Business North Carolina has been describing how the Tar Heel State economy ticks since 1981. The consistent mission is sharing, in a vivid way, the ups and downs of people, companies and institutions that play key roles in our dynamic state.
Combining talented writers, editors, photographers and graphic artists, BNC’s goal is to continuously inform and entertain readers who share a passion for their communities and state.
We want to introduce dynamic newcomers and groundbreaking trends, describe the impact of long-term influencers, provide unique information and report on questionable business-community behavior in an accurate, fair manner. A history of industry awards reflects the success of that mission.
Above all, the goal is for a fun, compelling monthly look at North Carolina. The mantra of longtime Publisher and Editor David Kinney was simple: “Business journalism doesn’t have to be boring.”
Since 2015, the magazine has been part of a group that publishes lifestyle magazines including O.Henry in Greensboro, PineStraw in Southern Pines, SouthPark in Charlotte and Walter in Raleigh. The privately held group also owns The Pilot newspaper in Moore County.
DAVID WORONOFF
president
Business North Carolina publisher David Woronoff is one of the owners of The Pilot Media Group, along with Jack Andrews, Frank Daniels III, Lee Dirks and the late Frank Daniels Jr. Along with Business North Carolina, The Pilot publishes magazines PineStraw in Southern Pines, O.Henry in Greensboro, SouthPark in Charlotte and Walter in Raleigh. A Raleigh native who now lives in Southern Pines, you can contact him at david@thepilot.com.
BEN KINNEY
publisher
Ben has been on the Business North Carolina staff since 1999. He has served on the boards of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, the Alliance of Area Business Publications and serves on NC State alumni magazine’s advisory group and the leadership committee of the board of directors for the NC State Alumni Association. He is active in the North Carolina Committee for Business and Education, North Carolina Economic Developers Association and is a graduate of Leadership North Carolina.
DAVID MILDENBERG
editor
David joined Business North Carolina in 2014, continuing a lengthy career in Tar Heel journalism. The Minnesota native has spent most of his career at publications in Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh, along with stints with Bloomberg News in Atlanta and Austin, Texas. He has a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, with an MBA from UNC Charlotte. From 1987-90, he was BNC’s managing editor, learning much about journalism and life from three talented colleagues named David: Kinney, Bailey and Newton. He and his wife, Janet, have a grown son. Off the job, he enjoys walking his incomparable dog, Maggie; reffing soccer; and lip-syncing in the church choir.
KEVIN ELLIS
managing editor
Kevin joined Business North Carolina in January 2023 after more than 25 years at The Gaston Gazette, including a stint as managing editor. He had previously worked as a reporter at The Morganton News Herald. He began his newspaper career as a 10-year-old paperboy for The Hollywood (Florida) Sun-Tattler. A decade later, the same paper hired him as a sportswriter.
RAY GRONBERG
editor, NC Tribune
The California native started his media career as a photographer at South Carolina’s Union Daily Times and Greenville News-Piedmont before returning to North Carolina in the early 1990s to begin a long stint as a reporter and editor for the Durham Herald-Sun. In 2018, he became managing editor of the Henderson Dispatch in Vance County. He also worked in Japan in 1991, editing English-language investor-relations materials for some of Tokyo’s most prominent banks, finance companies and tech firms. He joined Business North Carolina in March 2023.
CATHY SWANEY
creative director
Cathy is a Michigan native and graduate of the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. Cathy began her design career working on award-winning automotive advertising for Chrysler Automobile and Ford Motor Co., primarily focused on interactive, web-based design. Later moving to Charleston, South Carolina, she worked in marketing and design for the College of Charleston and Daniel Ravenel Sotheby’s International Real Estate. She joined BNC in March 2023.
JENNIFER WARE
marketing coordinator
Jennifer joined BNC in April of 2016, helping provide marketing and design services that keep Business North Carolina magazine in the forefront of news and information. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, received her MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and has more than 26 years of marketing experience specializing in graphic design and events. Jennifer and her husband have two grown sons and are trying to embrace the empty-nest life. She enjoys playing tennis, listening to music, and traveling with friends and family.
MELANIE WEAVER LYNCH
advertising sales account director
Melanie joined Business North Carolina magazine in 2002. The North Carolina State University graduate grew up in the Triangle area. She is married and has two children. She has spent more than 28 years in the publishing and advertising industry. Prior to BNC she worked with Palm Beach Media Group and started a company generating advertising revenue and consulting for multiple national inflight magazines. Her greatest joy is being a mom and giving thanks to God for all her many blessings.
ANNE BRUNDAGE
account executive
Anne Brundage joined Business North Carolina in 2025, bringing with her more than two decades of experience in advertising and publishing. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Anne has held roles with organizations including American City Business Journals, McClatchy, and Tribune, where she developed a strong track record of building client relationships and delivering impactful marketing solutions.
Outside of work, Anne loves international travel with her husband—their goal is to visit all seven continents. She also enjoys spending time with their grown daughter and two stepsons, reading a good book, and recharging at her favorite place—the beach.