'Round We Go!

September 26, 2025 - Today we were honored to welcome North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall to Carteret Community College for a Business Roundtable Discussion hosted by our Small Business Center. As part of her two-day visit to Morehead City, Secretary Marshall met with Carteret County business owners, local officials, and county staff to hear directly from them about their experiences and challenges as entrepreneurs. The discussion also highlighted her Rural RISE NC initiative, a program designed to connect innovators, startups, and entrepreneurs with resources many of them feel that can help strengthen and grow their businesses.

At the table were local businesses including Pause Wellness | Studio 8 Wellness Center, Belton Property Solutions, PureClean Essentials, Goosehead Insurance, The Vacation Santa, Rudder Consulting, Visiting Fitness Coach, Cox Family Ice Cream, One Media Connect, and Mirakul Moments. This engaging conversation provided valuable insight into the needs of our business community and reinforced the importance of collaboration in supporting small business growth across Carteret County and beyond. We are proud to have hosted this important dialogue and to continue playing a role in empowering local entrepreneurs.

Hope Peterson says of the event, “I am honored to represent the small businesses of Carteret County at the roundtable with NC Secretary of State Elaine Marshall today, and am grateful for the opportunity to share our local perspectives, challenges, and ideas for building a stronger small business community across North Carolina. (source: CCSBC Facebook post)