December CIE Connection

Over the past five weeks, theses Healthtech/Biotech founders have pushed themselves to test assumptions and validate their ideas. Then they debuted their ideas at Demo Day! The Idea Test Lab Demo Day showcased these promising startups, and the competition was fierce! Congratulations to our winners:

1st Place: Nautigen – Garrett Mitchell
2nd Place: ouro Labs – Carson Jackson & Shishir Desai
3rd Place: MacroFormulation LLC – Dr. Ying Wang

A huge congratulations to all the founders for their courage and dedication throughout this cohort! Thank you for NC IDEA for the ECOSYSTEM Grant to support this cohort and important work, and to partners NC Biotechnology Center and Hutchison PLLC for supporting these early-stage startups.

Pictured left to right: Lavonda Daniels (Array Community Development Corporation), Girard & Tracey Newkirk (Genesis Block Foundation), Heather McWhorter (UNCW CIE), Lydia Thomas (UNCW CIE), Scott Davis (NCInnovation)

A heartfelt thank you to our incredible hosts and partners for making Global Entrepreneurship Week in Wilmington and North Carolina such a success! We’re grateful to Genesis Block Foundation, NC IDEA, Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington (NEW), Cape Fear Community College SBC, and the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce for hosting events. A few highlights include:

NC IDEA ECOSYSTEM Summit

Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) kicked off with incredible momentum thanks to the NC IDEA ECOSYSTEM Summit, celebrating “This Thing of Ours” in North Carolina. Over two energizing days, leaders from across the state came together to celebrate entrepreneurship, ecosystem building, and the people who make our community thrive.

One highlight? CIE Director, Heather McWhorter moderated the panel on North Carolina’s innovation clusters, featuring Krista Covey (deep tech), Molly Hemstreet (textiles), and Heather McWhorter (bluetech). The conversation underscored the power of collaboration across sectors and the potential for transformative growth. Special thanks to the entire NC IDEA team for creating a conference that sparked connections and ideas that will fuel entrepreneurs, communities, and our economy!

Entrepreneur Day

As part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, 30 local founders visited classrooms across UNCW and New Hanover County, engaging with 1,200+ students. They shared real-world stories, lessons, and inspiration. A big thank you to the entrepreneurs for their time and insights, to the teachers and professors leading these students, and to the students for their thoughtful questions and enthusiasm.

"Show Me the Funding" Chris Mather Workshop

At the UNCW CIE, we were thrilled to host Chris Mather, founder and president of Leveragent, for his workshop “Show Me the Funding!” on November 21 as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW).

This session was designed to empower entrepreneurs with practical strategies for securing funding - a critical step in turning ideas into thriving businesses. Chris shared his expertise on navigating both traditional and alternative funding channels, preparing investor-ready pitches, and aligning financial decisions with long-term goals.

We’re leaving inspired and ready to keep building together!

We’re excited to announce a new program launching in February 2026! Join us on the first Thursday of every month from noon to 1 p.m. in the CIE event space for sessions designed to help UNCW faculty and community experts connect with entrepreneurs, share insights, and learn together.

Upcoming Sessions:

Launch Date! Feb 5: How Entrepreneurs Work with Mentors

Speaker: Seth Butler, UNCW Faculty
What You'll Learn About: Discover the various types of entrepreneurs and mentors, support systems, and valuable tips for finding the ideal mentor.
Cost: Free for CIE members, tenants, mentors, and coworkers. $5 for non CIE members.
- CIE Member/Tenant/Mentor/Coworker Registration
- Non CIE Member Registration

Mar 5: Making Smarter Systems: Content Strategy for an AI World

Speaker: Lance Cummings, UNCW Faculty
What You'll Learn About: Discover why AI struggles with your content and how to structure information for clarity and efficiency.
Cost: Free for CIE members, tenants, mentors, and coworkers. $5 for non CIE members.
- CIE Member/tenant/mentor/coworker Registration
- Non CIE Member Registration

Thank you to sponsor, UNCW Research and Innovation, for your support. Mark your calendars and join us for these conversations! If you are interested in becoming a CIE Member, check out all of the benefits here.

Join us this #GivingTuesday in empowering innovators across our region by supporting CIE. This year, we’re excited to spotlight our new Impact Memberships and Innovation Stakeholder Memberships, which fuel our mission of helping entrepreneurs, students, and community changemakers turn ideas into real ventures.

By becoming a member or giving a one-time gift, you help create opportunities that matter — from first sparks of ideas to fully launched ventures.

Give a one-time gift: Click here

Join as an Impact Member (for individuals): Click here

Join as an Innovation Stakeholder (for startups, nonprofits, and companies): Click here

Also, if you visit CIE before December 12, please bring a donation for the Hawks Harvest Food Pantry. The donation box is in the lobby.

Thank you for considering membership or a gift—your support makes everything we do possible. Together, we can strengthen Wilmington’s innovation ecosystem and help more ideas grow into thriving businesses.

Dec 3 | Power Breakfast

Dec 3 | Welcome Wednesday

Dec 9 | Idea Test Lab Alumni Founders Roundtable*

Dec 9 | NC TECH Awards, Raleigh Convention Center - https://www.nctech.org/events/event/2025/awards-event.html

Dec 11 4 p.m. | NEW DEEEEEP Dive

Dec 12 | CIE Mentor meeting*

Dec 16 | Founders’ Roundtable*

Dec 16-18 | UNCW Cyberboat Challenge, CMS - https://uncw.edu/research/major-programs/cyber-defense/research (students, faculty, govt, maritime)

Dec 24-Jan 4 | UNCW closed/winter break

Dec 31 | GrepBeat Rising Stars Applications DUE - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeKN_6r-MtQ_CpL_KDM14KS-c_Q2ik0Upug9p8R_r8IElbgCw/viewform

2026

Jan 7 | Agentic AI 201 - Register here

Jan 13 9:00-10:30 | Intentional: Planning for a Remarkable 2026 (Heather McWhorter is facilitator) - Register here

Jan 20 | CIE Mentor Meeting*

Jan 26 | NC IDEA grant cycle opens

Feb 3 | All Blue meeting: 2026 planning*

Feb 5 | Wilmington Innovation Forum Kickoff - Register here

Feb 5 | GrepBeat Rising Stars Celebration, Durham (Heather is a judge)

Feb 10 | Idea Test Lab Alumni Founders Roundtable*

Feb 17 | CIE Mentor Meeting*

Feb 23 @ 5 p.m. | NC IDEA grants DUE

Mar 4 | NC TECH STIR Briefing at CIE

*By invitation. As CIE for additional information.

NEW DEEEEEP Dive: Exploring Alternative Capital for Entrepreneurs

Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington (NEW) is hosting the final DEEEEEP Dive of the year. Trends in finding capital are shifting. Where can entrepreneurs find new sources of capital like Family Offices and Venture Philanthropy?

Time for our final DEEEEEP DIVE Series of Events in 2025. (And we are barely sneaking it in on December 11th.) The DEEEEEP DIVE series is sponsored by Hutchison Law.

Speakers:

Amy Jacobs of Abundance Capital from Charlotte / Greenville SC.
Liam King of 2ndF , a family office in Raleigh.

📅 When: Thursday, December 11 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

📍 Where: UNCW CIE Event Space

💵 Cost: Free, Register now

Deep Dive into Agentic AI 201

In this advanced session with Dr. Karl Ricanek, we’ll dive into the core components that power Agentic AI systems. You'll explore how tools come together to enable planning, memory, and dynamic decision-making. Through live examples and walkthroughs, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how these agentic frameworks are built.

📅 When: Wednesday, January 7 from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. (networking from 10-10:30a.m.)

📍 Where: UNCW CIE Event Space

💵 Cost: Free, Register for the Deep Dive into Agentic AI Workshop

Intentional - Plan for a Remarkable Year

Develop your own plan for a remarkable 2026 in this workshop. CIE Director Heather McWhorter will facilitate a process to help you intentionally develop your plan for success. Open to entrepreneurs, students, facility, and anyone interested in developing a plan for a great year.

📅 When: Tuesday, January 13 from 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.

📍 Where: UNCW CIE Event Space

1. Nautigen Takes First Place at Idea Test Lab Demo Day!

2. 2025 Global Entrepreneurship Week Recap November 17 - 21, 2025

3. Introducing Our New 2026 Monthly Program: Wilmington Innovation Forum

4. Fuel Innovation: Support CIE this #GivingTuesday

5. Calendar Quick View

6. Event Highlights

Deep Dive into Agentic AI 201

Intentional - Plan for a Remarkable Year

8. Parting Thought