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

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

What you'll read:

1. Ocean Innovation Conference Recap

2. UNCW Student Scavenger Hunt Recap

3. Cape Fear MED Week

4. Seahawk Innovation Challenge

5. Global Entrepreneur Week

6. Tenant Spotlight: Adam McCombs

7. Office Space Available

8. Upcoming Events - Register Today

9. CIE in the News

10. Parting Thought

1. Ocean Innovation Conference Recap

Thank you all for participating in the 2024 Ocean Innovation Conference! Day 1 featured incredible talks from our Keynote Speakers Mark Huang and Susan Casey and four panels. Each panel gave great insight into the current landscape of the Blue Economy and ideas for how to expand it within North Carolina. Themes of community engagement, innovative solutions, institutional collaboration, and smart development were continuously emphasized throughout the event.

2. UNCW Student Scavenger Hunt Recap

Hello UNCW Seahawks! A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in our thrilling annual CIE X EBD Club Student Scavenger Hunt held from August 26th to September 4th. Students ventured to various locations across campus, discovering the vast array of entrepreneurial resources UNCW offers such as the SBTDC, Discovery Hall, and Randall Hall. The excitement culminated on September 4th with a grand finale that featured a pizza party and a raffle brimming with prizes from our generous local businesses.

A huge thank you to all our sponsors who have made this exciting event possible for our students!

3. Cape Fear MED Week

Join us for Cape Fear's Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week, a dynamic series of programs and inspiring outreach events. This is more than just a week - it's a grand celebration! It's our moment to honor the achievements of minority entrepreneurs and proudly affirm the steadfast dedication of government agencies, business leaders, and community advocates to the core value of equal opportunity.

One such event is the Seahawk Connect Job and Internship Mixer on October 8th at the UNCW library. Hosted by the UNCW Career Center, Cameron School of Business, and the CIE, this event offers UNCW students an invaluable opportunity to network with and gain insights from successful local alumni business owners. Enjoy complimentary appetizers and refreshments while you mingle. But don't delay—space is limited, and registration closes on October 4th or as soon as capacity is reached. Register for the mixer as a student here, or, register as an alumni here.

4. Seahawk Innovation Challenge

The 2024 Seahawk Innovation Challenge continues! This challenge aims to inspire inventive, cross-disciplinary concepts from UNCW's imaginative and entrepreneurial students.

Starting in September, UNCW undergraduate students began submitting their groundbreaking ideas, with the top advancing to the mentorship round. These students will be paired with mentors from UNCW's CIE, who will provide invaluable guidance rooted in design thinking, lean startup principles, and Ice House Principles.

Following this mentorship, the ideas will be showcased in a dynamic "trade show" competition, where the entire UNCW community, including students, faculty, staff, and local members, will cast their votes for the most promising concepts on Tuesday, October 22nd. The top three innovators will then progress to an exhilarating rapid-pitch event on October 29th, presenting their ideas in just six minutes and fielding questions from our panel of judges. The best three ideas will be awarded a cash prize!

5. GEW Wilmington

Get ready for Global Entrepreneur Week (GEW) Wilmington coming up next month, where we will be celebrating this city's entrepreneurial ecosystem. This will be done through events, programs, panels, and chances to network, such as One Million Cups, Mentor Madness, Small Business Holiday Bazaar, and more. So please join us the November 18th through the 24th! Be sure to check out events the week prior as well, such as the Womenpreneur!

6. Tenant Spotlight: Adam McCombs

Adam is a founder and executive with over 15 years of experience leading cross-functional teams in product development, design, and engineering. His expertise lies in planning, building, and managing cutting-edge SaaS platforms. Before launching his entrepreneurial journey, Adam honed his skills as a senior product manager at Cisco Systems, Inc. 

In 2008, he founded JumpForward, a startup that quickly gained traction and was successfully acquired by Vista Equity Partners in 2016. Adam holds an undergraduate degree in Accounting and Management Information Systems (MIS) from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, and an MBA from the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. 

Last year, Adam was awarded Patent 11,610,445 for the "Automatic Distribution of Access Control Credentials Based on a Task." After a successful 3.5-year tenure as Chief Product Officer (CPO) at Vantaca, Adam made the decision to transition to a new role in May as CPO at the Center for Internet Security (CIS), a non-profit organization based in New York focusing on "creating confidence in the connected world".

10. Office Space Available

⬆️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!

11. Upcoming Events - Register Today!

1 Million Cups Wilmington

Every Wednesday at 9:00 AM, entrepreneurs and the community gather to hear from one to two entrepreneurs and provide them with feedback or connections to help them with their business. If you are an entrepreneur and have been in business for less than 5 years, please visit the website and apply to present.

MED Week Job and Internship Mixer

Tuesday, October 8 | 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM

Hosted by the UNCW Career Center, Cameron School of Business, and the CIE, UNCW students will connect with and learn from local alumni business owners. The event is part of Cape Fear Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week. Complimentary appetizers and refreshments will be provided. This event has limited capacity. Registration is open until October 1 or when capacity is reached.

Welcome Wednesday

Wednesday, October 9th | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Visitors, welcome! CIE staff will be available all day to provide tours of our facility, to answer questions about CIE or UNCW, and to connect you to programs and ecosystem partners. As a bonus there will be free coworking all day for entrepreneurs and NO registration is required!

12. CIE in the News

• Tech Wilmington: Upcoming Events
• UNCW Conference to Focus on Ocean-Related Economic Opportunities
• UNCW to Host Second Annual Ocean Innovation Conference
• UNCW Blue Economy Index rises 3.07% during August | Coastal Review
• Heather McWhorter's Sea Of Possibilities
• Details announced for Minority Enterprise Development week
• Blue Economy Index Blends Academics, Science, Business | UNCW

13. Parting Thought

“Startups aren’t bound by paradigms.”

  - Mark Huang