President Connie Ledoux Book talks with Oglesby, principal investor of Carolina Core FC, about how sports, philanthropy and community investment can help transform a region.
When President Connie Book sat down with Megan Oglesby ’09 for the latest episode of the “Elon Beyond the Bricks” podcast, the conversation centered on much more than soccer. Together, they explored how Oglesby is helping strengthen her hometown by bringing professional soccer to North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad.
Oglesby is the principal investor of Carolina Core FC, a men’s soccer club in High Point that competes in MLS NEXT Pro, the professional development league affiliated with Major League Soccer. During the conversation, she shares how her lifelong love of soccer, her work with the Earl and Kathryn Congdon Family Foundation and her commitment to High Point inspired her to help launch one of North Carolina’s newest professional sports organizations.
Throughout the episode, Book and Oglesby discuss how Carolina Core FC has become part of High Point’s downtown revitalization, attracting visitors, supporting local businesses and creating jobs while giving the region a new source of community pride.
With the FIFA World Cup capturing global attention and North America hosting the tournament, the conversation also offers a timely look at soccer’s rapid growth in the United States. Oglesby discusses how that momentum is creating new opportunities for communities like High Point, where Carolina Core FC is helping introduce more fans to the sport while investing in the region’s future.
Launching a professional sports franchise came with significant challenges, and Oglesby reflects on the risks involved in building something entirely new.
In the episode, Oglesby credits her Elon education and the values instilled by her family with shaping her leadership and her commitment to serving others.
Her conversation with Book offers a look at how one alumna combined a passion for sports with a vision for community impact—demonstrating that investing in people and place can create opportunities that extend well beyond the playing field.