Hunter Walsh

I believe strong businesses build strong communities. As President & CEO of the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce, I lead efforts to strengthen the region's economy by bringing together business leaders, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, elected officials, and community stakeholders around a shared vision for a thriving Outer Banks. My work focuses on advancing a business-friendly environment, championing economic opportunity, developing future leaders, and creating meaningful connections that help businesses and communities succeed. From advocacy and workforce development to tourism, entrepreneurship, and regional collaboration, I am passionate about building the conditions that allow people, organizations, and ideas to flourish. Throughout my career, I have been driven by a simple belief: when we invest in relationships, empower leaders, and create opportunities for collaboration, entire communities benefit. Whether launching new initiatives, convening diverse stakeholders, supporting small businesses, or shaping long-term economic strategies, my goal is to create lasting impact that extends far beyond any single organization. The Outer Banks is one of America's most unique coastal communities. Together with our members, partners, and community leaders, we are working to ensure it remains a vibrant place to live, work, visit, start a business, raise a family, and build a future.

I lead the strategic growth and execution of the Outer Banks Seafood Festival, one of the largest annual events on North Carolina's coast, celebrating the region's seafood heritage, maritime culture, and coastal economy. Working with industry leaders, community partners, sponsors, government agencies, and volunteers, I oversee fundraising, partnerships, operations, marketing, and long-term strategy for an event that attracts thousands of attendees while supporting local businesses, commercial fishermen, restaurants, and the broader tourism economy. My focus is on creating meaningful economic impact, preserving coastal traditions, and delivering an exceptional event experience that showcases the people, businesses, and industries that make the Outer Banks unique.

Led programming, marketing, and sponsorship for the 14th Annual Tom Tom Festival: COURAGE, Innovation Summit.

Helping startups, small businesses, and nonprofits do hard things by providing: -Fractional C-level support -Marketing Strategy -Business Development -Systems Implementation -Coaching And just about anything else...

Founding Director of 757 Startup Studios, an innovation hub for growth-minded entrepreneurs. The Studios is part of the 757 Collab startup ecosystem, the largest in Virginia, serving high growth/high tech founders.

Led efforts to grow and engage the Chamber's membership base. I developed strategies for member acquisition, retention, and engagement for the premier pro-business organization in Virginia serving over 1,000 members.

Led all day-to-day business operations. This included all: marketing, sales, human resources, inventory management, logistics and financial planning for a 300-acre direct-to-consumer produce farm. This included 2 onsite farm markets, an Ice Cream and Bake Shop, 4 satellite farmer’s markets, 1,000 member CSA program, U-Pick and entertainment activities, along with corporate wholesale accounts.

Worked on projects with various departments of Human Resources including: Leadership Development, Compensation and Benefits, Recruiting, Training and Development, Employee Engagement, and Quality Assurance