Professional soccer kicks off in the Triad
Carolina Core FC in High Point brings fun as well as opportunity, owner says
hen High Point began looking into building a stadium several years ago, officials realized they needed to offer more than baseball to a region that already has minor league teams.
Soccer looked to be a good fit for the region.
About the team
Season: March to October
Tickets: Start at $17. Children 2 and under do not need a ticket.
Home matches: Played at Truist Point stadium, 301 N. Elm St., High Point
More information: carolinacorefc.com
In 2022, the U.S. Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup brought 1,200 athletes and their families to Greensboro’s Bryan Park. The state organization is based in Greensboro. And last year, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association picked Greensboro for both the men’s and women’s state championships.
“The fact that we already had really strong youth clubs in the area was a big determining factor in doing this,” said Megan Oglesby, managing partner and majority owner of Carolina Core FC, which began its inaugural season this year as part of Major League Soccer’s NEXT Pro league.
For those unfamiliar with soccer, MLS NEXT Pro is professional soccer, a level
below Major League Soccer. It’s akin to a AAA minor league baseball team. Most of the clubs are affiliated with a major league team. For example, Crown Legacy FC is affiliated with Charlotte FC. Players can get called up to play for their major league team.
Carolina Core is an independent team, which means it is not directly affiliated with a major league — or “first” — team. However, players have the ability to be transferred to any first team in MLS or even other countries around the world, Oglesby said.
Major League Soccer launched MLS NEXT Pro in 2022 as a way to complete
L O O K
I N S I D E
the pro player pathway. It builds on MLS NEXT, which gives more than 11,000 youth under age 19 in the United States and Canada a chance to play competitive soccer.
Oglesby loves that the league is part of the pathway for players to reach the top level in U.S. soccer.
Continues on page 5
Membership team
Mark Podolle, Wireless Ventures; Colleen Biedny, Carolina Cookie Company; Stephanie Ward, Print Plus Inc.; Lindy Fuller, Summit Credit Union; Alison Huber, Dynamic Quest.
Members of GMA’s membership council pose for a photo. The group plays an essential role in member recruitment, communication and retention. Pictured from left are: Kathy Cates, Brand Connect;
Carolina Core FC defender Jathan Juarez kicks the ball during the June 15 home match against Cincinnati FC at Truist Point stadium in High Point.
Oglesby
Businesses thrive when employees have family friendly benefits
Action Greensboro wants companies to join effort to make city a ‘Certified Family Forward Community’
BY CECELIA THOMPSON Action Greensboro
Action Greensboro and the North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation are partnering to increase the number of greater Greensboro employers who provide family-friendly workplace benefits and become Family Forward NC Certified Employers.
Family Forward NC is an innovative initiative of the North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation to improve children’s health and wellbeing and keep North Carolina’s businesses competitive.
With support from GMA, our goal is for Greensboro to be declared the first Family Forward NC Certified Community by February of 2025. Why does this matter?
It’s business smart.
Greensboro’s growing economy means we’ll have a projected 23,000 new jobs by 2029. We need a steady pipeline of talent to support this
five main areas, ranging from child care to health and wellness benefits.
growth and ensure success for current and future residents.
Guilford County needs more than 30,000 people to obtain a degree or credential by 2030 to reach our state’s attainment goals.
It’s family friendly.
Millennials and Gen Zs, who make up nearly 50 percent of Greensboro’s workforce, are more likely to leave a job to gain work-life balance. As these generations become parents, familyfriendly workplaces are becoming an important part of creating a vibrant Greensboro.
So Greensboro can be future ready.
Our children are our future workforce. In Guilford County in 2022, less than half of all third graders were reading on grade level. Reading on
President & CEO
Vice President
Operations/Special Events Coordinator
Membership Development
Administrative Assistant
Publication Coordinator – Michelle Bolick Phone (336) 378-6350 TRENDS is published for the members of the Guilford Merchants Association.
225 Commerce Place, Greensboro, N.C. 27401 www.mygma.org
G. Mark Prince
Michelle Bolick
Monzi Jimenez
Sharon Smith
Melinda Thomas
grade level by fourth grade indicates future success and well-being.
Join the movement and become Family Forward NC certified!
The Family Forward NC Employer Certification designates employers that offer best-practice policies in one or more of five main areas:
• Paid leave and wages
• Child care
• Accommodations for pregnant and breastfeeding workers
• Health and wellness benefits
• Scheduling practices
Visit FamilyForwardNC.org or contact Cecelia Thompson at cthompson@actiongreensboro.org to get started.
Ways to connect
Looking to make more connections? Guilford Merchants Association has three networking groups. Networking Gurus
Meets: 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. on Mondays
Cost: $85/quarter
More: www.networking-gurus. com
When you receive a business card, write on the back the date and place you met to help jog your memory when filing or searching through your stack of cards.
Biz-Links
Meets: 7:45 a.m.-9 a.m. on Thursdays
Cost: $80/quarter (includes breakfast)
More: www.bizlinksgma.com
When you are introduced to someone, repeat their name to increase your chance of remembering. Then introduce that person to someone you know.
TIP
Competitive Advantage Networking
Meets: 7:45 a.m.-9 a.m. on Fridays
Cost: $75/quarter (includes breakfast)
More: www.thecangroup.com
Center City AM Briefing
The Family Forward NC Employer Certification designates employers that offer best practice policies in one or more of
Greensboro Fire Chief Jim Robinson gives an update on his department during the June 11 Center City AM Briefing.
Thompson
Search for healthier lifestyle led to Gardener Bob’s Homestead Kitchen
Bob Thomas got his first plot of land to farm while growing up in Massachusetts. When he was in high school, a neighbor gave the teen part of his garden to grow whatever he wanted.
That gave him his first taste of growing things, which coupled nicely with his interest in cooking. He later studied culinary arts in high school and college.
He combined those two interests into Gardener Bob’s Homestead Kitchen in Greensboro, where he sells a variety of sourdough breads, pastries, kombucha, pickles and salsa that he makes from locally-sourced ingredients, some of which he grows. He also sells other locally made food and items, such as soap, raw milk, honey and more.
“It was all driven by cleanliness. I’m so sick and tired of all the garbage food in the stores. There’s so much garbage, there’s so much trash — preservatives, artificial dyes, colors, garbage ingredients, you know, stuff you can’t pronounce. I was like, why can’t all food be clean?” he said.
He didn’t realize as he was growing up that red and yellow dyes, which were in a lot of the store-bought food that his parents brought home, activated his attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Dairy and gluten allergies added to his health issues.
As he got older, he realized that eating healthy was helping him with those lifelong food and health issues.
“I kind of started doing my own thing, eating more vegetables, cutting out the dyes and preservatives. But still something wasn’t exactly right. And so I started brewing kombucha, and then believe it or not a BLT is the reason I’m here,” said Bob, who
NEW MEMBER
moved to North Carolina in 2018.
He decided he wanted the “best BLT” so he made his own bread with a sourdough starter he got online. It didn’t bother his food allergies because it is made from water and salt, not milk and butter and potato starch like country-style sourdough, he said.
He started selling his kombucha — a fermented tea that can help improve gut health — then added the sourdough bread. Soon he found himself at farmers markets with fresh vegetables from his garden too.
He was working in the kitchen at Elon University at the time. But during the summer, with most of the students gone, there was no work. So, he began selling his produce at a farmers market.
He made enough that summer to convince him to quit his job to work full time selling his own products. He formed a limited liability company in January 2022. The next month, he started working out of a shared
kitchen. Last year, Gardener Bob’s Homestead Kitchen opened at 2823 Spring Garden St. in December.
He has a 400-square-foot plot of land where he grows tomatoes and peppers. He loves the Carolina Reaper, which is considered the second hottest pepper in the world.
“The pepper, though, is delicious. It’s got a phenomenal flavor,” he said. “What I do with the canned goods, is I artfully craft the ingredients together to where it’s spicy enough to be delicious, and give you that thrill of that spicy food. But it’s also tame enough to where you’re not going to die after two bites.”
Bob said he’s always had a passion and a love for growing things.
“You learn more about yourself. You ground yourself by getting your hands in the dirt. You increase your mental happiness, your mental health,” he said.
“The point is to connect with the
ground, to get into the earth to develop your sense of autonomy, and your sense of self reliance,” he said. “You know, it’s like, when you can provide more things for yourself … it gives you more freedom.”
Bob Thomas
Gardener Bob’s Homestead Kitchen 978-340-5063
gardenerbob36@gmail.com www.gardenerbob.com
Gardener Bob sells a variety of sourdough breads, pastries, kombucha, pickles and salsa that he makes from locally-sourced ingredients. He also sells other locally made products, from raw milk to honey to soaps and more.
Gardener Bob sells a variety of canned goods, many with a “spicy” option.
Gardener Bob started out at farmers markets before opening a physical location last year.
Name: Desmyne Gaines
Hometown: Charlotte
Residence: Greensboro
Age: 25
Education: Bachelor of Science degree in marketing with a public relations minor from N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University
Business: The Carroll Companies
Role: Brand marketing manager
Responsibilities: In my current role, I oversee a diverse range of responsibilities that support TCC and its subsidiaries. I monitor online mentions, manage public relations, draft press releases, and coordinate with the media. I also handle the inventory and distribution of branded items, design the quarterly newsletter, and organize employee engagement events. Additionally, I manage multiple
websites, social media accounts, and online storefronts, and coordinate photoshoots and videography. I facilitate logo designs, distribute event tickets, and lead our company’s philanthropic involvement, ensuring strong team participation and engagement.
On GMA: I joined GMA because it presented an excellent opportunity to network and engage with the Greensboro community. My boss recognized my eagerness to connect with professionals from various fields and encouraged me to attend an event. I’ve been actively participating ever since. GMA is a fantastic platform for businesses in
Guilford County to come together, learn from each other, and provide mutual support.
On GMA benefits: GMA offers a great variety of events each month to cater to everyone. I particularly enjoy the Digital Marketing Institute programs, Teach Me Tuesdays, and GMA Risers events. I love connecting with young professionals and find GMA to be the perfect opportunity to learn something new or gain a fresh perspective on what I already know, making it highly useful in my work.
On Risers: I was in college during the pandemic, so my junior
and senior year were fully remote learning. Entering the workforce after being isolated from my classmates was challenging. Being part of GMA Risers has been incredibly beneficial. It has helped me build connections, eased me into the comfort of working with my peers, and significantly boosted my confidence in navigating the workforce.
Personal: I am passionate about my work and constantly seek ways to grow as a marketer and as a person. Storytelling is a significant part of both my personal and professional life; I enjoy hearing about others’ experiences and what has shaped them. In my free time, I love reading books and watching movies of any genre, as well as listening to true crime podcasts. I also enjoy attending yoga and Pilates classes. Additionally, I love exploring new restaurants and am always on the lookout for something fun and exciting to do. I thrive on creativity, hard work, and making people feel included and valued. Meeting new people and diving into new challenges excites me, and I am always eager to achieve impactful results.
Desmyne Gaines
The Carroll Companies
336-706-3220
dgaines@thecarrollcompanies.com
Risers is the young professionals organization within Guilford Merchants Association. While it is generally intended for those age 39 and under, anyone employed by a GMA member company in good standing can join. The group has about 80 members. They meet once a month for a networking lunch at various locations in the Triad. There are also special social events and workshops focused on young professionals. The next lunch meetup is at 12:30-1:30 p.m. July 17, Moe’s Southwest Grill, 1744 Battleground Ave., Greensboro. Attendees are responsible for their own checks.
New member orientation
New members participated in orientation on May 15. Pictured are: front row, from left: Michelle Bolick, GMA; Jamie Brummel, Pinspiration Lilly Rodriguez, Carolina Pines Retirement; Aparna Meyerson, Telos Marketing; Jennifer Murray, AssuredPartners; Maria Sollecito, Maria Sollecito Photography; Heather Brooks, Heather Brooks Real Estate Services Brokered by EXP Realty, LLC; Amir Blackwell, Social Sauce Club. Back row, from left: Katie Scott, Spangler Estate Planning; Gary Smith, The Healing Space; Ryan Johnson, AssuredPartners; Kelly Lynn Ingram, City of Greensboro; Michael Shuster, AssuredPartners; Landon Cheviron, Stretch Zone; Clay Garst, AssuredPartners; Abe Rodriguez, Carolina Pines Retirement; Kris Hart, The Universal Strategic Network; Gabriel Porrata, Piedmont Business Capital; Dana Kappus, Blackdog Handyman Services; Wayne Williamson, Piedmont Business Capital; Wanda Edwards Walker, Guilford County Schools.
Soccer
Continued from page 1
This fall, the club will add another rung to that path with the launch of MLS NEXT Academy for competitive youth players. The under 14 and under 13 team players have already been picked. The academy will be run by a nonprofit.
Oglesby said part of the appeal with soccer is it is an international sport.
“It’s just one of those things that is just such a unifier. No matter where you go in the world, people know the sport or at least know enough about it to watch it, to play it. And we have such a rich immigrant community here in our Triad and in North Carolina,” said Oglesby, who is a High Point native.
The really big opportunity with Carolina Core FC is that the people involved are “very forward thinking and regional minded,” said Melody Burnett, president of GMA member Visit High Point.
The Carolina Core name honors the region that bears the same name. The region consists of a more than 120mile stretch of central North Carolina encompassing a 12-county area that includes the Piedmont Triad.
While she does love soccer, the economic benefits of bringing a locally owned pro team to the area also drew her to the project, said Oglesby, who
is also executive director of the Earl & Kathryn Congdon Family Foundation.
One focus area for the foundation is economic development for revitalization and stabilization. A part of that is looking at career pathways and creating jobs.
Companies like Toyota, which is building an electric battery plant in Liberty, look for various things when picking a site.
“No. 1 on that list is, is there a skilled labor pool that I can hire people from? No. 2 is quality of life. What is there to do?” Oglesby said.
She said soccer is a piece of that puzzle.
“There’s something here for everybody, regardless of your age, your
background, your economic status. And so that’s the piece of this soccer thing that falls into the bigger picture of what we’re trying to do as a region — to bring jobs here so that people can enrich their lives.”
The team plays at Truist Point in High Point, the new baseball stadium built in 2019 that is also home to the Rockers, a minor league baseball team.
“Having the Carolina Core at Truist Point really helps us to keep that stadium active year round,” Burnett said.
When you combine the soccer team’s schedule of 14 home games with the more than 60 home games for the Rockers, that’s a really full schedule from March to October each year, Burnett said.
May 7, 2024
“They pull from very different demographics, which means we can cast a bigger net to bring people downtown,” Burnett said.
From an economic development standpoint, it’s great for tourism, Burnett said. The area around the stadium has really grown with restaurants, retail and other businesses, she said, adding that there are inquiries about the area all the time.
“When we built the stadium, it wasn’t about baseball, it was about building a catalyst project that would be multipurpose,” Burnett said. “It’s now starting to happen.”
“It’s really showing the community that that vision that we had .. is coming to life,” Burnett said.
The crowd watches as Carolina Core FC takes on Cincinnati FC at Truist Point stadium in High Point on June 15.
Fans have a little fun before the June 15 home match starts in High Point.
William Chappell, Banker’s Life, helps pass out stickers to attendees at the May 7 After Work Network event at Heritage Greens in Greensboro.
Sharon Smith, GMA (left) and Salem Owens, Rent-A-Home of the Triad Inc. (right) pose for a photo after Owens won a prize at the After Work Network event.
Wayne Ford, Innovative Financial Solutions LLC (left) and Kelly Krantz, Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group (right), man the front desk to sign people in, pass out name tags and answer questions at the After Work Network event May 7 at Heritage Greens in Greensboro. The networking event is one of many opportunities GMA members have to make connections and have some fun while doing so.
Heritage Greens
GMA ‘important, positive’ part of new business success
“If I had not been a part of GMA, I would not have succeeded,” said Lavonne Pickens, former owner of If It’s Baskets in Greensboro.
Starting a business can be a difficult time. There are so many things that need to get done, and often new things to be learned.
We spoke with several Guilford Merchants Association members about how being a member helped them when they first joined.
They said GMA membership was really beneficial when they launched their businesses, from finding customers and vendors to just accessing the wealth of business knowledge of fellow members.
Lavonne Pickens joined GMA when she opened If It’s Baskets in Greensboro in 1988. She later sold the business to an employee.
“I still tell people to join GMA,” she said. “If I see people with a new business, I’ll tell them the best way to get connected is to join GMA.”
Pickens was a GMA member for the dozen or so years she owned If It’s Baskets.
“If I had not been a part of GMA, I would not have
BUSINESS SUCCESS
succeeded,” she said. “That’s how I got connected to other businesses. They supported me and I supported them.”
“We built the business on networking,” Pickens said. “GMA was a very important and very positive part of my success for that business, no doubt.”
After selling the company, she remained a GMA member at her new job until she retired.
Real-
tor Kathy Haines said that early networking with GMA was also key for her as she started her sales career.
“Most of the people I have met over the last 25 plus years there have become friends, vendors and/
Free Day Friday features GMA T-shirts
or clients,” said Haines of Kathy Haines Homes. “I can’t imagine where I would be in my business or my personal life today if not for the people I have met through GMA.”
happening.
“It’s great when you’re starting out, but literally every week I learn something new from people in that group,” she said. “There’s just a wealth of knowledge that you have access to every week.”
Peggy Barron-Antolin hadn’t even opened Office Evolution when she joined GMA. As she prepared to launch her franchise, the connections she made at GMA helped her with everything from getting internet to insurance.
A lot of those vendors came via the Competitive Advantage Networking group, one of GMA’s three networking groups.
“When I joined, I said, ‘You know, for the next little bit, I’m going to be your customer.’”
Along with helping her with their products, CAN members have been great resources.
“They’re all experts in what they do,” she said. She said the help is still
It goes both ways.
Barron-Antolin said she’s helped people in the group as well, by passing on referrals or providing services through her business.
“GMA is the best deal in town when it comes to this stuff,” she said. “It’s the best investment in time and people. I feel I have benefited.”
Like BarronAntolin, Jan McDiarmid said belonging to one of GMA’s special networking groups definitely played an important part in getting her travel business started.
“While I had been fortunate to have traveled extensively and lived in other countries, I did not have any
experience in selling travel when I first purchased a travel franchise back in October 2011,” said McDiarmid, whose Cruise Planners franchise specializes in river cruises.
Fortunately, McDiarmid said, she already had a GMA membership at the time with a different business. She said she had built some good networking relationships, “which was instrumental in launching a new business.”
She joined the Competitive Advantage Network group and “soon made some good connections and received some great referrals, since people do business with people they know and trust.”
Pickens said Greensboro is very fortunate to have an organization like GMA. A lot of towns don’t have one, she said.
She called GMA “the best advertising money a small business can spend.”
“The one-on-one networking and everybody supporting each other, it just works. And it helps people get to know you and you get to know them. That’s the way businesses are built,” Pickens said.
Haines
Barron-Antolin
McDiarmid
One of the many member benefits of joining the Guilford Merchants Association is Free Day Friday, where members can score discounts and gifts. The June 21 event featured a soft T-shirt with the GMA embroidered logo for anyone who registered in advance.
Xan Thomas, Bankers Insurance, shows off his new GMA-branded T-shirt for the June 21 Free Day Friday event.
Taylor Brown, Chubby’s 22, gets her photo made with her new GMA-branded T-shirt for the June 21 Free Day Friday event.
Jack Clemens, Navigate Insurance Agency (left) and Lisa Allen, O. Henry Magazine pose for a photo at the June 5 Meet & Eat at GMA.
Desmyne Gaines listens as Beth Livingston talks about the best ways to use email newsletters.
Beth Livingston, Triad Web Advisors, presents “Email Marketing - Still Your Most Powerful Sales Tool” during the May 21 Digital Marketing Institute at GMA.
