Navigating the Great Pause - How to Consider Pivoting in the Wake of COVID-19: Case Studies in Real Time

NAVIGATING THE GREAT PAUSE SERIES

This is the sixth panel discussion in the “Navigating the Great Pause” series co-hosted by the Entrepreneurship Center and NC Growth every Thursday throughout April and May at noon. These events are designed to help our stakeholders and community make it through the COVID-19 pandemic and come out stronger on the other side.

During this session, we will explore case studies that demonstrate how to pivot your business in the wake of COVID-19 with examples from Launch Chapel Hill alums that are making these changes in real time. We will explore what prompted them to pivot and the decision process they went through on figuring out their new business model. And lastly, we will discuss how they managed the pivot- what do their new operations entail and what resources did they need?

We will send you a survey before the session so you can let us know the questions you would like the panelists to address. Please email eship@kenan-flagler.unc.edu with any questions.

Panelists:

Alex Brandwein is the founder of Brandwein’s Bagels- a bagel bar that is set to open its doors this summer in the old Midway community kitchen on Rosemary Street. Alex has a background in real estate and investment banking and is currently an MBA candidate at Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Emily Behr is the founder of Growga – an all-ages wellness solution for businesses and a new path to success for instructors. Emily has a background in public relations and communications and is a certified yoga instructor.

Franklin Roye is the President and founder of IndyCare Health- a retail health and wellness center that provides technology-enhanced, collaborative care on-demand, at your local independent community pharmacy. Franklin is a driven healthcare business leader with extensive experience in both US and Global markets

Greg Morey is the CEO and founder of City News Beat- a service connecting streaming TV users to their local communities, on their terms. Greg has over 20 years in broadcasting and has lead numerous teams with a focus on revenue development and marketing.

Velvet Nelson (moderator) is a senior level professional with a passion for startups, specializing in relationship management and operations. Previously, she co-founded a startup and raised $3 million in equity funding. She is currently the Director of our Launch Chapel Hill accelerator.

NOTE: A Zoom link and survey to solicit your questions will be sent out in advance of this session