Nora El-Khouri Spencer is Founder and CEO of Hope Renovations in Carrboro, North Carolina. A self-taught tradeswoman, Nora spent the first 15 years of her career in human resources before receiving a Master of Social Work from UNC Chapel Hill and deciding to combine her passion for empowering women with her love of the industry. Nora also holds a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from UNC, a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation and is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS). In 2022, Spencer was featured in a CNN Hero series about “everyday people doing extraordinary things to change the world.” In November 2022, CNN added her to its Top 10 CNN Heroes of the Year roster. Spencer is also a UNC School of Social Work 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award winner.