Forbes Magazine is coming to Wilmington

Angels, Venture Capitalists, Strategic Corporate Investors and SBIR grants?

Yes, these are the four ways, plus sales, to raise capital and currently the biggest gap in southeastern North Carolina to grow a life sciences industry to create better jobs in the region. And a little buzz / marketing to make more industry people aware of the attractive assets of the region.

While Wilmington is the eighth largest city in NC, we are 24th in pursuing SBIR grants in North Carolina!!!

We are working to improve the growth of life sciences companies and will give three local life sciences startups the chance to pitch at the start of this event. Are you familiar with Surgilum, Neat Cap or Tick Rover and other Life Sciences startups based in Wilmington in addition to PPD, AAI Pharma and the Marine Biotech focus at UNC Wilmington?

(if you are more interested in InfoTech, 4 out of the 6 companies in the NC Tech Association Startup Showcase this Friday are from Wilmington. This is NCTA’s flagship event of the year. http://nctechnology.tumblr.com/post/143226698442/2016-state-of-technology-startup-showcase)

We have all four forms of capital and a moderator from Forbes Magazine speaking at our May 19th event in Wilmington, North Carolina.

((Thank you to our sponsors and please support Adam Shay CPA (Accountant) , Doug Scholer (Patent Lawyer), Brooks Malone of Hughes Pittman Gupton (Accounting) Merrill Mason (Smith Anderson Law), TechCXO.com, a fractional executive company, CommercialInteriors.net, local office furniture company and BRAND NEW sponsor Ward and Smith Law Firm ))

Ok, you may not be so familiar with SBIR grants. Small Business Innovation Research grants are meant as non dilutive money for companies that address the needs to solve big problems within the largest departments of the federal government. Karen LeVert and her company Southeast Tech Inventures work with research at universities, pursue these SBIR and STTR grants, raise venture capital, hire management and grow startups into big success with a history of exit events for big profits. Karen will open our event with brief opening remarks. http://www.setechinv.com/aboutus/stiteam.php

Preston Linn may be a bit of a unicorn himself as a Life Sciences angel investor. Preston is an old friend of mine from over ten years from networking within North Carolina and especially at CED startup events. As a member of RTP Capital, he works with his team to find promising startups to invest in. In his other role, he works within UNC and NC State as the Industry Academic Coordinator within BioMedical Engineering. He has held many executive level roles within many promising startups in the Life Sciences in the Raleigh / Durham area. https://www.linkedin.com/in/prestonlinn

A hospital has a venture capital fund? Wow that is a unique concept. Rex Health Ventures plays that role in the Raleigh area. Merrett Moore of Lookout Capital is on the Rex Health Ventures Board and works to partner with health care innovators to pilot emerging healthcare solutions within the hospital. Rex Health Ventures supports the discovery and development of new treatments, tools, products and services that foster innovation and positively impacts the provision of healthcare. http://www.rexhealth.com/rh/rex-strategic-innovations/

Oh and did I mention Forbes Magazine?

Yes, David Kroll of Forbes Magazine has agreed to moderate this event. How did I get a Forbes writer to come to Wilmington, NC? Networking is the answer of course. I met David at the CED Life Sciences Conference. And secondly, David is a University of Florida graduate. (So am I…) See how this works? David has a passion for the public understanding of science and medicine and specifically covers the pharmaceutical and scientific industries in North Carolina. http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkroll/#6423cb241701

GREAT EVENT RIGHT? Please register now

Did you miss our last event with the Riverside Chat with the investor and startup? Nice summary by Devon Scott.

https://medium.com/@bluefission/3-strategies-for-early-startup-traction-923cd28b5045#.bev6emnl3

Please Like the Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington event on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Network-for-Entrepreneurs-in-Wilmington-100592556974172/

And please follow me on Twitter – @RedSpireUSNC

Thank you to our sponsors.