April CIE Connection

On March 15-17th, we held the first EcoInnovate Weekend at CIE!

On Friday night, participants met for the first time and formed groups, by Sunday afternoon teams were pitching full business ideas to our judges!

The winning team was PROtest, a water testing subscription service designed to alert citizens about potential PFAS in their water. PROtest was admitted to our Idea Test Lab program, so you will have an opportunity to hear them pitch again on June 5th! All of our teams had incredibly innovative ideas and wowed the judges!

There was so much excitement, passion, and energy at CIE that weekend. We truly loved hearing everyone's ideas and we left feeling inspired. We are already looking forward to next year!

We would love to thank the speakers and our sponsors: Apple Annies, City of Wilmington, PS Solutions, UNCW Cameron School of Business, UNCW Entrepreneurship Club, and Yum Day!

At Ecoinnovate I weekend, I had a great time meeting other like-minded individuals and learning more about how to present a pitch. I found having the mentors work closely with our teams to be enlightening and helpful. I chose to work with Bonnie Montelone, the founder of Plastic Ocean Project, because I wanted to help design a solution that mitigates waste. As an Oceanography major at UNCW, I found Bonnie’s challenge pitch to be very inspirational. So, using the time provided on Friday night, I joined a team of people who were also inspired by Bonnie’s pitch.

When Saturday arrived, my team and I settled on an e-waste handler service idea, and we were ready to tackle the next step. Having the business design workshop really helps us breakdown every moving piece of our idea. Additionally, having expert and professor insight post the workshop lead us to a solid foundation and the direction we wanted our business to head. After a delicious set of meals, my team and I finalized the structure of our pitch and our name, Puff Puff Pass.

On the last day, I enjoyed being able to get right to work as a team. We had time to create a presentation for our pitch, crunch some numbers, and design a quick logo. The great food and atmosphere of the event really kept us going. Puff Puff Pass ended up winning the 2^nd place prize, so a huge thank you is due to CIE. Overall, Ecoinnovate allowed me to better foster my presentation, collaborating, and business design skills. I feel much more informed and inspired on how to construct solutions for local environmental concerns.

Noon to noon on April 2-3, our Seahawk family comes together to rally support for what makes UNCW a university like no other. Now's the time to show your UNCW spirit and support by participating in Seahawks Give.

Your gift matters! During the #SeahawksGive challenge, your gift to CIE can make an even bigger impact through challenge funds.

100% of funds raised for CIE this year will be dedicated to supporting UNCW student entrepreneurs and for UNCW students to have experiences with startups.

Your contribution, no matter the size, helps shape the future of the UNCW CIE.

For this month, we are highlighting Tracie Yarborough as our tenant spotlight! Tracie Yarborough brings a wealth of legal expertise and professionalism to our community at CIE. She is an attorney licensed in NC and SC with a civil litigation and business law practice, with primary practice areas of business formation and startups, eminent domain and condemnation, insurance coverage, construction and employment law. Her dedication and commitment to her practice are truly inspiring, and we feel privileged to have her as a valued tenant!

⬆️This could be you⬆️

CIE offers the perfect environment to launch and grow your emerging business. Our flexible workspace and collaborative community allow you to network with other like-minded entrepreneurs and in a dynamic and inspiring atmosphere. We provide the resources and support you need to succeed, whether you're a UNCW student, alumni, or a community entrepreneur.

You will have access to a variety of perks including:

Free parking
Free conference room and event space reservations
Free or discounted admission to CIE events and programs
Keyed entry to secure office
and so much more!!!!!

Interested in renting an office at CIE? Clink the link below for more information or contact us at CIE@UNCW.EDU to schedule a tour!

1. EcoInnovate Weekend Recap

Blue Economy Intern, Carolyn Greenway's POV on EcoInnovate Weekend

2. Idea Test Lab - Women in Tech Cohort

3. CIE at CSB Business Week

4. Seahawks GIVE

5. CED Venture Connect Conference

6. Welcome, Rosalva!

7. Tenant Spotlight:

Tracie Yarborough

8. Incubator Offices

9. Upcoming Events - Register Today!

Welcome Wednesday

10. CIE in the News

11. Parting Thought