Location: In-Person + Virtual
Time: 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM

Environmental stewardship starts with action, not ambition. This hands-on workshop will help you take real, achievable steps to reduce your business’s environmental footprint. From composting to energy reduction, we’ll hear from experts who know that small changes done consistently can create measurable, meaningful impact.

Panel:
GreenPlaces - Jess Porta (Director of Operations)

Murphy's Naturals - Phillip Freeman (Founder of The Loading Dock and Founder/CEO of Murphys Naturals - B Corps)

Leaf + Limb - Fiona Matthews (Business Developer)

AI 101: Demystifying Tools to Transform Your Workflow with Speaker, Sara Davison

Sara Davison, founder of Maivenly and a Loading Dock member, is a trailblazer in AI-driven business scaling. Inspired by her family's entrepreneurial struggles, Sara developed a unique approach that leverages AI to achieve sustainable, profitable growth. Unlike theoretical consultants, Sara offers hands-on implementation, guiding businesses through every stage of AI adoption.

Join us April 22nd at The Loading Dock - Beryl to learn the following!

Understanding AI Basics: Learn what AI is and how it works in everyday applications.

AI for Business Efficiency: Discover how AI can streamline operations, improve decision-making, and boost productivity.

Life Enhancements: Explore ways AI can simplify daily tasks, enhance learning, and improve time management.

Practical Tools and Platforms: Gain insights into accessible AI tools for business and personal use.

Who Should Attend?

Entrepreneurs, business leaders, tech professionals, and innovators looking to understand and leverage autonomous AI systems for efficiency, decision-making, and business growth.

Experience a dynamic workshop that merges military precision with business expertise to empower your path to success!

Understanding Leadership Styles: Identify your unique leadership style and how to leverage it effectively.

Building Emotional Intelligence: Learn to strengthen self-awareness, empathy, and communication skills.

Inspiring and Motivating Others: Explore strategies to foster collaboration and drive team performance.

Decision-Making with Confidence: Develop skills to make informed and impactful decisions.

Overcoming Leadership Challenges: Gain tools to navigate obstacles and manage change effectively.

About the speakers:

Brandon Rosas is the Founder of FOHRT Consulting, specializing in strategy, talent management, compensation and operations. With over 25 years of experience in sectors such as consulting, education, manufacturing, construction, and defense. Brandon excels in tactical talent planning and operational and financial excellence.

In his role at FOHRT Consulting, Brandon provides strategic consulting and leadership to a wide range of organizations. He is instrumental in aligning strategic talent management and finance practices with organizational goals, ensuring robust and successful outcomes for clients.

In Brandon’s past roles, he held senior leadership positions at various organizations including Edgility Consulting, NC Rural Center, KIPP North Carolina, and Brady Corporation, where he consistently delivered competitive and sustainable strategic financial, HR, and operational solutions while building competitive, growth focused organizations. Throughout his career, he has a proven track record and a reputation as a servant leader who builds strong relationships and trust among all constituents, empowering successful collaborations and outcomes.

Brandon holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He is a certified Project Management Professional, ProSci Change Management Practitioner, and SHRM Senior Certified Practitioner.

Commander Strother hails from Jacksonville, FL. An undergraduate of Jacksonville University, he was commissioned in April 2005 through the NROTC program. He has served on 3 U.S. Navy Warships, 2 major naval staffs, and had command of 2 Navy Reserve Centers. CDR Strother assumed Command of Navy Reserve Center Raleigh, NC in December 2022.

CDR Strother holds a Master’s of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the United States Naval War College. Additionally, he is a graduate of the Joint Forces Staff College’s Joint and Combined Warfighting School. His personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (3 awards), Navy Achievement Medal (4 awards), Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal (2 awards), and various unit, campaign, and service awards. CDR Strother resides in Wake Forest, NC with his spouse (Katie) and 5 children.

Arthur “Rally” de Leon graduated from The Citadel in 1986l with a BS in Biology and an MBA from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Currently, he is a business broker, SCORE mentor, on the board of Northern Wake County Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and attends Cornerstone Church, a Providence Church plant in Raleigh, NC. Rally served as a Chick-fil-A franchisee for over 22 years in Raleigh, NC. . Before owning his own business, Rally held various industry positions with the USAF, NATO, MCI Telecommunications, and IBM.

In April of 2024, he completed his service as a trustee with Gateway Seminary in Ontario, CA and he currently serves on the Credentials Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville, TN. His hobbies include bicycling, pickleball, camping with his wife of 38 years, and enjoying time with his 2 daughters, son-in-law, and grandson.

This workshop presents an opportunity to rethink and redefine productivity in a way that is both good for business and good for people.

Our new formula for defining and measuring productivity in our workplaces today is based on interviews with 30 senior leaders from startups to Fortune 500 about the most productive teams and the most productive individuals they've experienced over the course of their career. 

The formula provides teams with a new framework and shared language to have productive discussions and make better decisions. 

Participants will leave with new understanding, knowledge, and tips to:

• Evaluate how the team is spending their time and energy

• Identify and remove obstacles to team productivity

• Prioritize how to spend resources in order to optimize sustained productivity

About the speaker:

Emma Browning is a management consultant with almost 20 years of consulting experience in the areas of organization design and talent strategy. She is passionate about creating productive organizations, enabling innovation, and changing systems.

Emma founded Paradox Consulting Partners in 2016. Prior to starting the company, she spent a decade at a large national HR consulting firm. She has consulted to clients in a number of industries including software, technology, bioscience, finance, insurance, manufacturing, education, and healthcare. Specific consulting expertise spans organization design, organization performance, culture change, career paths and strategies, compensation and incentive plan design, systems change, employee experience, sales organization strategy, talent strategy, and equitable process design. Her past clients include a number of Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies and household names such as Microsoft, Cisco, Caterpillar, and the National Football League (NFL).

As the leader of a Certified B Corporation, she is passionate about the capacity for business to create positive impact and change. She serves on the Board (past Chair) for the Wake Education Partnership, a nonprofit that connects the Triangle business community to the Wake County Public School System, and on the Board of the Triangle Organization Development Network. She is also an active member of the WFU Center for Private Business, the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, and the North Carolina Business Council.

Emma holds a BA from Wake Forest University and MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. She has a Compensation Management Specialist (CMS) certification from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP). In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her kids and family and exploring the dynamic business and arts scene in the Triangle.

Location: In-Person + Virtual
Time: 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

“Collaboration” is often reduced to jargon but the right partnerships can create something profoundly real. Something bigger. This session examines how partnerships, when chosen with intention, can magnify shared ambitions and deliver outcomes that extend far beyond the obvious. True impact emerges when businesses and communities move beyond parallel efforts and instead weave their goals into a shared, collective purpose.

Location: In-Person + Virtual
Time: 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM

Meaning isn’t just created, it must be visible, heard, and felt to truly matter. Learn how to tell your story in ways that resonate not as a PR stunt but as an act of truth-telling. This hands-on workshop will help you craft a purpose-driven narrative that connects with employees, customers, and your community. Learn practical storytelling tips and tactics to showcase the impact you’re making in ways that inspire, connect, and leave a lasting impression.