Featured Events

November 12, 2026: Joint WorldQuest / Academic WorldQuest 2026 (In Memory of Pierre Lipton)

On November 12, the World Affairs Council of Charlotte will gather at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown for a joint evening of Academic WorldQuest and WorldQuest as high school students and adult teams play side by side, testing what they know about the world. This year's competition is held in memory of Pierre Lipton, who lived that very arc: first as an Academic WorldQuest competitor for Myers Park High School, and later as a WorldQuest player with the Charlottans.

November 12, 2026: Joint WorldQuest / Academic WorldQuest 2026 (In Memory of Pierre Lipton)2026-09-03T14:00:49-04:00

October 15th, 2026: WACC Global Business Series with Brian Znotins, Senior Vice President of Network ​Planning for American Airlines

Brian Znotins knows the strategy behind Charlotte's rise as a global gateway better than almost anyone. As American Airlines' Senior Vice President of Network Planning, he oversees the route decisions that have made CLT the airline's second-largest hub powering approximately 90% of the airport's flights to over 170 destinations. Last year CLT handled about 53.6 million passengers and more than 570,000 aircraft operations, landing it 7th busiest globally for total aircraft movements and 35th for passenger traffic; numbers that put real weight behind connecting the Carolinas (and Charlotte) to the world.

October 15th, 2026: WACC Global Business Series with Brian Znotins, Senior Vice President of Network ​Planning for American Airlines2026-09-03T14:08:09-04:00

October 8th, 2026: WACC CEO Series with Vimal Kapur, Chairman and CEO of Honeywell Technologies

The World Affairs Council of Charlotte is pleased to welcome Kurk Wilks, President and Chief Executive Officer of MANN+HUMMEL, as a featured speaker in our CEO Series on March 3, 2026. As the global leader of a German-headquartered company with more than 21,000 employees across 80+ locations worldwide, Mr. Wilks offers a unique perspective on German–U.S. economic ties, transatlantic leadership, and managing complex global operations in an increasingly interconnected world.

October 8th, 2026: WACC CEO Series with Vimal Kapur, Chairman and CEO of Honeywell Technologies2026-09-08T10:11:37-04:00

September 22nd, 2026: WACC Speaker Series with Michael O’Hanlon, Senior Fellow, Director of Research for the Foreign Policy Program, Inaugural Holder of the Philip H. Knight Chair in Defense and Strategy at the Brookings Institution, and Author

Join the World Affairs Council of Charlotte for a luncheon on Tuesday, September 22 with Michael O'Hanlon, Senior Fellow and Director of Research for the Foreign Policy Program at the Brookings Institution and author of To Dare Mighty Things: U.S. Defense Strategy Since the Revolution. Drawing on 250 years of American military history, O'Hanlon examines how the U.S. has waged war, sustained peace, and projected power.

September 22nd, 2026: WACC Speaker Series with Michael O’Hanlon, Senior Fellow, Director of Research for the Foreign Policy Program, Inaugural Holder of the Philip H. Knight Chair in Defense and Strategy at the Brookings Institution, and Author2026-06-23T11:29:22-04:00

September 10th, 2026: WACC National Security Series with Chris Inglis, Former Deputy Director of the National Security Agency and the First National Cyber Director

Chris Inglis served as Deputy Director of the National Security Agency under both the George W. Bush and Obama administrations, spending decades across the NSA and Department of Defense before becoming the nation's first-ever National Cyber Director, a role created by Congress in 2021 to unify a fragmented federal cyber defense landscape. During his tenure, Inglis built an entirely new federal office from the ground up, helped launch the Counter Ransomware Initiative to coordinate a global response to ransomware attacks, and helped lay the foundation for the first National Cyber Strategy in five years. He took office just one month after the Colonial Pipeline attack that crippled fuel supplies along the East Coast and less than a year before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

September 10th, 2026: WACC National Security Series with Chris Inglis, Former Deputy Director of the National Security Agency and the First National Cyber Director2026-09-09T10:59:45-04:00

August 15th, 2026: YPWACC Global Sports Series: Charlotte FC vs Columbus Crew

Join YPWACC on March 19th for an unforgettable Charlotte Hornets Game Night, marking the official launch of our new Global Sports Series, where international affairs, culture, and sports collide on the world stage.

August 15th, 2026: YPWACC Global Sports Series: Charlotte FC vs Columbus Crew2026-07-30T09:48:42-04:00

August 13th, 2026: YPWACC Pickleball Mixer at the Tipsy Pickle

Meet and mingle over drinks while playing pickleball on Thursday, August 13th with visiting Fulbright scholars from 15+ countries, hosted by Charlotte Global at UNC Charlotte, and fellow internationally-minded Charlotte young professionals at the Tipsy Pickle located in Camp North End.

August 13th, 2026: YPWACC Pickleball Mixer at the Tipsy Pickle2026-06-23T11:30:08-04:00

SOLD OUT – July 29th, 2026: YPWACC Global Sports Series

Join YPWACC on March 19th for an unforgettable Charlotte Hornets Game Night, marking the official launch of our new Global Sports Series, where international affairs, culture, and sports collide on the world stage.

SOLD OUT – July 29th, 2026: YPWACC Global Sports Series2026-07-16T13:14:24-04:00

July 10th, 2026: WACC Ambassadors Circle Series Breakfast with H.E. David Hamadziripi, Ambassador of the Republic of Zimbabwe to the United States

Join the World Affairs Council of Charlotte for an exclusive breakfast on Friday, July 10, featuring His Excellency David Hamadziripi, Ambassador of the Republic of Zimbabwe to the United States. This special event offers a unique opportunity to hear directly from Ambassador Hamadziripi as he discusses the current state of U.S.–Zimbabwe relations, the changing diplomatic and economic partnership between the two nations, and emerging opportunities for trade, investment, and business collaboration between North Carolina and Zimbabwe. The conversation will also explore Zimbabwe's role in a rapidly dynamic global landscape, including the economic, political, and security challenges the country faces amid ongoing worldwide instability and conflict. Attendees will gain valuable insights into Zimbabwe's strategic priorities, regional influence in the African continent, and efforts to foster sustainable growth and international engagement.

July 10th, 2026: WACC Ambassadors Circle Series Breakfast with H.E. David Hamadziripi, Ambassador of the Republic of Zimbabwe to the United States2026-07-16T12:45:41-04:00

June 17th, 2026: YPWACC Adventures in Dining: El Veneno (Mexican Cuisine)

Spice up your summer with YPWACC’s next Adventures in Dining experience on June 17th. Join us for an evening of authentic Mexican cuisine, culture, and community led by the team from El Veneno.

June 17th, 2026: YPWACC Adventures in Dining: El Veneno (Mexican Cuisine)2026-06-04T13:10:07-04:00
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