What Institute for Emerging Issues does

The Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) is a nonpartisan public policy organization established in 2002 as a unit of NC State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. It operates as a "think-and-do tank" focused on North Carolina's long-term prosperity, connecting stakeholders across sectors, regions, and perspectives to address emerging policy issues including workforce development, digital inclusion, infrastructure, financial resilience, and rural community engagement. IEI serves a multi-segment audience comprising North Carolina state and local government officials, rural faith leaders, digital inclusion practitioners, and workforce/economic development leaders, reaching all 100 counties of the state through NC State's land-grant distribution footprint.

IEI's core product portfolio comprises the annual Emerging Issues Forum (held since 1986), the BAND-NC digital inclusion program, the Faith & Community Initiative, the Strategic Workforce Leadership Initiative, Project Resilience, the Hunt Internship Program, and The Connector Podcast. The technology stack is a digital convening platform supporting virtual events, webinars, podcasts, and digital inclusion resource hubs, with no proprietary AI/ML capabilities and no public API. Forum series operates on a multi-year thematic basis, with the 2025-2027 series dedicated to infrastructure (Energy, Water, Housing), each year producing an advisory council and formal policy strategies.

IEI's revenue model is a hybrid of institutional appropriations and diversified external funding. Approximately 35% of FY25 expenditures ($2.9M total) come from NC State University state appropriations and Facilities & Administrative costs, while 65% is sourced externally from grants (e.g., SECU Foundation $225K), gifts, sponsorships (Duke Energy as Platinum sponsor of IEI Commons), forum registrations, and ancillary room rental revenue in the James B. Hunt Jr. Library. Charitable funds are managed by the NC State University Foundation, a 501(c)(3). The go-to-market motion is community-led convening rather than commercial sales, with sponsorship tiers (Gold through Contributing) supporting the annual Forum and direct grant funding supporting programmatic operations.

Name

Institute for Emerging Issues

Legal name

Institute for Emerging Issues

Website

https://iei.ncsu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Institute for Emerging Issues is a nonpartisan public policy unit of NC State University that convenes North Carolina stakeholders across sectors to address emerging issues including infrastructure, digital inclusion, workforce development, and rural community resilience across all 100 counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. NC State University Appropriations: State appropriations combined with Facilities and Administrative costs from NC State University constitute approximately 35% of FY25 expenditures
2. External Funding (Grants, Gifts, Sponsorships): External funds from grants, gifts, annual giving, and revenue constitute approximately 65% of FY25 expenditures, with nearly 60% of external funds directly reinvested in local communities as grants, capacity-building, and peer-learning resources
3. Room Rental Revenue: IEI generates revenue through renting event spaces in the James B. Hunt Jr. Library, with standard rates of $400 for external groups and discounted rates for university groups and student organizations
4. Forum Sponsorships: The Emerging Issues Forum is funded through grants and sponsorships. Charitable funds are collected and managed by the NC State University Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization
5. Donations and Gifts: Gifts to IEI support programs including the annual Emerging Issues Forum, BAND-NC digital opportunity initiatives, and the Hunt Internship Program through dedicated funds at NC State University Foundation

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IEI is a nonpartisan public policy organization that connects North Carolinians across sectors, regions, and perspectives to address emerging issues through flagship convenings, policy programs, technical assistance, and direct community grants. Core offerings include the annual Emerging Issues Forum, digital inclusion programming (BAND-NC), rural faith leader engagement, workforce leadership training, financial resilience research, and paid public policy internships.

Product overview

The Institute for Emerging Issues is a nonpartisan public policy organization at NC State University offering an integrated portfolio of programs and services focused on addressing North Carolina's emerging issues. The core offerings include the annual Emerging Issues Forum (flagship convening since 1986), BAND-NC digital inclusion initiative, Faith & Community Initiative, Strategic Workforce Leadership Initiative, Project Resilience on financial resilience, the Hunt Internship Program, The Connector Podcast, and room reservation services at the Hunt Library. These programs work together through collaborative convening, research, stakeholder engagement, and direct community support to advance economic competitiveness and quality of life across North Carolina.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BAND-NC: Building a New Digital Economy in NC - program addressing digital inclusion across North Carolina
• Faith & Community
• Project Resilience
• Strategic Workforce Leadership Initiative
• Emerging Issues Forum
• Hunt Internship Program

Products and services

• Emerging Issues Forum Annual flagship convening bringing together international, national, and statewide thought leaders and stakeholders to discuss challenges and opportunities for North Carolina. Features policy discussions, advisory councils, and published strategies and recommendations.
• BAND-NC (Building a New Digital Economy in NC) Digital inclusion program working to make North Carolina the first state where every county has a digital inclusion plan. Provides technical assistance, grants, training, and convening opportunities to communities for digital access and literacy.
• Faith & Community Initiative Initiative partnering with The Duke Endowment to engage rural North Carolina faith leaders in local and statewide leadership on emerging issues. Provides technical assistance, annual conferences, and peer network opportunities.
• Strategic Workforce Leadership Initiative Professional development program designed for leaders in workforce development, economic development, education, and community organizations. Graduates earn the designation of Strategic Workforce Leader issued by the Workforce Leadership Institute.
• Project Resilience Multi-year initiative focused on pandemic impact on personal and household finances, with goal of identifying policies and practices that build and strengthen financial resilience among individuals and families in North Carolina.
• Hunt Internship Program Paid, year-long internship program for NC State University undergraduates interested in public policy careers. Founded and endowed by former Governor James B. Hunt Jr. and his wife Carolyn.
• The Connector Podcast Podcast exploring connections being made across sectors, regions, and perspectives resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. Features episodes on workforce, digital skills, housing, and other emerging issues.
• Room Reservations at James B. Hunt Jr. Library Event space reservations in the James B. Hunt Jr. Library including multiple rooms (4101, 4103, 4105, 4106, 4107) and IEI Commons with various seating capacities and configurations for external groups, university departments, and registered student organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 21 counties completed digital inclusion planning process through BAND-NC
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• The Duke EndowmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Faith and Community Initiative exists in partnership with The Duke Endowment since 2015 to fold rural North Carolina faith leaders into local and statewide leadership on emerging issues. The Duke Endowment funds the initiative, providing technical assistance on community-congregation partnerships throughout the year
• Workforce Leadership InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresents the Strategic Workforce Leadership Initiative in partnership with IEI. Awards the professional designation of Strategic Workforce Leader (SWL) to program graduates. NC Advisory Board includes representatives from NC Works Commission, Golden LEAF Foundation, and other workforce development organizations
• NCSU Friday Institute for Educational InnovationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeepened relationship through cross-grant partnerships and collaboration, including organizing statewide convenings and supporting development of NC Digital Literacy Standards. Partnered on four listening sessions in eight counties
• Together WNCmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with newly-formed Together WNC to focus on long-term and trauma-informed recovery support for Western NC following Hurricane Helene. Hosted trauma-informed practices training in March 2025
• NC State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent institution providing 35% of IEI's FY25 funding through state appropriations and Facilities and Administrative costs. IEI is established within the land-grant institution leveraging its statewide reach to all 100 counties

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/emergingissues
• YouTubeyoutube.com/InstituteforEmergingIssues
• Facebookfacebook.com/emergingissues
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-emerging-issues
• Instagraminstagram.com/emergingissues

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute for Emerging Issues