The Forum featuring William McNeely
THE FORUM
FEATURING William Mcneely
May 21, 2024 | 6:15 PM | IN-PERSON EVENT
William McNeely is the CEO | Founder of Do Greater Charlotte, an innovative nonprofit dedicated to nurturing the next generation of creative entrepreneurs through cutting-edge technology, inspiring creative spaces, and a robust community network.
Do Greater is now establishing a flagship location in uptown Charlotte with an intent of connecting the creative entrepreneurial ecosystem to the economically disadvantaged parts of the six corridors of opportunity.
But there is more to the story. As the Charlotte Business Journal reported in 2019,
“After being told he needed to immediately undergo a bilateral double lung transplant or he'd only live another two weeks, William McNeely decided, if he survived, he would commit to using his life to do greater.
McNeely, a native Charlottean whose corporate career includes market and business development at Apple, was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 2017. Two years ago, he underwent the massive transplant surgery at Duke University Medical Center in Durham and was told his recovery time would be anywhere from six to eight months.
Six to eight weeks later, McNeely was putting into motion a new nonprofit that leveraged his experience in educational technology and business marketing, and what he saw as a pressing need in his community.”
William told parts of his story that he has not shared publicly before. He shared the work of Do Greater Charlotte and the ambitious plans he has underway.
Connect. Consider. Ignite. The program runs from 6:15 PM to 8:00 PM including time for conversation, connections, and Q&A.
The Forum has a three-part structure:
• First third: Participants connect and build relationships in small break-out groups prompted by a question;
• Middle third: Participants consider a presentation that ends with the speaker posing a community-facing question;
• Final third: Participants discuss the question, igniting new ideas and interactions.
THE HUMANITIES | Languages | Literature | History | Philosophy | Religion | And More!
Participate in the important questions of our time. The Forum is a conversation and speaker series that brings people together to explore challenges and opportunities that affect human flourishing through the lens of the humanities and civic imagination.
