro area closest to the recipient. Several prospects reached out after receiving the gift expressing interest in learning more about relocation!
Meet Elijah Cone who boomeranged back from Los Angeles with his fiance Daixi. Elijah has found himself pleasantly surprised by how much Greensboro has to offer its residents these days, citing that lots of his friends have come back, too. He and Daixi are happy they traded hustle for hospitality.
Watch now: https://youtu.be/AQjERpyMX54
CT Wilson Construction Co.
Kelly Office Solutions
Ralph Lauren
Simply Southern Staunton Capital, Inc.
Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro Cone Health Foundation
Joseph M. Bryan Foundation of Greater Greensboro Phillips Foundation
Tannenbaum-Sternberger Foundation
The Cemala Foundation
The Stanley & Dorothy Frank Family Foundation