Unleashing possibilities with the power of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit.

What you'll read:

1. From Heather’s Desk: Learning by Doing
2. EcoInnovate Sprint: Register to Attend!
3. Ocean Innovation Conference: First Wave Tickets Now Open!
4. Did You Know? Customize Your CIE Emails to Get What Matters Most
5. Entrepreneur Spotlight: Chip Phillips on Building Constructiv AI
6. Wilmington Innovation Forum: April Speaker Dr. Jessica Kane
7. Meet the CIE Tenants: Who’s Building Within Our Innovation Community
8. Thrive Lab Kicks Off: Meet the Cohort
9. Save the Date, April 14-15: Seahawks Give!
10. Calendar Quick View
11. Event Highlights
12. CIE in the News
13. Parting Thought

1. From Heather’s Desk: Learning by Doing

One of the things I love most about my role at UNCW is seeing learning come to life. With experiences and connections that CIE and our entrepreneurial community provide, education does not stop at the classroom door. We provide engaged learning through experience and connection.

Last week, I had the opportunity to facilitate an Innovation Sprint with Dr. Amy Reamer's UNCW engineering class. Students worked in teams to tackle ocean and coastal challenges, applying their technical knowledge to develop solutions with robotics. This week, they visited CIE to rapidly prototype ideas, incorporating "customer" feedback about the solution that they designed.

We see the impact of experiential learning through student entrepreneurs who are testing ideas, launching ventures, and pursuing a passion while balancing coursework. Programs like 1 Million Cups Wilmington further connect students to the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem. Every week, students show up alongside founders, mentors, and community leaders to learn, network, and engage. It is one of the easiest and most powerful entry points into Wilmington’s innovation community.

Students are deeply embedded in the work of CIE. Our operations are powered by three core intern teams who learn while helping us. Our marketing interns manage CIE social media, develop branding and campaigns, and even help produce the newsletter you are reading. Our administrative interns support space rentals, assist tenants, and help create the welcoming environment that defines CIE. Our Blue Economy interns conduct research, develop tools, and help deliver programs like the Ocean Innovation Conference. These eight student interns are gaining real world experience while contributing meaningful value.

Internships matter. They build confidence, skills, and career clarity. Many of our tenants and affiliate entrepreneurs hire UNCW students as interns. If you are interested in hiring a UNCW intern, the best place to start is by connecting with the UNCW Career Center and posting opportunities through Handshake. It is a simple step that opens the door to talented, motivated students eager to learn and contribute.

At CIE, learning is active, connected, and shared. We are proud to be a place where students, faculty, and community come together to turn ideas into action.

Yours in innovation,

Heather McWhorter

Director, UNCW CIE

2. EcoInnovate: Register to Attend!

3. Ocean Innovation Conference: First Wave Tickets Now Open!

Registration is officially open for the Ocean Innovation Conference 2026, taking place on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, from 8:00a.m. - 4:30p.m. at the UNCW Burney Center.

Connecting Through Water ~ Innovating with Purpose

The Ocean Innovation Conference explores how water connects communities, industries, ecosystems, and ideas, and how purposeful innovation can drive meaningful impact for our oceans and coastal regions. The conference brings together entrepreneurs, researchers, students, industry leaders, policymakers, and ocean advocates to explore bold ideas, share expertise, and develop actionable solutions to today’s most pressing ocean and waterway challenges.

Attendees can look forward to a full-day program featuring:

• A Featured Keynote from a thought leader in the blue economy
• Expert Panels diving into ocean technology and entrepreneurship
• Lightning Talks showcasing emerging ideas
• A hands-on Interactive Activity, where attendees collaborate to brainstorm startup ideas
• The Innovation Fair, highlighting startups, nonprofits, researchers, and support organizations

Registration:

In-Person Tickets: First Wave Tickets are $89, on sale until May 31, 2026.

On June 1, Rising Tide tickets will be available for $109.

Special Discounts:

• Students: Free ticket. Please email CIE at cie@uncw.edu for your registration code.
• CIE Members, Tenants, and Coworkers: Discounts available. Please email CIE at cie@uncw.edu for your registration code.

Table Sponsorship Opportunities: $650

• Reserved Table for 10 Attendees
• Company Logo Placement on table

4. Did You Know? Customize Your CIE Emails to Get What Matters Most

At the bottom of every CIE email, you’ll find a link that allows you to manage your email preferences. This is the easiest way to make sure you’re receiving the updates that matter most to you, whether that’s events, workshops, student opportunities, or entrepreneur resources.

How to Check Your Preferences:

5. Entrepreneur Spotlight: Chip Phillips on Building Constructiv AI

This month, we’re highlighting CIE tenant Chip Phillips, founder of Constructiv AI, a platform designed to bring clarity, accuracy, and trust to the lumber and building materials (LBM) industry.

Before founding his company, Chip spent 10 years in the LBM industry and four years in tech sales, giving him a unique perspective on productivity and communication gaps in the construction supply chain. Builders rely on three key pillars to keep a project moving: scope, price, and schedule, yet essential information was often written on paper, scattered across documents, or held in a single person’s head. These gaps frequently led to delays, rework, and frustration on job sites.

In 2023, while helping relaunch a commercial division focused on multifamily construction, Chip began experimenting with emerging AI tools and quickly realized their potential to solve real industry pain points.

After moving to Wilmington in 2024, Chip didn’t know many people in the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through CIE, he quickly connected with mentors, fellow founders, and programs designed to support entrepreneurs. The space offered not only resources but also a community where ideas could be shared, refined, and challenged.

Constructiv AI originally focused on small builders, but early industry feedback revealed a stronger path to market: LBM suppliers. These suppliers sit at the center of communication between manufacturers and builders, and they need better tools to organize information, reduce errors, and build trust. Today, Constructiv AI provides suppliers with a centralized space to capture and management project scope, category‑specific tracking for different materials, and clear, builder-facing proposals.

Chip’s long‑term vision is to expand the platform beyond suppliers and further support builders across the construction workflow.

When asked what advice he would give to students or early‑stage founders, especially those building tech or AI solutions in traditional industries, Chip emphasized:

• The importance of understanding the problem first.
• Spend time with your customers. Ask questions early.
• Use AI as a tool to lower barriers, not as a shortcut.
• And most importantly, don’t wait for everything to be perfect; real clarity comes from real conversations.

6. Wilmington Innovation Forum: April Speaker Dr. Jessica Kane

Join us on April 2nd for an upcoming Wilmington Innovation Forum workshop featuring Dr. Jessica Kane, UNCW Lecturer in Accountancy and Business Law at the Cameron School of Business.

Understanding Your Numbers: Bookkeeping, Accuracy, and Fraud Prevention

Strong financial records are critical for making informed business decisions. This session will explore common bookkeeping mistakes that create confusion, how small recording errors can distort financial statements, and practical habits to keep your financial data accurate and reliable. Participants will also learn how to spot warning signs of internal fraud and implement simple prevention steps to protect their business.

• When: April 2, noon–1 p.m.
• Where: UNCW CIE Event Space
• Registration: Includes lunch
  • $5 for non‑CIE members
  • Free for UNCW & CIE members

7. Meet the CIE Tenants: Who’s Building Within Our Innovation Community

8. Thrive Lab Kicks Off: Meet the Cohort

9. Save the Date: Seahawks Give!

10. Calendar Quick View

During Seahawks Give, the UNCW community comes together to support the programs and opportunities that shape student success, and at CIE, your support directly fuels student entrepreneurship. 100% of all funds raised for CIE will be set aside to offer Ignite grants for UNCW students, empowering them to explore entrepreneurship with your help.

Ignite grants provide flexible, student-centered funding that allows students to take meaningful steps toward building their ideas. Potential uses of these funds include:

• Scholarships for students to work with a founder, gaining hands-on startup experience
• Conference and travel support to attend events that support customer discovery and market research
• Access to CIE coworking, giving student founders a professional space to build and collaborate while working on a startup

With sustained support, CIE hopes to launch a Summer Founders Program, allowing UNCW students to work on their startups full-time over the summer. Seahawks Give brings us one step closer to turning that vision into reality, creating paid, structured opportunities for students to innovate when it matters most.

When you contribute to Seahawks Give through CIE, you’re not just funding a program; you’re investing in student success, entrepreneurial confidence, and the future leaders of UNCW. Give today, and help CIE ignite the next generation of Seahawks innovators.

10. Calendar Quick View

Apr 1 | Welcome Wednesday

Apr 2 noon-1 p.m. | Wilmington Innovation Forum – Jessica Kane - Register Now!

Apr 7-9 | EcoInnovate Sprint - Register Now!

Apr 7 | All Blue meeting*

Apr 13 | Thrive Lab | Session 2 – Think Like a CFO @ Skyline Center*

Apr 14 | Idea Test Lab Alumni Founders Roundtable*

Apr 14 | CIE Office Hours @ Randall Library

Apr 14-15 | noon – noon | Seahawks Give

Apr 16 noon-1:30 | HonorsTrek visiting CIE

Apr 16 | NC Ports Cold Chain Summit - https://ncports.com/cold-chain-summit/

Apr 20 | noon-2 pm | UNCW Marketing Trade Show Competition, Burney Center

Apr 21 | Founders’ Roundtable*

Apr 21 | CIE Mentor Meeting*

Apr 22 | Earth Day Festival at UNCW (Stop by and visit!)

Apr 28 | CIE Office Hours @ Randall Library

May 7 | noon-1 p.m. | Wilmington Innovation Forum - Dr. Jennifer McCall - Register Now!

May 11 | Thrive Lab | Session 3 – Think Like a CPO @ Vantaca*

May 11-12 | noon-4:30 | Innovate & Elevate (UNCW Graduate students, researchers, and faculty only)

May 15 | TedX Airlie

May 19 | CIE Mentor Meeting*

May 21 | Coastal Entrepreneur Awards, Burney Center

May 26 | Founders’ Roundtable*

May 28 | 11 am-1 pm | Soar into Summer (Stop by and visit our table!)

May 28 | Thrive Lab Graduation*

1 Million Cups Wilmington every Wednesday 9-10 a.m.
*By invitation. Ask CIE for additional information.

11. Upcoming Event Highlights

13. Parting Thought

“Successful innovation begins with a clear understanding of the problem and is strengthened through continuous customer feedback.” - Chip Phillips, Founder of Constructiv AI