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Spring 2024 Retail Lab Graduates 14 Local Entrepreneurs

On Wednesday, May 8, fourteen local entrepreneurs celebrated their completion of the Retail Lab Boot Camp. The program is tailored to address the complex issues that arise when opening and operating a retail establishment. The graduates of Retail Lab completed a six-week immersive boot camp that concluded with the opportunity to pitch for grant funding. This cohort featured a mixture of ventures ranging from a new record shop concept to a refreshing take on Bloody Mary mixes. All participants in the program shared...

Flywheel Foundation, Retail Lab, Small Business Center

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53 Ideas Pitch Competition

Applications for the 53 Ideas Pitch Competition open on May 5, 2024. Anyone in the 10 counties surrounding Charlotte can submit an idea to the competition for a chance to win $10,000 in funding for their business idea. Ideas in the form of a 53-second video can be submitted online May 5 thru May 31, 2024. Entry is limited to residents in the following NC counties: Anson, Cabarrus, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly and Union. The 53 finalists will be announced in early June 2024. Mid-June...

53 Ideas Pitch Competition

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NC IDEA Foundation to Kick Off Spring 2024 Grants Cycle with Info Sessions Throughout the State

Seeking Applications from Innovative Startups for NC IDEA MICRO and NC IDEA SEED Starting January 29th NC IDEA, a private foundation committed to supporting entrepreneurial ambition and economic empowerment in North Carolina, announced today that the organization will kick off its Spring 2024 Grants Cycle with information sessions throughout the state. The sessions will highlight NC IDEA’s two upcoming grant opportunities supporting ambitious, growth-oriented companies: NC IDEA MICRO awards small, project-based...

MICRO Grant, NC IDEA, NC IDEA Grants, SEED Grant

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Health Equity Innovation Challenge Winners Showcase Progress and Vision at Cabarrus Center Pitch Round Robin

Winners of the inaugural Health Equity Innovation Challenge are halfway through their accelerator and recently spent the day in Concord, NC at the Cabarrus Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship participating in a rapid-fire pitch round robin. The Challenge, sponsored by Atrium Health and administered by the Flywheel Foundation, is a business idea competition for scalable and investable solutions to problems that lead to or create significant healthcare outcome disparities. Founders Pictured: Kwamane Liddell...

Health Equity Innovation Challenge

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ConvergeSouth 2023 Is Coming to the Greater Charlotte Region

ConvergeSouth 2023, a two-day Expo and Conference featuring founders, entrepreneurs, and investors coming together from across the Southeast, will be held for the first time in the Greater Charlotte Region on October 5th and 6th in downtown Concord, NC. The event is open to the public who are encouraged to attend. For registration and complete information on the conference go to www.convergesouth.com. “This is one of the largest gatherings of startups in the Southeast”, said Peter Marsh, a partner in Flywheel and...

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The Ultimate Startup Experience is Coming to Cabarrus County!

ConvergeSouth, the ultimate startup experience, is coming to the Cabarrus Center in downtown Concord on October 5-6, 2023. The event features two full days of entrepreneurial programming, including: Expert-led breakout sessions Startup expo with 75 exhibiting companies Investment firms from across the Southeast ConvergeSouth has taken place in Winston-Salem for several years, but is bringing the popular event to downtown Concord this year. It attracts hundreds of attendees who come to focus on growing their startups...

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The Women-Owned Small Businesses of Gibson Mill

Did you know that Gibson Mill is home to a unique variety of women-owned small businesses? The once thriving 20th century manufacturing facility was purchased by local friends in 2004 and restored to offer an array of retail, office and warehouse space for local entrepreneurs. The reinvention of the space has given many female entrepreneurs the opportunity they need to take their innovative ideas to the next level by starting up a new business. As we close out National Women’s Small Business Month, take a moment...

Gibson Mill, women-owned

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New Ventures Expands in North and South Carolina

CONCORD, NC—April 22, 2021— Flywheel’s early-stage investment and accelerator program announced today it is expanding in regions ranging from the North Carolina Core to Upstate South Carolina. New Ventures opened applications this month to four separate application pipelines and areas of focus through June 7, 2021. The expanded accelerator program offering is coupled with a fourfold expansion of the corollary investment funds. “Our ability to replicate the New Ventures program as we expand our network of innovation...

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Partner Spotlight: NCBiotech

Our primary focus at the Cabarrus Center is to support the creation of new businesses and the growth of existing small businesses through free or low-cost educational and networking programs, mentor networks, capital access, and events. We will be doing this in collaboration with a dynamic group of partners and we are very excited to introduce you to all of them! This week, we are shining the spotlight on our partner, NCBiotech! NCBiotech transforms life science in North Carolina. They nurture a community statewide...

NCBiotech, Partners

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