10 of Charlotte's most powerful leaders of 2024
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Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photos: Courtesy of Aaron Randolph, Cheryse Terry, Carrie Cook and Brian Helfrich.
Charlotte for decades was steered by a few powerful and wealthy leaders, working alongside elected officials and communities to build the city we know today.
Why it matters: In recent years, however, the city has witnessed a growing number of emerging young leaders take the helm — young professionals in banking, hospitality, retail and the arts who shape our every day.
Driving the news: We're back with our third annual list of Charlotte Power Players. These are young people who wield influence in our community and use it for good.
- For this list, we considered "young" to be those in the Gen Z or millennial cohort — or under the age of 43.
Between the lines: We compiled this list with nominations from our readers, as well as input from our newsroom.
- We've listed these individuals and groups alphabetically.
- Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate a Power Player.
Carrie Cook
Vice president of community development for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
She's the best of Charlotte. A Vance High School grad and former Maya Angelou Young Leader award recipient, Cook now puts a major financial institution's resources to work building communities and economic development opportunities in states across the Southeast.
- But she could soar in any profession, given her rare combination of relentless goal-setting and pure compassion. In 2012, she founded EmpowHerment, a nonprofit mentorship program for girls, before moving on to become executive director of the GreenLight Fund.
What we're watching: She regularly posts stories on her social feeds about her journey, past and present, that are both inspiring and practical.
Meredith Dean
Founder of The Dean's List
Meredith is a powerhouse in Charlotte's media landscape. At 22, she launched her digital branding and consulting firm, The Dean's List, whose clients include reality star Jess Vestal from "Love Is Blind." Chances are, you've seen one of her relatable reels or read about her.
- Recently, she's begun hosting the "EVRYBDY in CLT" podcast from EVRYBDY Studios, featuring a range of local voices from journalists to fitness influencers to musicians.
What we're watching: Dean is accepting nominations for The Dean's List 20 Under 20 Awards, which recognizes 14- 19-year-old Charlotte leaders (deadline: Oct. 21) and the Black Woman in Media Award, established in memory of former Miss USA and Charlottean Cheslie Kryst.
Dalton and Miriam Espaillat
Owners of Raydal Hospitality Group
In 2010, this couple took on the challenge of saving a struggling Mexican restaurant. Today, that restaurant is Three Amigos Mexican Grill & Cantina, a treasure in Charlotte's international food scene. The Espaillats' company, Raydal Hospitality Group, owns and operates 19 restaurants (and counting) across the Carolinas, including Sabor Latin Street Grill.
What we're watching: The Espaillats are continuing to diversify the city's cuisine with a new authentic Dominican restaurant in NoDa called MaBí.
Brian Helfrich
CEO and owner of Summit Coffee
Helfrich oversees one of Charlotte's fastest-growing coffee brands. Summit Coffee is now in three states and has multiple locations across Charlotte. Often, it's hard to find a parking spot at its newest, always-crowded location on Providence Road.
- The coffee company's charity arm, Summit Foundation, has teamed with Steph Curry to rehab the basketball court at Ada Jenkins Center.
What we're watching: Summit Coffee's growth, for one. But also, Helfrich's efforts to build out Summit Farms — a 58-acre "village," a development home to Summit's future headquarters and centered on an organic farm. Nearly 17 acres will be preserved as farmland and open pasture.
Hellen Moffitt
Owner and founder of popular local consignment store Thrift Pony
Moffit quit her corporate job in 2022 to start her own clothing rental business. In 2023, she sunsetted PonyBox to open Thrift Pony, which has expanded in size twice since its inception. The popular local thrift store frequently hosts events and markets outside its Plaza Midwood store and around Charlotte. Many of her events double as fundraisers. Recently, she raised $4K to buy classroom supplies for 75 Charlotte-Mecklenburg teachers.
What we're watching: Thrift Pony is expanding and relocating to Camp North End this fall, which will allow Moffitt to handle more consignment appointments.
Aaron Randolph
Co-founder and executive director, Carolina Youth Coalition
Randolph moved to Charlotte less than a decade ago from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and has since altered the life course of hundreds of teenagers here. Carolina Youth Coalition's goal is to connect "high-achieving, under-resourced" high school students — smart kids without means, in other words — with colleges, and ensure they get there.
- In six years, Carolina Youth Coalition has grown from serving 40 high school "fellows" to hundreds, Randolph said in a recent CBJ profile.
What we're watching: CYC completed a $10 million fundraising campaign this summer, and on Wednesday, Sept. 25, Randolph tells Axios it will hold a ribbon-cutting for its second space, donated by CPI Security at CPI's Steele Creek offices. CYC will work with more than 300 fellows across the two sites this school year, bringing hope and connections to a critical generation of teenagers.
- Also, less important, but we wanna see if Randolph can break 60 on the golf course.
Reality TV stars
In the last year, Charlotteans have appeared and starred in several reality TV shows, including "Survivor," "Love is Blind," "The Ultimatum," "The Bachelor," "Love Island USA" and "Chopped."
For better — and maybe on occasion for worse — these local celebrities have put a national spotlight on Charlotte, highlighting its sparkles and its imperfections. Heck, Charlotte's season of "Love is Blind" was the messiest and most-watched season yet.
What we're watching: There aren't any Charlotteans currently competing for love or money on reality TV but we have our eyes out for spinoff appearances, like Jess Vestal from "Love is Blind," who appeared on Netflix's "The Perfect Match."
Katey Shehan
Founder of CLT Social Club
A Charlotte native who built a growing network for newcomers and anyone looking to find their people in the city — tapping into young people's innate need to build community. Self-described as "Charlotte's biggest cheerleader," Shehan founded and runs CLT Social Club, an Instagram account with nearly 29,000 followers that coordinates group hangouts for people who live in Charlotte. Earlier this year, she launched a similar effort in Raleigh with Raleigh Social Club.
- She's also the owner and CEO of Social House Creative Co., a creative agency.
What we're watching: The growth and evolution of CLT Social Club and whether Shehan can match that success in Raleigh.
Cheryse Terry
Founder of Archive
Cheryse Terry didn't just open a coffee shop; she opened what she calls a "culture shop" on Beatties Ford Road. The Charlotte native's coffee and retail shop, Archive, highlights the city's Black culture. It's a safe space that's become a popular third place and meetup spot.
What we're watching: How Terry will continue to use her passion for her community to expand Archive's reach, including having her work as a creative and a collector featured in the Mint Museum.
Dammit Wesley
Artist and creative
Wesley is the creative mastermind behind Durag Festival — one of the city's most cherished cultural experiences that encourages people of color to express themselves unapologetically. Over the years the Juneteenth event has grown into a weeklong celebration that educates the community, supports local Black-owned businesses and provides artists with opportunities to showcase their artwork.
What we're watching: How the festival will grow in the coming years. Its last celebration included uniting with other organizations like Charlotte FC and Mad Miles Run Club to bring awareness to a holiday that has only recently been acknowledged nationwide.