UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship - CIE

This week at 1MC painted blue! ☕️🌊🪸

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of hearing from Christy Swann with RCOAST and Thomas Marcinowski with Veterans Memorial Reef!

⏰LAST CHANCE - Join us next Wednesday at 9:00 a.m., in-person or online, for the final 1MC painted blue!

Way to go Seahawks!! 🎉👏

Seahawks Lead the Flock with 40 Under 40 Honors More than one-third of the names on the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce's annual 40 Under 40 list are Seahawks.

📣 Introducing Mauricio Mendoza and Karen Hathaway Viani, the inaugural CIE Mentor Co-Directors! 🎉

With their experience, leadership, and passion for supporting entrepreneurs, Karen and Mauricio will help strengthen the CIE Mentor Network and expand opportunities for founders to connect, learn, and grow.

Join us in giving them a warm CIE welcome! 👏

See you tomorrow!! ☕️

🌊 The impact of these Wilmington entrepreneurs is rippling around the world. This week for 1 Million Cups (turned Blue), we will be having RCoast and Veterans Memorial Reef present. Attend in person this Wednesday, June 17th from 9am - 10am at the UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

☕️ Bitty & Beaus Coffee sponsored by June Coast.

Wednesday, June 17th 2026
9am - 10am
UNCW CIE
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📣 We're thrilled to announce our 2026 Ocean Innovation Conference Keynote Speaker: Hanli Prinsloo!

A world-renowned freediver, ocean conservationist, storyteller, and founder of I AM WATER, Hanli has dedicated her life to exploring the ocean and inspiring others to protect it. Through her adventures, advocacy, and work connecting people with the underwater world, she has become one of the most influential voices in ocean conservation today. 🌎

Join us this fall as Hanli shares her remarkable journey, powerful insights, and vision for a deeper connection between people and the ocean.

Secure your spot today and be a part of the conversations shaping the future of our oceans!

🎟️ https://uncw.edu/research/centers/innovation-entrepreneurship/events-programs/programs/ocean-innovation/

🌊 The wait is almost over...

From exploring the depths of the ocean to inspiring communities around the globe to protect it, our 2026 Ocean Innovation Conference keynote speaker has dedicated her life to connecting people with the water that sustains us all. 🌎

👀 Stay tuned for the official keynote announcement, TOMORROW, Tuesday, June 16th!

aren’t slowing down and neither are we.

Preparations for the NC IDEA Fall 2026 Grant Cycle are already underway. Applications for the NC IDEA ($10K) and ($50K) grant programs open on 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟳.

If you're considering applying and want guidance on building a competitive application, we're here to help. While attendance is not required to apply, we 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙮 encourage founders to join one of our upcoming information sessions.

We'll cover:
✅ Grant program eligibility and requirements
✅ Application timelines and key deadlines
✅ Tips for submitting a stronger application directly from NC IDEA alumni
✅ Which funding opportunity may be right for your company

Upcoming Information Sessions:
📍 July 13 – Fall 2026 Grants Information Session Webinar
w/ Chip Kennedy of CivicReach ( and grantee)
https://bit.ly/4uAJjwy

📍 July 14 – Charlotte | Do Greater, Inc. | Sparkhouse Charlotte
w/ Toni Shub, Ed.D, OTR/L of QoreInsights ( grantee)
w/ Travis Mason of The Gamrly Company, Inc. ( grantee)
https://bit.ly/3S5xbGa

📍 July 15 – Asheville | Hatchworks Coworking
w/ Anthony Hernandez of Marla Amplification ( grantee)
w/ Katie-lynn McDonald of Full Moon Tea Company ( grantee)
https://bit.ly/3S8LCcw

📍 July 20 – Wilmington | UNCW CIE
w/ Robert S. Cooley, Jr. of Nuream ( grantee)
https://bit.ly/4fHmUd9

📍 July 21 – RTP | Frontier RTP
w/ Brennan Barber of Theralinq ( and grantee)
w/ Jeanine Fry of LOOM3D ( grantee)
https://bit.ly/44a7o28

📍 July 22 – Winston-Salem | Winston Starts
https://bit.ly/4xphnhH

This is your chance to meet some the NC IDEA team and learn directly from NC IDEA alumni! A special thank you to our partners for welcoming and hosting us.

That’s a wrap on another great Wilmington Innovation Forum! 👏💡

This session featured Dr. Alexander McDaniel, who shared a discussion on the Neck Strength Assessment Tool (NSAT), the patent process, and commercialization.

Thank you, Dr. Alexander McDaniel, and everyone who joined us and contributed to such a thoughtful discussion. We are also grateful to our Presenting Sponsor, NCInnovation, and Supporting Sponsor, UNCW Research and Innovation for helping make this series possible!

Register today for the next session on July 9th featuring Dr. Ulku Clark!

🔗 https://23622978.hs-sites.com/wilmingtoninnovation

Carolina Beach startup Skillmaker closes $4.5M seed round | WilmingtonBiz AI-based workforce training startup Skillmaker has officially closed its seed funding round with $4.5 million in total, an amount officials say is oversubscribed.  The Carolina Beach-based company plans to use the capital to continue deploying its auto tech training program in partnership with NAPA...

This week at 1MC painted blue! ☕️🌊☀️

Today, we had the pleasure of hearing from Reggie Hayes with Blue Horizon Innovations!

Join us next Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. as we continue celebrating World Oceans Month with inspiring stories, innovative ideas, and conversations around the blue economy.