CBEX 2026 Speaker Series: The Scale-Up Journey

Growth creates opportunity. It also creates pressure.

There comes a point in every growing business when what got you here won’t get you there.

The people, processes, systems, space, technology, capital, and leadership that worked in the early days begin to hit their limits.

And eventually, leaders face a difficult decision:

Do we keep operating with what we have—or make the investment required to reach the next level?

Join the Charlotte Business Exchange (CBEX) for a candid conversation with leaders who have lived through that transition.

Our panelists will share the real stories behind scaling their companies—the inflection points, big bets, growing pains, mistakes, lessons, and decisions that helped move their organizations into the next stage of growth.

We’ll explore questions like:

• When did you realize the business needed to change?
• What was the big investment or decision that unlocked the next stage of growth?
• How did you know it was time to make the bet?
• What had to change in the way you led the company?
• What started breaking as the organization became bigger and more complex?
• Where did you invest too early—or wait too long?
• How did people, process, capital, technology, and infrastructure evolve along the way?
• What lessons would you teach a leader approaching that same inflection point today?

This won’t be a conversation about growth in theory.

It will be a conversation with people who have made the bets, experienced the growing pains, learned the lessons, and kept building.

Whether you’re currently scaling a company, preparing for your next phase of growth, or helping entrepreneurs navigate that journey, you’ll leave with practical insights you can apply to your own business.

What You’ll Walk Away With

You’ll leave with a better understanding of:

• The Inflection Point — How leaders recognize when the business has outgrown its current model.
• The Investment — Where growing companies have to invest ahead of the curve to unlock the next stage.
• The Growing Pains — What tends to break as complexity, headcount, customers, and revenue increase.
• The Leadership Shift — How the founder’s and leadership team’s roles have to evolve as the company scales.
• The Lessons — What experienced leaders would repeat, change, or avoid if they could do it again.

Who Should Attend

This event is ideal for:

• Business owners
• Founders
• Entrepreneurs
• CEOs and presidents
• Executive leaders
• Emerging business leaders
• Family business leaders
• Trusted advisors to business owners
• Professionals who serve privately held companies

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR:

Norm Randell with PairPEO