Southern Innovation: The South’s Best Metros for Tech Workers in 2026
Tidal Tech – Coastal solutions from the air
These women are working to help the waters in their own different ways. The opportunity for a person to make a living doing what they love while making a real difference is rare. For three local women, the work they do will impact the lives and livelihoods of those in coastal communities for years to […]
NC IDEA-backed Tweener Fund Expansion Opens Funding Path For Wilmington Startups
When NC IDEA announced it had signed an agreement to become the anchor investor in the Triangle Tweener Fund with a $4 million, five-year limited partner investment, the Tweener fund’s reach effectively expanded from the Triangle region to the entire state. The change, which rebranded the fund as the NC Tweener Fund, puts early-stage startups […]
OPINION: Can Wilmington Become The Silicon Valley Of The East Coast? Why It Depends On How We Grow Next
Startup Guide: Wilmington, NC: Diving deep on The Port City’s startup scene and resources for entrepreneurs.
Wilmington, North Carolina is often best known for its beaches, historic port, and film-industry roots — but over the past decade, it has quietly become one of the Southeast’s most compelling emerging startup hubs. What was once perceived mainly as a coastal lifestyle city has evolved into a dynamic innovation community shaped by fintech wins, […]
NEW’s Second Annual #910 Day Packs Ironclad Brewing In Wilmington
Jim Roberts of NEW welcomes the crowd to the second annual #910 Day at Ironclad Brewing. On Wednesday evening, Jim Roberts and the Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington (aka NEW) hosted folks from around the Wilmington and broader North Carolina entrepreneurial ecosystem for the second annual #910 Day. The event took place at Ironclad Brewery and was packed to […]
Wilmington Startup Scene Evolves
Two decades ago, Wilmington’s tech scene had a much different landscape. “There was not much advocacy before 2013, not many people in the room,” said Jim Roberts, founder of Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington (NEW) and Wilmington Angels for Local Entrepreneurs (WALE). 2013 marked the start of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the […]
Life Science Industry Buzzing
The life science industry is thriving these days in the Wilmington area, professionals in the field said at a recent event. Nearly 300 people from 15 states gathered in downtown Wilmington at the third annual Investor Buzz In at the Beach event, held May 16 at Cape Fear Community College’s Union Station. The event, hosted […]
Ecosysteming: The Blueprint for a Thriving Entrepreneurial Ecosystem w/ Jim Roberts | Ep. 1
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]https://www.buzzsprout.com/2396970/episodes/16748271 To mark ten episodes of Ecosysteming, host Thom Ruhe is joined by Jim Roberts, Founder of the Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington, the WALE Angel Network, and NC IDEA ECOSYSTEM partner. With years of experience as an ecosystem leader and NC IDEA reviewer, Jim has contributed to several entrepreneurial ecosystems and now focuses on supporting Wilmington’s rapidly growing startup scene. […]
Carolina Beach Worker Training Startup Nets Success
A Carolina Beach-based startup, Skillmaker.ai, can cut down the time it takes to train an auto technician from two years to just 25 days, according to the company’s founder and CEO Robin Cowie. The platform uses extended reality (XR), including immersive technologies like virtual reality and mixed reality, to train workers. Skillmaker.ai won the Council […]