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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. 

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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.

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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.

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