June CIE Connection

Empowering bold ideas, courageous individuals, and our community through innovation and entrepreneurship.

What you'll read:

1. Ocean Innovation Conference

2. Another Body Movie Screening

3. NC IDEA Fall 2024 Grant Cycle

4. UNCW Student Scavenger Hunt

5. Universal Flu Vaccine Receives Funding

6. Thanks to our FY24 Sponsors

7. All Blue Intern: Rebecca Morton

8. Tenant Spotlight: Michael Boch

9. Office Space Available

10. Upcoming Events - Register Today!

11. CIE in the News

12. Parting Thought

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Mark your calendars for the Ocean Innovation Conference on September 17th, 2024! Join us to explore technical and sustainable innovations in the Blue Economy. Secure your spot for our Ocean Innovation Conference early by taking advantage of our Early Bird Registration, now available. Don't miss the opportunity to listen to inspiring keynote speakers and a dynamic panel discussing groundbreaking work in the Blue Economy. This year, we’re expanding the Innovation Fair, increasing networking time, and even adding an optional second day (at no additional cost to you!). We can't wait to sea you there!

We are truly grateful for the support of everyone who attended the screening of "Another Body". Another Body follows a college student’s search for answers and justice after she discovers deepfake video of herself circulating online. We also want to thank Jeremy Tirrell, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of English at UNCW for leading the discussion following the movie. This impactful film shed light on a crucial issue, sparking insightful discussions that made for a day filled with valuable learning experiences.

Thank you to everyone who came out to learn about the NC IDEA 2024 grant cycle. NC IDEA provided an overview of 2024 NC IDEA MICRO ($10K) and NC IDEA SEED ($50K) grants, which provide funding to early-stage, high-growth companies. We loved getting to hear from Landon Hill, previous NC IDEA grant recipient, and hearing his insights. Applications for these grants are due August 26th! If you missed the in-person session, here is a link to the Spring 2024 grant sessions recording! NC IDEA Spring 2024 Grants Info Session Webinar Recording on Vimeo

We are thrilled to announce that UNCW professor Dr. Ying Wang has secured funding from NCInnovation for his groundbreaking research on developing a universal and long-lasting flu vaccine. Dr. Ying Wang and his team have been working on this specific mRNA technology for two years and have received funding from NC Biotech and the National Science Foundation along the way. Check out the article below to learn more about his research and coming plans!

Taking a shot: Vaccine research gets new funding source

Thank you to the CIE program and event sponsors for FY2023-2024! This year, 44 organizations donated money, services, and in-kind products (like popcorn!) so that CIE could deliver programs and services to YOU! Below is the list of our sponsors, stakeholder members, event sponsors, and event in-kind sponsors. Thank you to all our sponsors for believing in the power of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Sponsors

UNCW, Wells Fargo, City of Wilmington, NC IDEA, NOAA SeaGrant, UNCW-RIST

Stakeholders & Startup Members

Adjutor Tech, Alpine Growth Partners, Beach & Barn, Boreas Monitoring, Cape Fear Community College SBC, Carolina Retirement Planners, Datum Property Group, Duravax-Ying Wang, Helion AI, It’saGo!/Win Stack, IVT Group, NC Biotech Center, Neat Cap Medical, Nuream, PS Solutions, SanaSolo, SBTDC, Scoutr, Tri-Tech Forensics

Event sponsors

Acme Smoked Fish, Blue Mind Coworking, Cape Fear Community College SBC, IVT Group, NC Biotech Center, NC EcoTech Prospective Engine, NC SeaGrant, Pope Foundation, PS Solutions, SBTDC, UNCW Center for Marine Science, UNCW Research Community in International Trade & Exchange (RCITE), Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI)

Event sponsors-In Kind

Apple Annie’s, EBD Professor Jay Schach, Islands Fresh Mex Grill, Mess Hall, Mimi and Papa’s Gourmet Popcorn and Homemade Ice Cream, Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington, PS Solutions, Tama Tea, The Wall Printer, UNCW Bookstore, UNCW Cameron School of Business, Yum Day

Since 2020 a dedicated group of local and regional innovators, business leaders, entrepreneurs, university faculty and researchers have worked together to form the Alliance for the Blue Economy. The goal is to create a transformative impact on the SE North Carolina, resulting in a sustainable economy that can thrive, even as the region prepares for growth. Recent All Blue Intern, Rebecca Morton, shares her experience below!

"Coming from a family of commercial fishermen, Local Catch was a good fit as it hit close to home. This experience was a firsthand look into the effort of owning a business. This summer, I worked with Landon, owner and founder of Local Catch, on a major app update. Throughout the last few months, Landon and I handled the marketing and communications of the ‘Always in Stock/Always in Need’ update. This included becoming proficient with Canva to make graphics for social media, print marketing materials, and sending emails to our partners. We also focused our efforts on customer discovery to overall increase utilization. The biggest challenge I faced this summer was finding the balance between this internship and working at the hospital - long days followed by coming home and still applying a creative flare. The most rewarding aspect of this internship has been seeing the small amounts of work we put in over time become part of something bigger, and that being published. That said, I have been really appreciative of working with Landon this summer and am excited to see what comes of this business!"

Michael Boch is a tenant here at CIE with Eminus Group. Eminus Group offers a simple but highly effective benchmarking software that helps CPAs firms, SMB consultants, and corporate stakeholders, to better view, manage and understand key metrics within their businesses.

Their solution provides turn-key, actionable insights that users can share with their clients or within their organization to deliver timely dashboards and identify potential problem areas and opportunities.

We are so thankful that Michael is part of the CIE community!

⬆️This could be you⬆️

CIE has offices available!

Why choose an office at CIE?

Dedication to Innovators’ Success: We’re more than just a space; we’re your partners in growth. Our mentoring programs, workshops, and networking events are tailored to propel your entrepreneurial success.
Quiet and Work-Friendly Offices: Silence is golden for productivity. Our offices are designed to minimize background noise, ensuring a serene environment for focused work.
24/7 Access: Entrepreneurs thrive on flexibility. Our coworking space provides round-the-clock access, allowing you to work whenever inspiration strikes.
Free Conference Room Reservations: Need a professional setting for meetings? Our conference rooms are at your disposal, free of charge, for collaborative sessions and client presentations.
Free Parking: Forget the hassle of hunting for parking spots. Our convenient location offers free parking just steps away from your workspace.

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. Ocean Innovation Conference

3. Another Body Movie Screening

3. NC IDEA Fall 2024 Grant Cycle

4. UNCW Student Scavenger Hunt

5. Universal Flu Vaccine Receives Funding

6. Thanks to our FY24 Sponsors!

7. All Blue Intern: Rebecca Morton

8. Tenant Spotlight: Michael Boch

9. Office Space Available

10. Upcoming Events - Register Today!

Welcome Wednesday

Student Scavenger Hunt

Wednesday, September 4th | 5:00pm

SBTDC's Taking the Leap

Apply Now for the SBTDC’s Taking the Leap to Kickstart Your Business Venture!

Ocean Innovation Conference

11. CIE in the News

Heather McWhorter - The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) at UNCW | Capone & Associates

12. Parting Thought