When the 3 Birds founders started considering locations for their new venture, Chapel Hill wasn’t the most obvious choice. The city didn’t appear on the usual list of tech hubs outside of references to the Research Triangle Park. But for a passionate team dedicated to blazing new trails, Chapel Hill offered two clear benefits.

One was the nationally acclaimed University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an institution well-known for both its excellence in liberal arts education and its innovative approach to research – similar to the combination of creativity and testing that 3 Birds’ founders envisioned.

The other was the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce.

Through early conversations with the Chamber, it soon became apparent that this progressive organization had big plans for Chapel Hill. Bringing together an executive board of directors, community investors, and 1,400 diverse member businesses, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber has been steadily working to make Chapel Hill a role model for sustainable business communities. 

How could we resist?

Since we settled in Chapel Hill in the spring of 2010, 3 Birds has enjoyed a busy and fruitful partnership with the Chamber:

  • We were named “Business of the Year” in the Large Business category by the Chamber in 2012.
  • CEO Kristen Judd presented as part of the Women’s Executive Series and served on the Chamber’s past marketing committee.
  • 3 Birds hosted “Writing for Advocacy,” a workshop by Carrboro content maven Margot Lester, as part of the 2013 Young Professional’s Network series.
  • Founder Len Wohadlo serves on the Board of Directors of the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership.
  • After 3 Birds was named to the Inc. 5000 list last year, the Town spotlighted our story on its Open to Business site.

"During our selection process, the Chamber helped us navigate this new community by putting us in touch with the right people and helping us to make connections," says CEO Kristen Judd. "Over the years, they have always made us feel welcome and have never hesitated to go to bat for 3 Birds." Thanks to the Chamber's efforts, we've been able to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs, broaden our audience, and provide leadership to a future generation of innovative thinkers. 

Kristen Smith, the Chamber’s Vice President for Advocacy and Engagement (and fellow Downtown Partnership board member), says that 3 Birds’ success is a powerful reference when speaking to other companies considering location in Chapel Hill. “3 Birds Marketing is a shining example of a business who cares about their employees and their community – plus, they’re helping drive the downtown economy,” she says. “We’re fortunate that 3 Birds chose Chapel Hill – now it’s up to us, to bring more companies like 3 Birds to Franklin Street and the greater Chapel Hill region.”

In line with its progressive spirit, the Chamber is continuously striving for improvement (sound familiar?). “We’re excited about 2016 and have a lot of plans in store for better in-person networking opportunities and convening crucial community conversations,” says Kristen Smith. As we prepare for another year of shaking up the status quo, we’re proud to have a partner that’s as driven as we are.

Image: 2016 Chamber Annual Meeting by Nicholas C. Johnson (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)