Building up business leaders: Fayetteville invests in its next generation with annual leadership summit
By Stacie Borrello, posted Apr 16, 2026 on BizFayetteville.com
Now in its third year, the Next Generation Business Summit is becoming a fixture in Fayetteville — a business event that incorporates professional development, community-building and cultivating young talent in Fayetteville.
On April 21, roughly 200 young professionals, students and community leaders will fill the Randolph Jones Student Center at Fayetteville State University for the third annual Next Generation Business Summit. Put on by the Fayetteville Next Advisory Commission, the summit runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The summit has a purpose: to retain talent in Fayetteville and invest in young professionals by giving young people an incentive to stay in the area and networks to plug into.
“This initiative came out of our strategic planning discussions around workforce and professional development,” said Nathan Cuffee, chair of the commission. “We wanted to create something that not only builds skills, but also encourages people to stay and grow here in Fayetteville.”
The commission was chartered by the City of Fayetteville to do exactly that. Keeping young professionals from leaving is a pressure point for mid-sized cities across the country, and Fayetteville is no different. The summit has become one of the commission’s most public-facing efforts to make the case that this region is a place worth staying.
This year’s program is anchored by two panel discussions. The first — a community leadership panel — brings together local organization leaders who are driving change across the region. The second focuses on entrepreneurship and innovation, featuring leaders who have achieved national or global success and are now channeling that back into the next generation.
Vice Chair L’queitah Miller said the combination of themes is intentional. “This summit is about exposure and inspiration,” she said. “We want attendees to hear directly from people who are shaping the community and the economy — and to see what’s possible for themselves.”
The summit is designed to be interactive and a forum for networking. Organizers have carved out a two-hour window during lunch — a “mix and mingle,” as Miller calls it — for attendees to speak with panelists, local professionals and community members.
“It’s not just about sitting and listening,” Cuffee said. “It’s about making connections, asking questions and building relationships that last beyond the event.”
The summit got its start at Fayetteville Technical Community College and has moved and grown each year since. This year’s event is co-presented with FSU’s Matriculation Institute — a partnership that more directly connects two of the city’s key academic institutions to the commission’s work.
For Cuffee, the growth is the result of careful planning. “I’ve worked over the last couple of years to continue expanding this and growing it,” he said, “and really locking in having this summit as an annual tradition and an educational moment for the community.”
This year’s perks are also a draw in their own right. Registered attendees get lunch included, and the Fayetteville Woodpeckers — back as a partner for another year — are providing a complimentary game ticket for the evening of April 21.
“The summit is part of building a vibrant place where people want to live,” Miller said. “It’s not just about careers — it’s about connection and community.”
“This is about creating an annual tradition that people look forward to,” Cuffee said. “But more importantly, it’s about creating opportunities that keep talent here and help our community thrive.”
Registration is still open and free through the City of Fayetteville’s website www.fayettevillenc.gov/City-Council/Boards-and-Commissions/Fayetteville-Next-Advisory-Commission.
Copyright © 2026
Enhanced Media Management Inc. dba
Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
This story may be displayed, reformatted and printed for your personal, noncommercial use only and in
accordance with our Terms of Service located at https://bizfayetteville.com/useragreement.