North Carolina Chamber

10/15/2026

Senior Director of Workforce Competitiveness Vincent Ginski gave the keynote address at Wilson Forward’s 2026 Annual Meeting Tuesday, focusing on how communities can tackle talent alignment more efficiently. The is leading efforts to help businesses and education partners set North Star goals that are concrete, time-bound, risk-calibrated, shared, and legitimate – charting a path to address workforce needs in real-time and mitigating the disconnects that sometimes arise in business-education partnerships.

10/15/2026

In-person early voting for North Carolina's 2026 general election begins today, Thursday, Oct. 15, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 31. In case you missed it, the NC Chamber is highlighting the key issues at stake for North Carolina's business community, from workforce and infrastructure to tax competitiveness and the state's legal and regulatory climate.

Important voting dates, deadlines, and resources to help you make your plan to vote > https://ncchamber.com/2026/09/09/political-update-voting-is-underway-in-north-carolina/

Read More > https://ncchamber.com/2026/09/16/what-the-nc-chamber-is-watching-as-the-2026-election-gets-underway/

County boards of elections began sending absentee ballots on Friday, Sept. 4, making North Carolina the first state in the country to begin voting in the 2026 midterm election. Here are the key dates and information North Carolina voters should know this election cycle. Key 2026 Election Dates Oct.....

10/15/2026

The 2026 Ag Allies Conference agenda just got even stronger.

We’re excited to welcome two of the nation’s top agricultural trade negotiators to the agenda: Ambassador Julie Callahan, chief agricultural negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and Gregg Doud, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation and former chief agricultural negotiator who led ag talks on the USMCA and the Phase One agreement with China.

Together, they’ll offer a firsthand look at where U.S. agricultural trade stands today and what’s ahead for the export markets NC growers and producers depend on.

Join us Friday, Oct. 30, in Raleigh.

Register > https://ncchamber.com/event/ag-allies-conference/

10/15/2026

Access to quality health coverage helps small businesses attract and retain great employees. That’s why the NC Chamber partnered with Blue Cross NC to create , a health benefit program available to members of the NC Chamber and participating local chambers.

Watch our recent conversation with Oakview Public House in Holly Springs to hear how Carolina HealthWorks is making a difference.

Read More >

What if small businesses could access quality, affordable health co...

10/14/2026

The NC Chamber was proud to be represented at the 2026 Investing in Rural America Conference in Asheville, where Senior Director of Government Affairs Debra Derr joined a national conversation on strengthening rural communities.

As part of the conference, Debra toured with Rural LISC and visited the Rebuilding Hollers, an organization helping western NC families recover from . Founder Stephanie Johnson shared how the organization is tackling two of rural communities’ most pressing needs at once: housing and workforce development.

Through a partnership with Mountain Heritage High School’s Construction Technology program, students known as the “Cougar Carpenters” are building mortgage-free homes for Helene-affected families while gaining hands-on skills for the workforce. Rebuilding homes today, building the workforce tomorrow.

10/14/2026

The holiday shopping season is right around the corner, and so is your business's next big opportunity.

The NC Chamber's event returns Wednesday, Dec. 2 at the Atlantic Union Bank Convention Center in Downtown Raleigh, bringing together 1,200+ ambitious women and their supporters for a day of connection, inspiration, and impact.

Small business pricing is available, and small business owners get a breakout session designed just for them. Plus, the day wraps up with a Sip & Shop — keeping attendees engaged and browsing right up until the end.

Learn More > https://ncchamber.com/event/women-lead-nc-raleigh/

10/13/2026

What if the starting point for agricultural innovation was the farmer?

The recently launched the Farmer Innovation Bridge, supported by the Golden LEAF Foundation and the North Carolina To***co Trust Fund Commission, to connect challenges identified by North Carolina farmers with innovators developing new technologies and solutions.

In this conversation with NC Chamber intern Helen Rooks, Dr. Katherine Drake Stowe, executive director of the Farmer Innovation Bridge, breaks down what makes the program different and why it starts on the farm.

Watch and learn more > https://ncchamber.com/2026/10/06/inside-the-farmer-innovation-bridge-a-conversation-with-dr-katherine-drake-stowe/

Dr. Katherine Drake Stowe explains how the Farmer Innovation Bridge will connect North Carolina farmers with the innovators solving their challenges.

10/12/2026

Happy ! 🌾 Today we’re celebrating the people who feed our state and our nation, and looking ahead to the conversations that will shape the future of North Carolina agriculture.

NC Chamber General Counsel Ray Starling makes the case for why you need to be at the Ag Allies Conference, presented by BASF Agro, on Friday, Oct. 30 in Raleigh. From decisions shaping North Carolina’s agriculture to where the industry is headed nationally and globally, this is the room you want to be in.

Register > https://ncchamber.com/event/ag-allies-conference/

10/09/2026

Greater Wilmington Business Journal is spotlighting Carolina HealthWorks, the health insurance solution launched by the NC Chamber and Blue Cross NC to give eligible small businesses another option in an increasingly costly market. As traditional small-group health plan rates continue to rise, is giving participating employers a more affordable path to competitive coverage. Having an affordable alternative is critical for small employers in a market where benefits can be just as important as compensation to many job seekers.

Read More >

Almost a year after its launch, Carolina HealthWorks, a health insurance option for small businesses through participating local chambers of commerce, has covered thousands of employees and their families, officials said. The program, a multiple-employer welfare arrangement (MEWA), may prove to be a...

10/09/2026

Students from NC State University's Supply Chain Resource Cooperative visited the NC Chamber offices Wednesday to brief staff on a joint study of cold-chain air cargo capacity. The four undergraduates and their executive advisors are working with Senior Director of Infrastructure Competitiveness Dana Magliola of the to determine how potential temperature-controlled air cargo capabilities could be leveraged by Chamber Cornerstone members Novo Nordisk and American Airlines, as well as area life sciences firms.