FEATURED SPEAKERS:
Charlie Mulligan
CEO and Co-founder, BrewPublik
Charlie is Co-founder/CEO of BREWPUBLIK, a Charlotte-grown curated craft beer delivery company. Prior to starting BREWPUBLIK, Charlie worked at “The Bank” (Bank of America) and Driven Brands. A craft beer lover himself, Charlie’s idea behind BREWPUBLIK was to help people find the beer they should be drinking by using their own preferences to curate and deliver a selection of beer they’re sure to love. Since launching in December 2014, the company now operates in Charlotte, Raleigh, Charleston, and San Francisco, with new markets on the horizon, and services over 2,000 individual customers and 200 corporate clients across the nation.
Jermaine Johnson
Co-founder, No Grease
Buffalo, NY native Jermaine Johnson opened his first barbershop in 1997 along with his brother Damian Johnson. Together, they quickly made a name for their business through community involvement and networking with the city’s African American entrepreneurs. Dedicated to the hair and other personal care services, No Grease has grown into one of the leading brands in personal hair grooming services for men, women and children in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area, and has been featured in local, national and international press. The company’s incorporated logo is emblematic of the resiliency found in the same African American cultural framework in which barbering has long been one of the most significant and constant economic forces in America. The founders credit this spirit of ingenuity, creativity, originality and entrepreneurship as the driving force behind their company work.
Mac Lackey
Founder and CEO, Kyck
An entrepreneur for over twenty years, Mac Lackey has built and sold five companies (including his recent sale of KYCK to NBC Sports in May 2016) and raised over $75 million dollars in capital. He and his startups have been featured on CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, USA Today and The New York Times.
Burt Helm
Senior Contributing Writer, Inc.
Prior to becoming contributing writer, Burt was senior writer for Inc., a position he held since February 2011. He writes features about entrepreneurs and the inevitable drama of starting a company. His feature story, “Betrayed in China: One Entrepreneur’s Hard Journey East,” won a 2013 Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW) Best in Business Award for International Feature. His 2012 cover story, “Turntable.fm: Where Did Our Love Go?” as well as the feature story “After the Squeeze,” were also recognized as one of the best magazine feature stories of the year by the SABEW.
AGENDA
6:00 -7:00 p.m.
BEVERAGES, TASTY BITES, AND NETWORKING
Take this opportunity to make lasting connections and expand your network with local-area entrepreneurs and business leaders over drinks and hors d'oeuvres.
Take this opportunity to make lasting connections and expand your network with local-area entrepreneurs and business leaders over drinks and hors d'oeuvres.
7:00-8:00 p.m.
PANEL DISCUSSION
During this lively panel discussion, local business leaders will discuss the importance small business plays in Charlotte and how to be and stay successful, thrive amongst robust competition and make a significant difference in your community.
8:00-9:00 p.m.
CLOSING NETWORKING RECEPTION
Spend your remaining time at the Power to the Small event by conversing with your peers and local business leaders. Grab a bite, enjoy a drink, and continue to make lasting connections while sharing your thoughts on the evening's discussion during this fun and casual soiree.
Spend your remaining time at the Power to the Small event by conversing with your peers and local business leaders. Grab a bite, enjoy a drink, and continue to make lasting connections while sharing your thoughts on the evening's discussion during this fun and casual soiree.