Money Talks - Designing Solutions

Wednesday, January 12 2011 by Frank Stasio and Kelly Reid

Lit sculpture by Matt McConnell

Matt McConnell is an artist, a sculptor and a builder, but he prefers to call himself a problem solver. His design solutions come in the form of railings, desks, light fixtures, and walls. His clients range from large companies like SAS and Bank of America to local restaurants and families. As part of an occasional series on business and finance called “Money Talks,” McConnell joins host Frank Stasio to talk about his work as an independent designer, what it means to be a small business owner in today's economy and how choosing local can apply to art.

This story is part of the Money Talks Series.

Money Talks - EvoApp

Wednesday, January 05 2011 by Alex Granados and Frank Stasio

www.evoapp.com

Joe Davy's new software intelligence company EvoApp started less than two years ago, but it’s already picking up big clients and expected to make a nice profit. Davy is 21, and EvoApp is his third Internet start-up. His created his first when he was 14 years old. As part of an occasional series on business and the economy called “Money Talks,” host Frank Stasio will talk to Davy about his company and his entrepreneurial spirit.

This story is part of the Money Talks Series.

Money Talks: E-retailing

Tuesday, May 18 2010 by Frank Stasio and Susan Davis

A year ago, the North Carolina legislature passed a complicated law aimed at forcing online retail giants like Amazon.com and Overstock.com to collect state sales taxes. Lawmakers hoped for a windfall to help balance the state's looming shortfall. It's not working. Elon University Assistant Professor of Law Andrew Haile joins host Frank Stasio to discuss the history of taxing (or not taxing) online retailers and how rethinking a Supreme Court case from 1992 might change the way everyone does business online.

This story is part of the Money Talks Series.

Money Talks: Financial Reform

Wednesday, April 07 2010 by Frank Stasio and Susan Davis

Financial reform legislation meant to prevent another economic meltdown is making its way through Congress. From the fiduciary standard to the Volker rule, we’ll take a look at the potential impact on consumers and the investment industry. Host Frank Stasio speaks with Lawrence Baxter, visiting professor of the practice of law at Duke; Evan Fuget, senior policy council for the Center for Responsible Lending; and Ben Birken, a Certified Financial Planner with Woodward Financial Advisors in Chapel Hill. Listener Call-in.

This story is part of the Money Talks Series.

Money Talks: Workplace Flexibility

Tuesday, April 06 2010 by Frank Stasio and Katy Barron

Last week, the topic of workplace flexibility got a boost from arguably the most powerful organization in the world when the White House hosted a forum about it. But no matter how many high-profile groups endorse the concept, it’s still been slow to catch on in the American workforce. Kella Hatcher and Maryanne Perrin, partners at Balancing Professionals LLC, join host Frank Stasio to discuss the slow pace of change they’ve witnessed in six years of advising companies on workplace flexibility and why getting away from the one-size-fits-all way of working is so challenging.

This story is part of the Money Talks Series.

Money Talks: Structuring Successful Nonprofits

Tuesday, March 16 2010 by Frank Stasio and Lindsay Thomas

Whether they are providing opportunities to at-risk youth or creating green jobs in underserved neighborhoods, most nonprofit organizations are founded on a passion for a cause. But to operate sustainably, they also need to have a solid structure, a set of decision makers with a wide variety of skills and a deep understanding of the populations they are serving. Today host Frank Stasio talks with a panel of experts about the obstacles to creating effective, successful nonprofit organizations. Joining him are: Micah Gilmer, a social entrepreneur-in-residence at UNC-Chapel Hill and a partner of Frontline Solutions; Trudy Smith, executive director of Executive Service Corps; Scintellix, Inc. CEO and President Peter Johnson; and Tom Kelley, a professor of law at UNC-Chapel Hill and the faculty supervisor of the school's Community Development Law Clinic.

This story is part of the Money Talks Series.

Money Talks: Moral Entrepreneurship

Wednesday, February 24 2010 by Janet Babin and Katy Barron

Entrepreneurs are known to drive job creation in this country. And more and more, they’re also setting new ethical standards for business. As the Obama administration looks to small businesses to lead the way out of our current economic downturn, we’ll examine the difficult choices entrepreneurs must make to stay on the moral high road in a market-driven economy. Guest host Janet Babin explores the new model of conscientious capitalism with: Jim Johnson, Kenan Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School; Ryan Allis, chief executive officer at iContact Corp.; Bob and Maria Kingery, co-founders of Southern Energy Management; and Katy Zvolerin, director of public relations for Adam & Eve.

This story is part of the Money Talks Series.

Money Talks: Tax Reform’s Time

Thursday, January 14 2010 by Frank Stasio and Katy Barron

Tax code reform has been talked about for decades, but with another state budget crisis on the horizon, its time may have actually arrived. Andrew Haile, assistant professor at Elon University’s School of Law, has been sitting in on legislative meetings about tax reform. He joins host Frank Stasio to explain what might change and how it could affect state coffers.

This story is part of the Money Talks Series.

Money Talks: LabourLove Gallery

Friday, January 08 2010 by Frank Stasio and Susan Davis

goldenbeltarts.com/LabourLoveGallery

Kelly Dew and John Pelphrey met in a British Lit class at Belmont University in Nashville 13 years ago. She was a painter and he was majoring in business. After insulting her by suggesting that he put her work on a coffee mug, they fell in love. In 2009 they opened their art gallery, LabourLove Gallery in Durham's Golden Belt. Their business plan includes retail, classes, art slams and lectures. So far, they're making it work in this difficult economy. As part of our "Money Talks" series, John Pelphrey and Kelly Dew join host Frank Stasio and reveal the secret of making art for love and profit.

This story is part of the Money Talks Series.

Money Talks: Meet Mitchell Gold

Monday, January 04 2010 by Frank Stasio and Katy Barron

mgbwhome.com

The North Carolina-based furniture company Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams makes instantly recognizable slipcovered sofas and leather club chairs. But the company is also well-known for its enlightened employment practices and innovative marketing. As part of our occasional series on business and finance, “Money Talks,” entrepreneur Mitchell Gold joins host Frank Stasio to share how he turned an idea for a comfy couch into a multi-million dollar brand that employs more than 750 people in North Carolina.

This story is part of the Money Talks Series.

Money Talks: Detecting Corporate Fraud

Friday, December 04 2009 by Frank Stasio and Lindsay Thomas

On the latest installment of Money Talks, "The State of Things" occasional series about finance, we'll take a look at companies committing corporate fraud. North Carolina State University professor of accounting Joe Brazel says that companies that manipulate their revenue numbers to appear more profitable usually leave behind a trail of operational data that can be an indicator of unethical business practices. Brazel joins host Frank Stasio to share his research on this new warning system.

This story is part of the Money Talks Series.

Money Talks: African-American Economic Summit

Tuesday, October 27 2009 by Janet Babin and Katy Barron

This weekend, scholars from around the country will gather at UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke universities to talk about the current recession and its impact on African-Americans. In advance of the summit, guest host Janet Babin unpacks why the current economic contraction has deepened long-standing racial gaps in income and wealth. Guests include: Robynn Cox, a post-doctoral associate at Duke; Andrea Harris, President of the North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development; and Darrick Hamilton, assistant professor at Milano – The New School for Management and Urban Policy.

Money Talks: A Women's Work Force

Thursday, October 01 2009 by Frank Stasio and Lindsay Thomas

Economists project that America could soon have a female majority job force for the first time in history. The shift comes as a result of the economic recession, which hit male-dominated labor fields the hardest and prompted some women to return to the work force when their husbands or partners were laid off. Host Frank Stasio speaks with WUNC's Changing Economy Reporter Leoneda Inge and historian Lisa Levenstein, author of "A Movement Without Marches: African American Women and the Politics of Poverty in Postwar Philadelphia," about gender inequality in the work force and what might change in a society with women as the top breadwinners. Also joining the conversation is William Cohan, author of "House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street," who gives an eyewitness account of how gender politics play out behind the doors of the financial industry's most powerful companies.

Money Talks: Nonprofit Sector Struggles

Friday, September 04 2009 by Frank Stasio and Lindsay Thomas

As the economy slowly recovers from recession, nonprofits are likely to be the sector facing the most challenges. Demand for services is up. Donations are down. Trisha Lester, vice president of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits, joins host Frank Stasio to talk about ways that local nonprofits can keep from drowning during the global economic meltdown.

This story is part of the Money Talks Series.

Money Talks: Taxes, States and Sinners

Friday, August 28 2009 by Frank Stasio and Lindsay Thomas

Last year's economic collapse put most state’s budgets in the red. In North Carolina, legislators decided to solve the four billion dollar shortfall with program and job cuts, a slight sales tax increase and some reform to income tax law. Other states, however, placed or increased taxes on everything from tobacco and alcohol to sugary sodas and online pornography. Elon University Law Professor Andrew Haile joins host Frank Stasio to discuss whether North Carolina will soon follow suit and to talk about what happens when lawmakers rely on sin taxes.

Meet August Turak (Money Talks Series)

Monday, August 24 2009 by Frank Stasio and Katy Barron

augustturak.com

Forget MBA programs. August Turak believes the secret to business success can be found, of all places, at a monastery. In a special “Money Talks” Monday Meet, the retired salesman and sometimes monk talks about his successful business career, lifelong spiritual quest and the lessons for both that he found at Mepkin Abbey.

Money Talks: Show Me the Stimulus Money

Wednesday, August 12 2009 by Amber Nimocks and Frank Stasio

In February, the federal government approved a $789.5 billion stimulus package to help turn the faltering economy around. So, where is it? Host Frank Stasio will talk to John Irons, research and policy director of the Washington-based Economic Policy Institute, about the status of stimulus funding and what the money is intended to do. Then he'll chat with some North Carolinians who are beginning to see the first influxes of stimulus cash. James Siedow, vice provost for research at Duke University, and Dr. Cam Patterson, director of the McAllister Heart Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will talk about research being funded by the stimulus money. Valerie Brown-Schild, director of the Kenan Fellows Program, will discuss the impact the money will have on teaching in the state. And Ivan Urlaub, director of the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, talks about the potential for jobs in the clean energy field and how stimulus money might help jump start that sector of the economy.

Money Talks: The Low-Profit Solution

Thursday, July 23 2009 by Frank Stasio and Lindsay Thomas

As newspapers around the country teeter on the edge of extinction, some experts are convinced that a new business model called the L3C could be their salvation. L3Cs are funded by private foundations and can make modest profits, but are treated like charities by the IRS.  In the case of newspapers, the charitable purpose is to keep a community informed. The L3C model can work for other businesses as well. Host Frank Stasio explores this new tool of capital formation with James Hamilton, director of the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy at Duke University. Also joining the program is North Carolina Senator Jay Jacumin, who has introduced L3C legislation into the General Assembly, and attorney Marc Owens.

Money Talks: B-Corporations

Tuesday, July 21 2009 by Frank Stasio and Katy Barron

Just because a company makes solar panels or organic cheese doesn’t mean it’s a sustainable business with good labor practices. So as a conscientious investor, how can you see past the bottom line? That’s where Andrew Kassoy and Beth Richardson can help. Andrew co-founded a new type of business that aims to benefit society and shareholders. It’s called a B-Corporation. Beth Richardson helps establish the standards by which companies are measured. They join Frank Stasio to share their vision for the future of the market economy. Plus, Eric Henry is President of TS Designs, a sustainable t-shirt company that is a certified B-Corporation. He shares why he decided to sell a $4 t-shirt in a $2 world.

Money Talks - Local Money

Friday, June 12 2009 by Frank Stasio and Lindsay Thomas

The global financial crisis has devastated the job market and threatened nearly every industry's financial security. But it’s tough times like these that get people thinking about alternative solutions. In Pittsboro, residents can use PLENTY (Piedmont Local Economy Tender) at more than a dozen businesses. The idea is to nurture economic growth on a smaller scale among neighbors and friends.

Host Frank Stasio talks about the sustainability of local currency programs and how they can encourage community investments with Lyle Estill, author of "Small is Possible: Life in a Local Economy" and Roberto Quercia, director of The Center for Community Capital based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Playwrights Tamara Kissane and Cheryl Chamblee also join the program. Their latest production is called "The Abundance Project," a stage play that examines people's complicated relationships with money.

This story is part of the Money Talks Series.

Money Talks: 504 Loan Program

Thursday, May 21 2009 by Frank Stasio and Susan Davis

Money begets money. In an economy like ours, this axiom has meant that those who have money start with a business advantage over those who don’t. On today’s program we’ll talk about one program that tries to address that problem: the Small Business Administration’s 504 loan program. It’s part of our monthly series “Money Talks,” which explains and examines various mechanisms of the economy.

This story is part of the Money Talks Series.

Money Talks: Exemptions and Loopholes

Tuesday, April 14 2009 by Amber Nimocks and Frank Stasio

For most of us, paying federal income tax has been a part of American life for as long as we can remember. But the grand tradition did not begin until the early 20th century. Since then, lawmakers have been busy designing a tax code so complex many of us must hire professionals just to decipher it for us. As the filing deadline approaches, a couple of tax experts, Karl W. Smith, associate professor of public economics and government at UNC-Chapel Hill, and Larry Zelenak, a professor of tax law at Duke University, join host Frank Stasio to discuss the past and future of the tax code as part of our Money Talks series.

This story is part of the Money Talks Series.

Money Talks: Making Sense of the Stimulus Package

Tuesday, March 03 2009 by Frank Stasio and Susan Davis

Last month, President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law. Better known as the stimulus package, the bill will bring $787 billion to our nation’s coffers. North Carolina is set to receive $6.1 billion of the recovery funds, but where will the money go? How will it help North Carolina's financially ailing families? Host Frank Stasio puts the stimulus package under a microscope to examine how the money will affect local legislation, jobs and the housing market. Joining him are WUNC Capitol Reporter Laura Leslie; Duke University economist and political scientist Mike Munger; North Carolina State University political scientist Andrew Taylor; and Chris Estes, the executive director of the North Carolina Housing Coalition.

This story is part of the Money Talks Series.