Chandler Conversations

Chandler Conversation on Southern Business History

Named for the eminent business historian Alfred Dupont Chandler Jr., who began his graduate career at UNC-Chapel Hill before teaching at Harvard and MIT, this conversation was established in 1988 to celebrate the study of southern business and economic history. Recent conversations have examined personal stories of immigration and entrepreneurship, the complex relationship between slavery and capitalism, and the hidden costs of cheap food and unregulated labor conditions.

Making America: Immigration & Entrepreneurship in North Carolina

This previous spring, our Chandler Conversation highlighted the contributions of four entrepreneurs who hailed from around the world but now call North Carolina home. During the conversation, our panelists discussed their successes and challenges as business owner and innovators, while considering the question, “How can our state, region, and nation do a better job of encouraging entrepreneurs — whether they are born here or arrive from somewhere else — to take on bold new challenges and succeed in their endeavors?”

Our panelists included Utibe Udo, owner of AFRICAN LAND in Durham and Nigerian immigrant, Uli Bennewitz, who inspired the “brewpub bill” that allowed microbreweries to proliferate in North Carolina who has lived in Peru, Germany, and England, Perla Saitz, program director and co-owner of CHICLE Language Institute and Mexican immigrant, and Amit Singh, co-founder of SPECTRAFORCE Technologies, Inc. and Indian immigrant. Our moderator was LaChaun Banks, Associate Director for NC Growth.

To see other previous Chandler Conversations, head to our archive.