"New Hampshire Is Having an Identity Crisis!" Stay Work Play Executive Director on the Fight To Keep Young People in N.H.

March 9, 2026 · 1h 14m · Season 4

About this episode

Corinne Benfield discusses her journey back to New Hampshire and the challenges of retaining young professionals in the state.

Corinne Benfield's story is a uniquely New Hampshire one. Benfield, a Manchester, N.H., native, left The Granite State for college, vowing not to return to the state that raised her. Then, she moved to New York City to pursue an art career. Her time in The Big Apple didn't go as planned, leading her back to New Hampshire, where she began to see her home state through a completely different lens. Now, as the Executive Director of Stay Work Play, it's her job to convince young professionals to have the same epiphany she once did. Today, Benfield joins host Troy Farkas to share her story: Why she came back to N.H., the endless opportunities afforded to young people in the state, and the "master narrative" that's driving so many young people away. Plus, the biggest pain points for young professionals, and the three things she would change in this state if she were given a magic wand. To learn more about Stay Work Play's upcoming events, research studies, and more, just visit StayWorkPlay.org or follow @stayworkplay on Instagram. SPONSORS: Business coach ⁠Jennifer Wilder⁠ : ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Women can get $100 off 1:1 private advisory with one of the Seacoast's top business minds! Lock…

People in this episode

Host: Troy Farkas

Guest: Corinne Benfield

Topics covered

identity crisis
young professionals
New Hampshire
career opportunities
returning home

Keywords

New Hampshire
young professionals
Stay Work Play
Corinne Benfield
Troy Farkas
identity crisis
career opportunities

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Stay Work Play, 3 Bridges Yoga

Places: New Hampshire, Manchester, N.H., New York City