Heather McWhorter empowers individuals and communities to prosper through entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainability. She is the Director of the UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), which nurtures innovatio
This column was contributed by Lydia Thomas, UNCW CIE Program Manager. The UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (UNCW CIE) is thrilled to launch the Wilmington Innovation Forum, a monthly, one-hour program spotlig
Every Wednesday morning, something special happens in Wilmington before much of the city has fully started its day. Founders, small business owners, students, investors, mentors, and the simply curious gather at UNCW’s Center for Innovation and
By Kathleen Hoover, Senior at UNCW & CIE Marketing Lead Intern Each November, the Wilmington entrepreneurial community comes alive with innovation and collaboration during Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), and I’m thrilled to hel
This article was contributed by Lawson Carmichael and Mark Huang, Co-Founders of LongLeaf Studios. North Carolina’s economic future is being shaped at the intersection of sustainable textiles, agtech, blue tech, and energy storage &mdash
On September 30, 2025, innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, and ocean advocates will gather for the Ocean Innovation Conference, a full-day event dedicated to exploring the future of ocean technology, sustainability, and collaboration. Running fro
The ocean covers over 70% of our planet, yet it is often treated as an after-thought. For those of us living along the coast, we experience the beauty of the ocean every day and understand its power—but how do we harness it as a driver for inno
My name is Tia Cook, and I am a Senior Majoring in Environmental Science at UNCW, and an All-Blue Intern with the UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Last week, I had the privilege of sitting in on CIE’s recent Idea
This article was contributed by Megan Waldrep "I'm going to Alaska for three months to fish for sockeye salmon," were the words spoken by my boyfriend, a commercial fisherman I'd been with for almost a year. Sure, we lon
This article was contributed by Justin Streuli, Director of UNCW Office of Innovation + Commercialization. It’s been three years since we first reported on the state of the innovations and technologies developed through UNCW&rs
This article was contributed by Richard Keary, UNCW CIE Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Blue Finance. The late afternoons on Wilmington beaches, the restaurants, coffee shops, boating, quiet time and family time, the ocean offers us an abundan
The modern economy is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by innovation, creativity, and the resilience of entrepreneurs. Across the country—and particularly here in Wilmington, NC, and the greater southeast North Carolina region—small bus
This article was contributed by Lydia Thomas, UNCW CIE Program Manager. In simplest terms, a startup pitch deck is a visual presentation used by entrepreneurs to communicate the key aspects of their business to potential investors, partne
This article was contributed by Lydia Thomas, UNCW CIE Program Manager. “Being the All-Blue Intern at CIE has been an incredible experience. I have been studying oceanography at UNCW for three years now, but my time at CIE is what showed
This article was contributed by Lydia Thomas, UNCW CIE Program Manager. “Preserving, protecting, and restoring our waters are tasks for many lifetimes, and sometimes the effort can seem overwhelming. But as long as we stay
This article was contributed by Lydia Thomas, UNCW CIE Program Manager. Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs don’t wake up one day with a lightbulb, game changing idea. Maybe a few do, but more often than not, aspiring entrepreneurs have mul
“As a young entrepreneur I was having a hard time finding an accountable and wise mentor in business. The CIE mentorship program was that 4x. I was really only looking for one mentor, but I was able to gain 4, all with different experiences in
This article was contributed by Jim Roberts, the Founder of the Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington (NEW) and the WALE Angel Network. NEW is a member of the Wilmington Small Business Coalition of local and regional Entrepreneur Sup
This article was contributed by Paige O’Neill, MBA, NCET Program Manager. Are you tired of polluted floodwaters drowning your community? Are you worried about coastal erosion near your beach home? Are you exasperated with the lack of access to
Wilmington, North Carolina, is not just a coastal paradise known for its stunning beaches, historic charm, and thriving cultural scene; it's also emerging as a vibrant hub for entrepreneurship, consistently ranking top in the nation (and world).&
If you love the ocean and are a thought leader, innovator, changemaker, or a curious and caring community member, I invite you to attend first ever Ocean Innovation Conference on September 19 at UNCW’s Burney Center. Orga
It’s time to address resiliency and mental wellness of entrepreneurs. By choosing a startup, entrepreneurs are choosing chaos. The results of what they are working on are unknown and unpredictable, complex, and risky. Even small changes in the
This article was contributed by Kevin Conner, MBA, CIE Operations Manager. In the rapidly evolving world of entrepreneurship, having an empowering and dynamic workspace can make all the difference. At the UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurs
As we near the ten-year celebration of the ribbon cutting of the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) in September 2023, CIE’s 2023-2025 Strategic Plan for supporting entrepreneurs, par
We have been hearing about artificial intelligence (AI) for years, but with the onset (controversy?) about ChatGPT, AI has made the headlines once again. In fact, if you search online for the term “ChatGPT” you receive 596 million results
When you have your next great new product idea, how do you know that it is truly great? How do you know that it is needed by your target customer and they will purchase it? Business is about selling a product or solution to a custome
Congratulations, you’ve made it! As we near the end of 2022 and pause for the holidays, it is the perfect time to reflect on successes of your year and to make plans for an even better 2023. Each of us has different core values and stren
Entrepreneurs are incredible. They are: Activators. Brave. Creative. Diverse. Empathetic. Flexible. Go-getters. Hard working. Intelligent. Job creators. Knowledgeable. Leaders. Motivated. Needed. Optimistic. Passionate. Quick-thinking. Resilient. Sel
This article was contributed by Stuart Borrett, PhD, UNCW Associate Provost for Research and Innovation. University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) is maturing as a research university and growing the impactof its research and innovati
Last month’s Insights column (Where Ideas Come From) overviewed 16+ ideation techniques – in other words, idea generation tips to come up with your next million dollar idea. So now that you have the big idea, what’s next? Sim
Have you ever thought, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Certainly that next million dollar idea is just out of reach. Today I am offering an overview of what are called “ideation” techniques for entrepreneurs. Ideation is t
This article was contributed by Justin T. Streuli, MBA, Director, UNCW Office of Innovation + Commercialization. You’ve probably read about the recent growth and success of UNCW’s academic programs. UNCW ranks 96th on the U.S. News
This article was contributed by Henry Hawthorne, Youth Program Coordinator, UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. While students at most universities are winding down their spring semesters, a cohort consisting of engineering studen
This article was contributed by Henry Hawthorne, Youth Program Coordinator, UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The YEPex Youth Summit and Chancellor’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge, now in its 7th year
This article was contributed by Justin T. Streuli, MBA, Director, UNCW Office of Innovation + Commercialization and Randall Johnson, MBA, Executive Director, North Carolina Biotechnology Center Southeastern Office When was the last time you ch
This article was contributed by Jamie Stalfort, UNCW SBTDC Business Launch Specialist and Lead Organizer for 1 Million Cups Wilmington. Based on the notion that entrepreneurs discover solutions and engage with their communities over a million
This article was contributed by Stuart Borrett serves as the Associate Provost for Research and Innovation and the Chief Research Officer of UNCW. Research and innovation have the power to discover new knowledge, solve complex problems, and en
Happy New Year and welcome to 2022! I have supported new entrepreneurs for a couple of decades, and one thing rings true every year in January…this time of year, droves of hopeful, inspired potential entrepreneurs visit us to share their dream
Countdown to All Blue Week! The first week in November is coming up fast and it’s our region’s first-ever celebration of All Things Blue – the ocean, river, wetlands, coastline and more. Get ready to explore and celebrate our marin
Join the Alliance for the Blue Economy (allbluenc.org) and internationally-known and acclaimed futurist and author Deborah Westphal (deborahwestphal.com) for “Convergence Conversations,” a series of pre-recorded video interviews with nati
According to the Census, 12% of businesses in southeast North Carolina are minority-owned. Also according to the Census, 21% of the population is non-white and non-Hispanic. Similarly, 37% of businesses are woman-owned and 52% of the population are w
COVID has reshaped not just how we live, work, and play but also where we live. While there is a mass exodus from major U.S. cities due to the pandemic, Wilmington has become a destination of choice. In fact, according to United Van Lines, Wilmington
The new PPP seems to be predicting, planning, and place. If the articles on return-to-office timelines and strategies are any indication – the snow globe’s been shaken and the snowflakes could land in any configuration. Some plans
When growing companies opt to move their businesses to Wilmington, we all stand up and take notice. And we wonder: how did you choose Wilmington, and what do you need from us to succeed? I had the opportunity recently to welcome Ken Reig to town. He
Taking some liberties with a favorite Beatles song…"Oh, we get by with a little help from our friends; gonna try with a little help from our friends." And we did and we do – and the CIE couldn’t have done it this yea
I met Cheryl and Wayne Baker in 2005 when I was President of the Ann Arbor IT Zone. We set up a Reciprocity Ring to spur collaboration among our tech ventures. I was amazed at how well it worked. The Reciprocity Ring is a great exercise that t
By Richard Keary Thomas Wolfe coined the phrase, “you can’t go home again” and after relocating to Wilmington a few months ago, I do not want to go home. I am home. I have made several moves to new states, cities, and companies but
46 meetings. 53 entrepreneurs presented. 1,800+ community members attended. Little did we know when we launched 1 Million Cups in Wilmington last February, that packing the CIE with seventy people on a Wednesday morning would come to an abrupt
As we launch into 2021, the CIE may seem quiet – but looks can be deceiving. While our sign is still beckoning on South College Road and our building is still open for tenants and small meetings – the parking lot looks sadly empty. But w
If you’ve just arrived in Wilmington or nearby, you probably don’t know how delighted we are you’re here. In fact, you’ve probably been stuck at home waiting out the pandemic. Well…we are happy you’ve moved here a
Over a year ago, University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) and New Hanover Regional Medical Center (NHRMC) began efforts of educating health care professionals and College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) faculty on how to build a new innovat
Contributed by Jim Roberts In working with entrepreneurs throughout North Carolina over the last 20 years, I have always heard about the FOMO of angel investors and venture capitalists described like this….While investors hate losing mon
Software as a Service (SaaS) arrived in 1998. With SaaS, instead of installing and maintaining software, you simply access it via the Internet – and, voilà, you have the latest, debugged version at your fingertips. It remains a much-appr
Contributed by Keith Markfield As entrepreneurs we often set out to solve a problem with an idea and passion. The pace of startup life is fast and furious as you’re finding your fit in the market and gaining traction. Ferris Bueller famously s
Soft skills are underrated. Entrepreneurs and small business owners often focus on the hard, business-focused skills. Accounting. Engineering. Operations. But it’s often the soft skills that make or break a company’s success. Skills lik
Our ever-growing community of entrepreneurs and the organizations that support them is richer by one. Only a few months old – and started during the Pandemic – Genesis Block is a welcome addition to our thriving ecosystem. It serves a cri
This article was contributed by Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship mentor, Phil Sindel. Tourism is highly visible in our regional economy – clearly adding dollars and jobs. Less visible, but just as important are the arts organiz
When you think about healthcare, you likely imagine nurses and physicians in hospitals and doctor’s offices. But the developers of SportGait found that those injured on the playing field would receive better care if a concussion could be identi
The Cape Fear Region is positioned to grow a world-class Blue Economy and add innovative bluetech ventures. UNCW CIE is collaborating with individuals, and public and private organizations, to make sure that happens. We have a strong crew focuse
Instead of tea leaves or Tarot Cards, Lapetus Solutions uses proprietary algorithms and AI to predict your future – by reading your face. It’s not for entertainment, it’s serious science helping financial advisors and insuran
Summer is often a more relaxed time of year for the UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship – but, not this summer. We’re social distancing and out of the public eye with networking events, and our parking lot at 803 South College
Uncertainty continues with education this fall – in person, online, somewhere in between? K-12 back on schedule? Higher Ed on campus? But, amid the scramble of near-term decision making, there are community leaders working to prepare students f
I wasn’t ready to say this a month ago, but now I’ll take the leap. Evidence is mounting that entrepreneurship is going to survive – and even thrive in the wake of the pandemic. Here’s why. Aside from frustration and boredom,
In the face of uncertainty, it’s difficult to offer startups useful advice. And, yet, that’s our goal at the CIE. It’s tempting to fall back on ‘hang in there’, we’ll know more soon. But when is soon? Sometime this
Contributed by Laura Brogdon-Primavera, Manager of Programs and Operations at the UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and founder of the YEPex Youth Summit. Laura has been with UNCW since 2012 and has a passion for programs related to you
How does the coronavirus crisis impact early-stage startups? Many small businesses, particularly those in the personal services, restaurant, hospitality, and travel industries, have been hit hard. The younger, more fragile firms in those industries
I saved a supplement from the Wall Street Journal from February 2009 titled, “So, You Want To Be an Entrepreneur”. I’m not exactly sure why I saved it, but I think it was because it seemed so hopeful at a time when the Great Recessi
Sometimes it helps to remind ourselves why we need to foster startups and innovative new companies. One big reason – we simply can’t count on large corporations to create jobs. We need startups and lots of them, because they don’t c
Who are today’s ambitious startup entrepreneurs? That answer is different than it was 20 years ago. Most startup entrepreneurs are still white and male, but the demographics of founders are becoming much more diverse in terms of age and race.
Engaged and happy people are the secret ingredient in every success story. Imagine an unhappy entrepreneur or employee setting the world on fire with a new idea and an enthusiastic team of followers – not happening. A global Gallup survey foun
As 2019 winds down, expect a steady stream of predictions for the business climate in the coming year and decade. There’ll be exciting trends in technology, concerning forecasts on climate change, and contradictory projections for the economy.
As you'd expect from someone that’s run business competitions, I'm a big fan. And I'm not alone. Not only have business plan competitions continued to thrive and proliferate — innovation, accelerator, and bootcamp programs oft
British venture capitalist, John Whatmore, is on a quest. He’s working to unearth the alchemy of creativity and use it to drive innovation and build the United Kingdom’s golden future. And we’re following him on this journey. After
Water, water everywhere…and more to come. Meet Jake Kheel, coastal development and sustainability expert, when Cucalorus Connect, the two-day innovation conference embedded in the Cucalorus Festival week continues a conversation thread from
There are many hidden gems at UNCW and the crown jewel of them all is the CREST Marine Science Campus. It’s where important marine biotech and marine science research is happening and new ventures in these critical fields are growing. Discover
What a great season! Cooler temperatures, football tailgates, and celebrations recognizing the successes of our minority- and women-owned businesses. Black Entrepreneurship Week was in September – and right around the corner are Minority Enterp
Who can forget the 1996 film, Jerry Maguire, and its iconic phrase “Show me the money?" Early stage startup entrepreneurs have their own twist on that phrase. They’re saying, “Show me the funding!" Given the venture
The Spirit of Entrepreneurship has found a welcoming and supportive home in Wilmington. If you put your ear to the ground, you’ll hear interesting conversations about entrepreneurship all over town. The conversations and energy have turned to t
The UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) has unveiled a new mentor program designed to accelerate the success of local entrepreneurs. The program started nine months ago with a behind-the-scenes effort to recruit mentors, develop pro
This Insights article was contributed by Dave Haviland, CEO, Phimation Strategy Group. Feeling overwhelmed? Looking for an antidote? A friend of mine had a saying he used with his kids: “You can’t tell me, ‘I don&rsquo
The Cape Fear region has a new way to give and get business advice – by tapping into a pool of ‘givers’. Adam Grant, renowned author, organizational psychologist, and Wharton professor, delivers a powerful message in his best
This Insights article was contributed by William Mansfield, SVP of Product Innovation & Technology for Suzy, NYC and the founder of the local startup Social Haven. We play a game in our family that no one has never heard of. Which mak
This Insights article was contributed by Reid Wilson, Founder of Language Corpus, Inc. and (formerly) Quintify, Inc. When I was in high school (way back when), I worked at the local Harris Teeter with several from my school. Four of us would end up
This Insights article was contributed by Keith White, MA, Certified Life Coach When I started my coaching practice, I took a step backwards and asked myself, What is coaching? I decided to develop an elevator speech that caused me to persona
This Insights article was contributed by Pat Fontana, owner of WordsWorking. True story: I went through a fast food drive-through. While waiting at the window for my food – after a very pleasant greeting of “$9.71” (and literally
This Insights article was contributed by Dan Brawley, executive director of Cucalorus Film Festival. When we first launched Cucalorus Connect five years ago, key players in the local startup ecosystem – especially the UNCW Center for Innovati
This Insights article was contributed by Wayne Hippo, Managing Partner of PS Solutions. Hiring programmers a world away has long been a desperate option for those looking to fill their need for tech talent. The argument was simply that American so
This Insights article was contributed by Mike Orr, Director of IT Services & Operations at Modoc Research Services “For all the talk of machine learning and AI’s potential in the enterprise, many firms aren’t yet equipped
This Insights article was contributed by Brendan Collins, Seahawk Innovation Partner and CEO of mimijumi Friends and family. Angel investors. Incubators. Series A. Convertible preferred stock. Liquidation preference. The world of startup financing
This Insights was contributed by Ann Revell-Pechar at Fluent PR You only get one chance at a first impression… For startups, launch can be a go/no-go, life-or-death situation. Do it right, and the likelihood of your success multiplies. Do it
This Insights article was contributed by Katelynn Watkins of Sage Island. There’s an old adage that states you can’t know a person unless you’ve walked a mile in his or her shoes. In the marketing world, at least, that
This Insights article was contributed by Katrina M. Harrell, President of KM Harrell Group. There is no denying that entrepreneurs are change agents in the world. We are able to identify opportunities amid challenges and are nearly always willing t
This Insights article was contributed by Nikki Kroushl, Social Media and Content Manager at the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The plight and power of the entrepreneur is that she wears many hats - she is manager, product developer, in
This post was contributed by Nikki Kroushl, CIE Social Media and Content Manager. When someone asks you about your New Year's resolutions, what do you tell them? Do you pull out a piece of paper scrawled with dozens of wishful mantr
Welcome to Monday morning - power up the fluorescent lighting and percolating coffee pots. It’s 8:45 a.m. In a few short minutes the elevators will begin delivering loads of tired, stressed “users.” Oh joy, they’re here to be
In Part 1 of this article, Marc Mereyde of TiktoPlus discussed Wix vs. Wordpress in terms of the differences in user base, tools and service, and the need for coding skills. Part 2 compares the two platforms on three more scales. Plugins and A
This Insights article was contributed by CIE’s David Morrison, and Althea Lewis with UNCW’s College of Health and Human Services. Last week, Cucalorus Connect gave social entrepreneurs and filmmakers the space to learn. Topics ran
This Insights article was contributed by Marc Mereyde of TiktoPlus. When it comes to building a website or blog, there are lots of decisions to be made. You’ll need to decide what theme to use. You’ll have to choose between a sta
This Insights article was contributed by Stan Martin at IT Works Since being widely adopted in the 1980s, computers have dramatically changed the way we do business. They forever transformed the workplace, replacing old-fashioned typewriters and wor
This Insights article was contributed by Alex Fisher of Elite Innovations, LLC. Collaboration is the best way to work. It’s [the] only way to work really. Everyone’s there because they have a set of skills to offer across the board. &nda
This Insights article was contributed by William Mansfield and Nikki Kroushl. We live in a world where 72 percent of smart phone users check their phones at least once per hour, and the average user spends almost 70 hours per month using mobile app
This Insights article was contributed by William Mansfield and Nikki Kroushl. Any person developing - or hiring a developer for - an app should immediately be able to answer four questions: What are you giving? What are you getting? Who uses the
This Insights article was contributed by Alex Dale of Ward and Smith, PA. Now that your business has grown, have you read your software license agreements lately? If you are like many small business representatives, you tapped your approval of
This Insights was contributed by DeVante Pickering, a UNCW senior and lead back-end developer for Uni-SPIRE. The Microsoft model-view-controller (MVC) framework is a software architectural pattern that mitigates the process of designing and implemen
This Insights article was contributed by Marc Mereyde of TiktoPlus It’s official - Google announced in September it will label websites containing passwords or credit card forms as “not secure” if they do not have an SSL cert
At the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, we’re all about — you guessed it — innovation and entrepreneurs. In a high-energy startup ecosystem like ours, there is a constant stream of opportunities flowing through. And as p
Sarah Ritter came to UNCW knowing that she wanted to create a startup. The hardest part was figuring out what kind of startup, exactly, she wanted to create. She knew she wanted to work for herself - or at least a small company - and build products,
This Insights was contributed by Nikki Kroushl, CIE's Social Media and Content Manager. Kroushl is a creative writing and communication studies major at UNC Wilmington and copy editor of the student-run creative magazine, Atlantis. In addition to
