SPEAKER
Paige Ouimet
Executive Director, Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, and Professor of Finance, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
Thursday, October 09
8:00 AM–9:00 AM
Conference Check In & Networking
9:00 AM–9:25 AM
Welcome
SPEAKER
David Knowles
Managing Director, Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise
Overview of Grand Challenge
9:25 AM–10:15 AM
PANEL DISCUSSION | The Skills Gap: Addressing a Complex Challenge
The skills gap—the difference between the skills employers seek and those workers possess—is spreading across the US economy, presenting deep-seated challenges for workers and employers. This session explores core drivers, technological breakthroughs, demographic changes, workplace cultural shifts, and more.
SPEAKERS
Susan Cates
Managing Partner, Leeds Illuminate
Senator Michael V. Lee
North Carolina General Assembly
Telly Tucker
President, Institute for Advanced Learning and Research
MODERATOR
Sekou Bermiss
Associate Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, and 2025 Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow
10:15 AM–10:45 AM
Networking Break
10:45 AM–11:15 AM
Keynote: David Deming
SPEAKER
David Deming
Danoff Dean, Harvard College and Isabelle and Scott Black Professor of Political Economy, Harvard Kennedy School, and 2025 Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow
11:15 AM–12:00 PM
PANEL DISCUSSION | Technology Is Evolving: Can the Way We Work Follow?
Is AI closing the skills gap or widening it? This plenary explores how technology is redefining work and reshaping skill demands. Learn how technology is evolving, who’s most impacted, and how future-focused leaders are responding.
SPEAKERS
Elizabeth Faber
Global Chief People & Purpose Officer, Deloitte
Ben Hoffman
Chief Strategy Officer & Head of Consumer Product, Fifth Third Bank
MODERATOR
Camelia Kuhnen
Director of Research, Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise; and Boyd White Harris Jr. Distinguished Professor of Finance, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
12:00 PM–1:30 PM
LUNCHEON KEYNOTE | Ronnie Chatterji
From Investment to Impact: Will Enterprise AI Deliver
Will massive AI investments bridge the skills gap or deepen divides? This session explores why transformation has lagged, and what the economic consequences mean for industries, growth, and America’s workforce.
SPEAKER
Aaron “Ronnie” Chatterji
Chief Economist, OpenAI; and Mark Burgess & Lisa Benson-Burgess Distinguished Professor of Business and Public Policy, Duke University
1:30 PM–1:45 PM
Networking Break
1:45 PM–2:30 PM
Breakout Sessions
Harnessing the Power of Training and Apprenticeship
Public and nonprofit training programs are vital to closing the skills gap—but are businesses fully leveraging them? This session explores how these providers meet workforce needs, support business goals, and why deeper collaboration is critical to long-term success.
SPEAKER
Chris Hage
Managing Director, HR Business Partners, Duke Energy Corporation
Chris Harrington
Director, ApprenticeshipNC
MODERATOR
Annelies Goger
Fellow, The Brookings Institution; and 2025 Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow
Help Wanted: How Demographics Are Remaking the Labor Market
This panel examines how aging populations, immigration policies, and evolving workforce needs reshape the labor market. Learn why worker shortages are accelerating, which industries are most affected, and how talent strategies are being reimagined.
SPEAKER
Timitra Hildebrand-Jones
Vice President, Culture, Albemarle Corporation
Ari Medoff
Chief Executive Officer, Arosa
Tara Watson
Professor of Economics, Williams College; and Director, Center for Economic Security and Opportunity, Brookings Institution
MODERATOR
Jeff Korzenik
Chief Economist, Fifth Third Commercial Bank
2:30 PM–2:45 PM
Networking Break
2:45 PM–3:30 PM
Breakout Sessions
The Other Gap: Reconnecting College Classrooms with the Workplace
How should colleges prepare students for a rapidly changing world? This session explores how higher ed is bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-world skills, with innovative approaches that equip students for today’s job market and tomorrow’s workforce.
SPEAKER
Jeff Cox
President, North Carolina Community College System
Cecilia Holden
CEO & President, myFutureNC
Beth Mayer-Davis
Dean, The Graduate School at UNC-Chapel Hill
MODERATOR
Thomas Stith
CEO, The Michael Thomas Group Inc.; former president, North Carolina Community College System
Growing Your Own: Reskilling and Upskilling Within Companies
Is upskilling America’s workforce the key to success? This panel explores how reskilling closes skills gaps by developing internal talent. Panelists will share trends, real-world examples, and strategies to build an agile, forward-thinking workforce.
SPEAKER
Theresa Barber
Vice President, HR People Systems and Analytics, SAS Institute
Suzie Bishop
Vice President of Product Development, The Center for Leadership Studies
Shanna Gibbons
Associate, Client Skills Training, J.P. Morgan Private Bank
MODERATOR
Gerald Cohen
Chief Economist, Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise
Scaling Solutions in Skilled Trades Training
Join the Lowe’s Foundation and two of its Gable Grants recipients—Hope Renovations and the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER)—for an inside look at how strategic investments are strengthening communities, expanding training access, and helping meet growing skilled labor demands.
SPEAKER
Nora Spencer
Founder and CEO, Hope Renovations
Cathy Tyler
Director of Workforce Development, National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER)
MODERATOR
Betsy Conway
Director, Lowe's Foundation
3:30 PM–3:45 PM
Networking Break
3:45 PM–4:15 PM
Keynote: Purpose Meets Performance: How Citizens Aligns Philanthropy with Business Strategy
In this fireside chat, Dan Fitzpatrick, Regional President of Citizens for the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions, will discuss how strategic philanthropic initiatives strengthen communities, drive meaningful business outcomes, and deepen client relationships.
SPEAKER
Daniel Fitzpatrick
President Mid-Atlantic Region, Citizens
MODERATOR
LaChaun Banks
Research Fellow, Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise and Professor of the Practice, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
4:15 PM–5:00 PM
A Fireside Chat with Michelle Peluso, Chief Executive Officer, Revlon
Join Michelle Peluso, CEO of Revlon, for an exclusive fireside chat with Dean Mary Margaret Frank in Kenan-Flagler’s Dean’s Speaker Series, hosted in partnership with the Kenan Institute. Gain insights from the visionary leader behind the iconic brand, learn how the company has sought to address skills gap challenges in their global operations, and walk away with powerful lessons in navigating today’s evolving business landscape.
SPEAKER
Michelle Peluso
Chief Executive Officer, Revlon
MODERATOR
Mary Margaret Frank
Dean, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
5:00 PM–6:00 PM
A Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise Event