Moving Forward Together: Building Resilience of Small Businesses and Communities.

This drop-in style event explores how NCGrowth is building an economy with opportunities for all to prosper by building resilience of small businesses and communities. The event will feature a panel discussion and informal networking tables highlighting the community-based work of NCGrowth and the Kenan Institute for Private Enterprise.

Post-Helene Economic Recovery and Resiliency Planning in Western NC

NCGrowth is supporting long term economic recovery and resiliency in communities impacted by Hurricane Helene by providing consulting and technical assistance to businesses, local governments and other community organizations. 

Proven Economic Vitality: My Reflections from the NCGrowth Cross-State Immersive

On December 10, 2024, I had the opportunity to join my colleagues from NCGrowth and the Kenan Institute for an immersive experience in Danville, VA, and Caswell County, NC.

NCGrowth 2024 Annual Report

We are excited to share NCGrowth’s first annual report. This report encapsulates our work over the past 12 years, creating an economy with opportunities for all to prosper.

NCGrowth Partners with Freedom Org to Launch Farm Incubator & Equipment Share Program in Edgecombe County

NCGrowth recently wrapped up an exciting project with Freedom Org, aimed at transforming agricultural access and economic opportunity in Edgecombe County, NC.

Black and white portrait of a woman with dark, shoulder-length hair, wearing a dark, deep V-neck top, with her arms crossed.

The Power of Belonging

Nov 9, 2026 • News & Media • 5 min read

For Kristine Locklear Urrutia, leadership is not about being the loudest voice in the room. It is about ensuring more voices have a seat at the table. A citizen of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, co-founder of The JAN Collaborative, and Executive Director of the Catawba Nation Foundation, Kristine has spent more than three decades building bridges between communities, organizations, and opportunities. Throughout her career in philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, fundraising, and strategic partnerships, one principle has guided her work:

Hands typing on a laptop with a digital overlay showing icons related to procurement, including a shopping cart, checklist, truck, factory, and boxes.

Event • Jun 01, 2026

Western North Carolina Business Growth Cohort

NCGrowth is launching a free, seven‑month cohort program designed to help businesses in Western North Carolina recover, rebuild, and scale to meet post‑disaster demand. This program provides participants with practical tools, expert guidance, and meaningful connections to support long‑term growth.

NCGrowth

NCGrowth works nationally to build an economy with opportunities for all to prosper. We provide technical assistance to businesses, governments, anchor institutions, and other organizations to create good jobs and new wealth in economically distressed communities. We produce applied research and develop innovative policies that promote equitable development. We host unique, cross-sector convenings and workshops to bring together diverse perspectives. Our staff is in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and other communities across the U.S. Our work and thought leadership range in scope from hyper-local to international. NCGrowth was founded in 2012 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is affiliated with the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise and the Kenan-Flagler Business School.

About NCGrowth