CED (Center for Entrepreneurial Development)

Big news for the #Triangle. Dealroom.co is releasing its 2026 global ecosystem rankings — we got a sneak peek and the data tells a story worth sharing. #29 globally in the Global Champions ranking. Up two places from last year. For a region our size, that's solid progress. But the number that jumped out at me wasn't the headline rank. 176 Triangle founders are running companies valued at $100M or more — ranking us #17 in the world for alumni founder density. That's the #flywheel. local Founders, building here, and are now giving back — as mentors, investors, board members, and champions for the next generation. It's core to the culture here and what CED's Founders in Residence program is built around, and it's showing up in global data. The third thing worth noting is that our biotech cluster is booming. Liquidia Corporation, Kriya Therapeutics, Inc., and Areteia Therapeutics have all hit unicorn status in recent years. We have real momentum. And more work to do (early-stage risk captial, talent, etc.). More to come on how you can be part of that. #ResearchTriangle #Entrepreneurship #StartupEcosystem #CED #Dealroom North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBiotech), CED (Center for Entrepreneurial Development), Kelli Luginbuhl, Jed Carlson, Tyson Nargassans, Giles Shih, Alex Bloom, Karl Rectanus. Scott Uknes, Bill Spruill Laura Gunter, Bill Bullock, Mary Beth Thomas, Scott Levitan, Thom Ruhe, Abha Bowers, Hunter Young, Fred Hutchison, Charles Gaddy, Mary Wallace Hannon, Christopher Chung, John Hardin, Blake Stevens, Leah Townsend, PhD, Liam King, John Landers, Leonardo Williams, Janet Cowell, Joe Mancini, Brad Briner, Yoram Wijngaarde, Orla Browne, David Schwartz, Zachery Eanes, Lauren Ohnesorge, Maija Ehlinger

The full #grepapalooza 2026 lineup is here, and with that we wanted to highlight our awesome speakers and moderators! June 4 at the Durham Convention Center, we're bringing together founders and experts from across industries. Here's our panels and fireside chats: Building Robots While Everyone Else Chases Software: Andrew Ashur, Founder & CEO of Lucid Bots, in conversation with Chris Halligan of Good Human Partners on deploying AI and robotics on real job sites, fresh off a $20M Series B. The Founder Brand Playbook: Runbin Dong of Scale Social AI, Jessica Mitsch Homes of Vaco by Highspring, Ricci W. of Written Word Media — moderated by Abha Bowers of CED (Center for Entrepreneurial Development) From Building Big to Starting Fresh: Erkang Zheng, Founder & CEO of Ariso — moderated by Allison Wood of DaVinci Education State of Venture Fundraising: Founder Perspective: Lucy Shores Kosturko, PhD of Social Cascade, Robin Cowie of Skillmaker.AI, Alex Smereczniak of Franzy — moderated by Anna Tharrington of Hutchison PLLC Get your tickets now at grepapalooza.com or this link ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ewBtx6jB. See you June 4! 🚀 #grepapalooza #NCtech #startups #durham #founders

You've built (or are working on building) something great. But do you know exactly who you're selling to, why they should choose you, and how to reach them? If that question gives you pause, this workshop is for you. 📣 From Positioning to Pipeline: Know Your Customer, Craft Your Message, Fill Your Funnel This Thursday (May 21, 9:00–10:30 a.m.) at RTP, NC, CED (Center for Entrepreneurial Development) is hosting a hands-on workshop built for early-stage founders who want a real marketing strategy. You'll walk away with: ✅ A clear Ideal Customer Profile ✅ A competitive positioning and UVP you can actually use ✅ Messaging tailored to your buyers ✅ A customer acquisition roadmap ✅ A marketing channel strategy tied to your goals Plus, a follow-up virtual Office Hours on May 27 to apply what you've learned and get live feedback. Facilitated by Megan Thomas and Susan Wall, two operators who've built marketing engines for companies across B2B, B2C, FoodTech, software, and beyond. Spots are limited. RSVP here 👇 https://lnkd.in/eEWp6T4c #rtp #techfounder #workshop #education #startup

One of my favorite nights of the year is almost here. 🌱 On June 25th, CED (Center for Entrepreneurial Development)'s GRO11 Incubator cohort will take the stage at the NCCU School of Business for Demo Day — and this spring, they're competing for cash prizes, thanks to our Impact Investor, Regions Foundation. Five-minute pitches, a panel on the next generation of the startup ecosystem, and happy hour to close it out. If you're an investor, founder, ecosystem partner, or just someone who loves a good origin story — you'll want to be in the room. Register here: https://lnkd.in/eEGuzkB7 A special thank you to Tiyya Dunn, Katrece Boyd, CORA™, and LaTrisha Rushing, MBA for hosting us at North Carolina Central University! Preet Mankad Katie McCormack Natalie Matiel, MBA Katelin Wheeler JP Maloney Jay Bigelow Alex Bloom Abha Bowers Sanjana B. Hunter Young Yash Mehta

“Take the leap. Make the jump.” One of our favorite moments from our latest #FounderShares episode came from Abha Bowers talking about growth, discomfort, and having the courage to bet on yourself before you feel fully ready. We recorded this episode live during CED (Center for Entrepreneurial Development)'s Strength in Numbers (SIN) ahead of #VC26, and honestly, this collaboration captured exactly what makes this ecosystem special: people willing to build community, open doors, and encourage others to take the leap too. Excited to share more clips and conversations from the event over the next few days! #FounderShares #CED #VentureConnect #StartupCommunity #WomenInBusiness https://lnkd.in/e4feGkuf