Subscribe to the Business Resilience DECODED podcast – from DRJ and Asfalis Advisors – on your favorite podcast app. New episodes every Thursday.

Episode 114: Creating a Resilient Future for Charlotte with Mayor Vi Lyles Pt. 1

In this two-part series, Vanessa sits down with Mayor Vi Lyles to discuss how she is creating a resilient future for Charlotte, NC. Part I focuses heavily on the citizens that make up the community, and why it’s so important to invest in them through community engagement, job creation, and racial equity. 

Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for opportunities to connect, access to exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more at https://bit.ly/BRDFourCorners.

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

  • People are our biggest asset. It’s very important to invest in communities by creating job opportunities for all education levels. The new medical school in Charlotte will create 10,000 new jobs, only 5,000 of which will require a college degree.
  • Engagement is a huge component of resilient communities. Citizens need a way to provide feedback that’s accessible and easy to contribute.
  • It’s not about getting any businesses to open in your community, it’s about getting the right businesses to open in your community. There should be support and infrastructure for both large and small businesses to succeed.
  • Communities need to invest in corridors of opportunity. That means supporting citizens who have contributed to the growth of a community who have not had an opportunity to benefit from that growth. 
  • Private sectors have an opportunity to support community resilience by providing things like computers to underserved groups within the community.

Disaster Recovery Journal:

Asfalis Advisors:

Connect with the podcast!

Vanessa Mathews, host

Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security.

Jon Seals, producer

Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting.

Resilience Reads: Dr. Jo Robertson on Strengthening Crisis Leadership
EDITOR’S NOTE: Leading up to DRJ Spring 2025, Disaster Recovery Journal will highlight the authors featured in the “Resilience Reads:...
READ MORE >
Using the FLOOD Acronym to Safeguard People, Property, and Other Assets
Among the weather headlines in 2022 was the disastrous flooding in Eastern Kentucky. The "perfect storm" of adverse conditions led...
READ MORE >
Disaster Recovery Investments Grow Revenue, Not Just Cut Costs
Today’s organizations are navigating unique business challenges amidst the increased cost and frequency of data breaches. Security incidents are overwhelmingly...
READ MORE >
Strategic Communication Methods for DE & I
Subscribe to the Business Resilience DECODED podcast – from DRJ and Asfalis Advisors – on your favorite podcast app. New...
READ MORE >