Greater Winston-Salem

What Greater Winston-Salem does

Greater Winston-Salem Inc. is the regional chamber of commerce and economic development organization for Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, North Carolina. Founded in 1913 and rebranded under its current name in 2020, the non-profit operates with approximately 20 staff and delivers a four-pillar service portfolio: business membership and engagement, economic development (recruitment, retention, and expansion), talent and workforce development, and public policy advocacy. The organization targets five priority sectors — Aviation & Aerospace, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing, Headquarters & Business Services, and Technology & High Growth Entrepreneurship — and is anchored by the 2030 Vision strategic plan.

The core service stack includes tiered membership programs, signature events (notably the State of the Economy with 650+ attendees), the Innovation Quarter innovation district, the BioNest Fund (up to $25,000 per life sciences grant), the Winston-Salem Partners Roundtable (WSPR) Fund for direct startup investment, the ESO Development Fund, workforce programs (Senior Academy, ASPIRE, Winston Under 40), and a public policy advocacy function spanning local, state, and federal levels. Technology is limited to standard business software — a website (winstonsalem.com), member portal, report builder, event management, and social channels (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube).

The revenue model is a diversified non-profit mix: recurring annual membership dues (tiered), event sponsorships and program fees, and over $1 million in contributions and grants supported by a Visionary and Platinum investor pyramid. Anchor investors include Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Novant Health, Reynolds American, Truist, Truliant Federal Credit Union, and Forsyth Tech. The organization reports $803.7 million in capital investment generated and 2,033+ jobs created for the region since 2020, and $889,000 in Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) grants distributed. In 2024, it was named Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE).

Name

Greater Winston-Salem

Legal name

Greater Winston-Salem Inc.

Website

https://winstonsalem.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1850

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Greater Winston-Salem Inc. is a non-profit chamber of commerce and economic development organization serving Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, NC. It recruits, retains, and expands businesses across five target sectors via tiered membership, workforce programs, advocacy, and capital vehicles such as the BioNest Fund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Winston Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The organization generates revenue through tiered membership fees from businesses of all sizes. Membership provides access to networking events, advocacy services, marketing opportunities, and business development resources.
2. Events and Programs: Revenue generated from event sponsorships, ticket sales, and program fees including the annual State of the Economy event and various professional development programs.
3. Grants and Contributions: Diversification of revenue with over $1 million in contributions and grants, including investor partnerships with major organizations like Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Novant Health, Reynolds American, and Truist.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Greater Winston-Salem Inc. is a Chamber of Commerce and economic development organization that delivers tiered membership programs, business recruitment and expansion services, workforce development programs, entrepreneurship support, and public policy advocacy for businesses in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County region. Core offerings include economic development services targeting five key sectors (Aviation & Aerospace, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing, Headquarters & Business Services, and Technology & High Growth Entrepreneurship), real estate and site location assistance, advocacy at local/state/federal levels, and signature events.

Product overview

Greater Winston-Salem, Inc. is a Chamber of Commerce organization offering a comprehensive suite of economic development and business support services. The organization's portfolio includes membership programs providing networking and advocacy, economic development services targeting five key sectors (Aviation & Aerospace, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing, Headquarters & Business Services, and Technology & High Growth Entrepreneurship), workforce development programs (Senior Academy, Classroom Speakers, Winston Under 40), entrepreneurship support including the BioNest Fund and partnerships with VisionToVenture and Winston Starts, advocacy services, events, and real estate/site location assistance. Key geographic initiatives include the Innovation Quarter innovation district and Union Cross Business Park.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Programs
• Economic Development Services
• Talent and Workforce Development Programs
• Entrepreneurship Resources and Grants
• Advocacy Services
• Events and Networking Programs
• Real Estate and Site Location Services

Quantifiable outcome

• $803.7 million in capital investment and 2,033+ jobs generated since 2020
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Mom LeagueminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 January 2026Partnership to provide enhanced postpartum support for employees, reinforcing the organization's commitment to talent recruitment, retention, and modern workplace benefits that support families.
• Whitaker Park Development AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2025Partnership to launch and fund the BioNest Fund, which provides up to $25,000 per grant to attract and grow life sciences companies in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.
• Winston StartscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2025Partnership to provide memberships for Innovation Quarter entrepreneurs and startup companies in biotechnology, life sciences, and regenerative medicine industries. Eligible companies must demonstrate scalability, commercial potential, and commitment to Winston-Salem.
• VisionToVenturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2024Strategic partnership to strengthen Winston-Salem's entrepreneurial community and drive economic growth, innovation, and regional vitality. Focus areas include identifying resources and mentorship for entrepreneurs, supporting entrepreneurial organizations, developing community events, and aligning entrepreneurship organizations for equitable access.
• Forsyth Technical Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for workforce development including Senior Academy, LEAP Apprenticeship program, Aviation Technology Lab, and various career readiness initiatives. Forsyth Tech is also a Platinum Investor in the organization.
• Winston-Salem/Forsyth County SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for education initiatives including career readiness programs, Classroom Speakers Program, Corporate Volunteers, and Senior Academy mentoring program.
• JCPenneyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Senior Academy program where students received $100 stipends to shop for career wear and toured retail operations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Charlotte Regional Business Alliance: Combined chamber and economic development organization serving the Charlotte region, the largest such body in North Carolina. Directly comparable to Greater Winston-Salem as a regional chamber/EDO with a membership model, target sector strategy, and corporate recruitment remit, but operating in a much larger metro.
• Greater Houston Partnership: Combined chamber and economic development organization for the Houston region. Comparable to Greater Winston-Salem in combining chamber membership functions with formal EDO duties and target-sector recruitment, but at substantially larger scale and budget.
• Atlanta Metro Chamber (Metro Atlanta Chamber): Chamber of commerce for the Atlanta metro. Comparable in combining chamber membership with formal economic development activities and Fortune 500 corporate engagement, but operates at a meaningfully larger scale than Greater Winston-Salem.

Direct peers

• Greensboro Chamber of Commerce: Chamber serving the adjacent Greensboro market in North Carolina's Piedmont Triad. Most directly comparable peer to Greater Winston-Salem given shared geography, similar mid-size city scope, and overlapping target sectors including advanced manufacturing and life sciences.
• Raleigh Chamber: Chamber of commerce for Raleigh, NC, part of the Research Triangle region. Comparable as a North Carolina chamber pursuing tech and life sciences recruitment, but operating in a significantly larger and faster-growing metro with stronger venture capital adjacencies.
• Durham Chamber of Commerce: Chamber for Durham, NC within the Research Triangle. Directly comparable mid-size NC chamber with overlapping life sciences and tech recruitment mandate; competes with Greater Winston-Salem for biotech and corporate site selection projects.
• Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce: Mid-size Southeast metro chamber with an explicit economic development function and healthcare/corporate recruitment focus. Comparable to Greater Winston-Salem in scale, Southeast positioning, and reliance on a few anchor healthcare employers as Visionary investors.
• Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce: Regional chamber for the Birmingham, AL metro. Comparable mid-size Southeast chamber with a healthcare-heavy investor base and active workforce development programs, similar in structure and stakeholder mix to Greater Winston-Salem.

Regional players

• Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce: Regional chamber for the Asheville area in Western North Carolina. Comparable as a smaller-metro NC chamber pursuing tourism, healthcare, and small business support, though with a fundamentally different economic base than Winston-Salem.

Emerging players

• Greater Phoenix Economic Council: Pure-play economic development organization (not a hybrid chamber) for the Phoenix metro. Comparable to Greater Winston-Salem's economic development arm in target-sector strategy and corporate recruitment process, but operates without a traditional chamber membership layer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCoExvVXjBnYd8mFPQISZWXQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/greaterwinstonsaleminc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/greater-winston-salem-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/greaterwinstonsaleminc
• Xx.com/greater_ws

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Greater Winston-Salem