North Carolina A&T To Host Two-Day Community & Economic Engagement Summit

By Labrina VanCliff

The Office of Engagement and Outreach at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University will host the third annual Community & Economic Engagement Summit, co-sponsored by MassMutual, during its 97^th Homecoming.

The free summit, “Economic Empowerment: Advancing the Community,” will take place Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursday, Nov. 1, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the university campus in the Student Center Deese Ballroom, 1403 John W. Mitchell Drive. Second-day events are open to the public.

“We want to facilitate conversations between our university and community partners. This summit offers networking and opportunities to learn how to build wealth, support underserved populations, influence policy and make a positive impact on our community,” said Rosalind Dale, Ed.D., A&T’s vice provost for engagement and outreach.

“Economic Empowerment: Advancing the Community” will feature a diverse slate of dynamic presenters, including keynote speaker Mignon Francois, founder and CEO of The Cupcake Collection. The first 250 attendees will receive a copy of Francois’ book, “Made from Scratch: Finding Success Without a Recipe,” which tells the story of how she turned $5 into a multi-million-dollar bakery brand. A panel discussion centered on entrepreneurship and several concurrent breakout sessions are also scheduled throughout the day.

The summit is designed for aspiring entrepreneurs and current business owners, regional and state community members, government officials who are involved in fiscal policy and all members of the Aggie family. It will focus on strategies that inform participants about the connectivity between building personal wealth and building healthier, sustainable communities.

Additionally, registered participants will enjoy networking sessions on topics related to community land trusts, communication and storytelling in business, government roles in small business subsidies, upscaling from pop-up to brick and mortar and equity programs for underserved communities.

The summit is scheduled strategically during homecoming to involve as many Aggies as possible in rebuilding, establishing, maintaining and growing community and economic engagement in the areas where they live and work.