{"id":16725,"date":"2026-02-15T13:28:24","date_gmt":"2026-02-15T13:28:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/how-ciscos-partnerships-with-lisc-per-scholas-are-building-resilience-in-western-north-carolina\/"},"modified":"2026-02-15T13:28:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-15T13:28:24","slug":"how-ciscos-partnerships-with-lisc-per-scholas-are-building-resilience-in-western-north-carolina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/how-ciscos-partnerships-with-lisc-per-scholas-are-building-resilience-in-western-north-carolina\/","title":{"rendered":"How Cisco\u2019s partnerships with LISC,\u202fPer Scholas are building resilience in\u202fWestern North Carolina"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/online-workshops-list\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-496\" src=\"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/RETAIL-ONLINE-TRAINING-728-X-90.png\" alt=\"Retail Online Training\" width=\"729\" height=\"91\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/RETAIL-ONLINE-TRAINING-728-X-90.png 729w, https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/RETAIL-ONLINE-TRAINING-728-X-90-300x37.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 729px) 100vw, 729px\" \/><\/a><\/p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>When Hurricane Helene struck Western North Carolina in September 2024, the storm\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0just damage buildings and roads. It disrupted the economic fabric of the region, shuttering small businesses that had served their communities for generations, displacing workers from jobs\u00a0they\u2019d\u00a0held for years, and leaving families uncertain about their financial futures.<\/p>\n<p>In Helene\u2019s immediate aftermath,\u00a0Cisco Crisis Response quickly mobilized\u00a0to restore connectivity and help\u00a0local\u00a0organizations meet the urgent needs of affected communities. But as the region began transitioning from relief to recovery, we worked alongside local leaders to identify priorities and understand how we could best support that work.<\/p>\n<p>In Western North Carolina \u2014 the first site in Cisco\u2019s 40 Communities initiative \u2014 that meant aligning our engagement with long-term economic recovery efforts and supporting partners who were already positioned to advance that work. Now, a little more than a year after the storm,\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0proud to partner with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and Per Scholas, two community-centric organizations with deep experience working in areas to build and maximize economic\u00a0opportunities. Together,\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0working to strengthening the resilience of hundreds of small and medium businesses,\u00a0train a new generation of tech workers,\u00a0and\u00a0build\u00a0the economic capacity Western North Carolina needs to recover and thrive.<\/p>\n<h2\/>\n<h2><strong>Supporting\u00a0small\u00a0businesses: Western North Carolina\u2019s\u00a0economic\u00a0backbone<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_486255\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-486255\" style=\"width: 315px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy lazy-hidden  wp-image-486255\" data-lazy-type=\"image\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.cisco.com\/gcs\/ciscoblogs\/1\/2026\/02\/BizWorks-79-1-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Image of group of 7 people smiling with a check.\" width=\"315\" height=\"473\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-486255\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.cisco.com\/gcs\/ciscoblogs\/1\/2026\/02\/BizWorks-79-1-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Image of group of 7 people smiling with a check.\" width=\"315\" height=\"473\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-486255\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">LISC works with organizations like Mountain BizWorks to strengthen the resilience of small businesses across the region.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For more than 40 years, LISC has connected communities with\u00a0resources\u00a0they\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0easily access on their own, bridging capital and opportunity by working through trusted local partners who know how to put resources to work. In Western North Carolina, where small and medium businesses form the backbone of the local\u00a0economy,\u00a0that\u00a0expertise\u00a0is critical.<\/p>\n<p>Through our partnership with LISC,\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0working to strengthen both the small businesses themselves and the local\u00a0business development\u00a0organizations\u00a0(BDOs) that\u00a0already serve as trusted intermediaries in the region. LISC is building the capacity of\u00a0BDOs\u00a0across the region, equipping them to better serve small businesses through disaster recovery and beyond.\u00a0In turn, these organizations are providing\u00a0assistance\u00a0to hundreds of small and medium businesses on everything from financing and disaster planning to digital tools that can help them reach new customers.\u00a0For these businesses \u2014 many of which were already struggling before the storm \u2014 this support can make the difference between closing their doors and finding a path forward.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSmall businesses are the heart of our country. They employ our neighbors, keep local dollars circulating within communities, and give local regions, like Western North Carolina, its character,\u201d said Michael Pugh, president and CEO of LISC. \u201cThrough our partnership with Cisco, we\u2019re helping to ensure that more small business have resources available to them to ensure that they are able to not only rebuild after disasters strike, but also uncover new pathways to build more sustainable, stronger businesses in the process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The tech partnership upskilling Western North Carolina\u2019s workforce<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_486108\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-486108\" style=\"width: 375px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy lazy-hidden wp-image-486108 \" data-lazy-type=\"image\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.cisco.com\/gcs\/ciscoblogs\/1\/2026\/02\/Instructor_HandsOnTraining_284-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"A smiling woman is seated at a table in a classroom where adult learners are participating in a hands-on tech training.\" width=\"375\" height=\"250\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-486108 \" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.cisco.com\/gcs\/ciscoblogs\/1\/2026\/02\/Instructor_HandsOnTraining_284-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"A smiling woman is seated at a table in a classroom where adult learners are participating in a hands-on tech training.\" width=\"375\" height=\"250\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-486108\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Per Scholas provides hands-on tech training to help Western North Carolina residents build in-demand skills for the digital economy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>While supporting existing businesses is critical, long-term economic recovery also requires developing the skilled workforce that can support the region\u2019s growth.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0why Cisco is partnering with\u00a0Per Scholas, a national nonprofit with\u00a0three decades of experience creating pathways to tech careers and connecting skilled workers with employers who need them.<\/p>\n<p>In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Cisco is supporting Per Scholas as it expands its footprint in Western North Carolina. Over the next year, Per Scholas will provide rigorous training, at no cost to the learner, for aspiring tech professionals statewide, including residents in the western part of the state. As a Cisco Networking Academy, Per Scholas incorporates both Networking Academy and Splunk curriculum in their programming,\u00a0ensuring participants receive training in IT skills critical to businesses and essential services.\u00a0In a region recovering from disaster, these\u00a0aren\u2019t\u00a0just marketable skills; they\u2019re the technical capacity communities need to stay connected and operational during crises and beyond.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat makes this partnership powerful is our shared commitment to lasting impact,\u201d says Per Scholas North Carolina Senior Managing Director Michael Terrell.\u00a0\u201cBy leveraging Cisco\u2019s technology and expertise, we\u2019re creating pathways to opportunity for people in Western North Carolina who are ready to rebuild not just their own futures, but their community\u2019s future, and power the region\u2019s long-term recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Moving forward together: A long-term commitment to recovery and resilience<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The work in Western North Carolina through Cisco\u2019s partnerships with LISC and Per Scholas shows what recovery can look like when technology, local knowledge, and committed partners come together.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0not about quick fixes or temporary interventions.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0about building the foundations \u2014 skilled workers, resilient businesses, reliable digital infrastructure \u2014that allow communities to not just bounce back, but to grow stronger.<\/p>\n<p>As a testament to this commitment, in December 2024, Cisco selected Western North Carolina as the first of 40 Communities \u2014 our ambition to bring the full force of our capabilities, technology, and people to engage, support, and invest in 40 communities worldwide. These partnerships with LISC and Per Scholas exemplify that approach: working alongside trusted organizations who understand their communities and are committed to creating lasting change.<\/p>\n<p>Long-term recovery takes time. The road ahead is long, but Western North Carolina\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0walking it\u00a0alone. Working alongside partners like LISC and Per Scholas, Cisco\u00a0remains\u00a0committed to helping rebuild the economic foundations the region needs \u2014 not just to recover, but to thrive for years to come.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/online-workshops-list\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-496\" src=\"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/RETAIL-ONLINE-TRAINING-728-X-90.png\" alt=\"Retail Online Training\" width=\"729\" height=\"91\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/RETAIL-ONLINE-TRAINING-728-X-90.png 729w, https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/RETAIL-ONLINE-TRAINING-728-X-90-300x37.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 729px) 100vw, 729px\" \/><\/a><\/p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Hurricane Helene struck Western North Carolina in September 2024, the storm\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0just damage buildings and roads. It disrupted the economic fabric of the region, shuttering [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16726,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16725","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16725"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16725\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}