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About Us

WE EMPOWER NORTH CAROLINIANS TO ACHIEVE THEIR ENTREPRENEURIAL POTENTIAL​

OUR MISSION

Strengthen the economy of North Carolina through a strategic combination of grants and programs, deployed directly and through a network of partners, in furtherance of our Vision to help people achieve their entrepreneurial potential.

NC IDEA is an independent private, 501(c)(3) foundation whose vision is to help North Carolinians achieve their entrepreneurial ambition to start and grow high potential companies. NC IDEA fosters sustainable economic development with competitive grants and programs for entrepreneurs and funding to strengthen the North Carolina entrepreneurial ecosystem. NC IDEA offers grant funding and support on the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

core values

ENTREPRENEURIAL

We foster innovation and challenge the status quo.

EQUITABLE

We prioritize diversity, inclusivity, and collaboration.

AMBITIOUS

We believe in taking risks and maintaining resilience in the face of adversity.

CATALYTIC

We lead and inspire new thinking in economic development.

CANDID

We engage in communication that is respectful, transparent and direct.

IMPACTFUL

We measure success by the value we create for our constituents.

HISTORY

Follow our progression to empower North Carolinians to achieve their entrepreneurial potential

HISTORY

Follow our progression to empower North Carolinians to achieve their entrepreneurial potential

NC BEC

Learn about the work being done to address the challenges of Black entrepreneurship in NC

NC BEC

Learn about the work being done to address the challenges of Black entrepreneurship in NC

COMPANIES

Meet the innovative companies who have received grants since our inception in 2006

COMPANIES

Meet the innovative companies who have received grants since our inception in 2006

PARTNERS

Meet the grant recipients who share our goal of advancing entrepreneurship in NC

PARTNERS

Meet the grant recipients who share our goal of advancing entrepreneurship in NC

Our Impact

$23+ MILLION IN GRANTS AWARDED

NC IDEA’s work focuses on the simple but powerful goal of expanding North Carolina’s economic development efforts via entrepreneurship, namely, empowering more people to pursue their entrepreneurial ambition to start and grow high potential companies, while realizing such actions’ economic benefits. Our activities reflect an investment in the potential to grow, from within the State, the companies that will create the jobs and wealth that strengthen the economy and build diverse communities.

MEET THE TEAM

The team at NC IDEA shares the vision and values of the ecosystem we serve. We value collaboration, both with each other, and within the broader community.

Amy Bastian Color WEB

Amy Bastian

VP, Grants & Programs
Leigh Blancato

Leigh Blancato

Program Manager
Andrea Cook Color WEB

Andrea Cook

Sr. Director, Marketing
Carlo Diy - Headshot

Carlo Diy

Program Manager
Sarah Mixter Color WEB

Sarah Mixter

Director, Ecosystem Engagement
Ben Redding Color WEB

Ben Redding

Chief Financial Officer
Cristhian Rodriguez Color WEB

Cristhian Rodriguez

Marketing Manager
Thom Ruhe

Thom Ruhe

President & CEO
Barry Ryan Color WEB

Barry Ryan

Sr. Director, Strategic Partnerships
Allan Younger Color WEB

Allan Younger

Sr. Director, Programs

ENTREPRENEURS
IN RESIDENCE

NC IDEA proudly hosts four regional EIRs through its partnership with NCInnovation to advance university technology commercialization across the state.

Christopher B Kelly

Christopher Kelly

East Regional EIR
Paula Pingel

Paula Pingel

Charlotte Regional EIR
Frank Pollock

Frank Pollock

Piedmont Regional EIR
Kym Verhovshek

Kym Verhovshek

West Regional EIR
Board of Directors
Fellows and Interns

STAY IN THE KNOW!

CONTACT

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CONTACT

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Amy Bastian

Vice President, Grants and Programs

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Amy serves as the Vice President of Grants and Programs at NC IDEA, where her primary responsibilities are managing the NC IDEA SEED and NC IDEA MICRO grant programs.

Prior to NC IDEA, Amy Bastian served as Director of Analytics and Testing for The Nature Conservancy. There she developed and led the Marketing Department’s digital analytics and website testing programs, with a focus on developing well-defined business goals and providing actionable insights leveraging qualitative and quantitative data. Amy was also an Account Director at Blackbaud and the Membership Director of KCRW public radio.

Amy received an MPH in Biostatistics from University of California, Los Angeles and a B.S. in Journalism with a double major in Economics from University of Maryland, College Park. She is a member of Durham Habitat for Humanity’s Family Selection Committee and part of the leadership team for 100 Women Who Give a Hoot: Chapel Hill/ Durham. She is also an NC IDEA MINDSET certified facilitator of the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program.

Amy has set aside time on Friday mornings to answer questions about NC IDEA MICRO and NC IDEA SEED. Schedule a time with Amy here. 

Leigh Blancato

Program Manager

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Leigh serves as a Program Manager at NC IDEA where she provides support to the MICRO and SEED grant programs.

Prior to joining the NC IDEA team, Leigh worked at a number of nonprofit organizations with a focus on hunger relief. Previously, she spent 5 years at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee managing federal food assistance programs and community partnerships. Most recently, Leigh supported the development and fundraising efforts at Inter-Faith Food Shuttle in Raleigh.

Leigh has a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Global Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Andrea Cook

Senior Director

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Andrea serves as Senior Director at NC IDEA and manages the Foundation’s marketing activities and operations. She has been with NC IDEA since 2010 and has been actively involved in North Carolina’s entrepreneurial ecosystem for over 18 years serving in various roles within well-known and respected entrepreneurial support organizations, investment partnerships and professional services firms.

Prior to NC IDEA, Andrea served as Director of Marketing and Business Development at Hutchison PLLC. Prior to Hutchison PLLC, Andrea held various roles at the Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED), including Director of Outreach and Initiatives and Director of Conferences. Toward the beginning of her career, Andrea spent several years as the Marketing Communications Director at Intersouth Partners, a prominent venture capital firm investing throughout the Southeast.

Andrea received a B.A. in Journalism and a Minor in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has served on the boards of the Visual Art Exchange and EntreDot.

Carlo Diy

Program Manager

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Carlo serves as Program Manager at NC IDEA. He is also an NC IDEA MINDSET certified facilitator of the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program. In this role he oversees the NC IDEA MINDSET program and its deployment throughout the state.

Prior to NC IDEA, Carlo founded and grew HaitiHub.com – a language learning company and social enterprise that helps people learn the Haitian Creole language so they can do more effective humanitarian aid work in Haiti. Drawing on his own entrepreneurial experience and love for education, Carlo taught high school entrepreneurship for several years in Durham Public Schools and wrote curriculum for COMPTIA among other organizations.

Carlo received a Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from Duke University and a B.A. in English from Pomona College.

Sarah Mixter

Director, Ecosystem Engagement

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Sarah serves as Director of Ecosystem Engagement at NC IDEA where she oversees the NC IDEA ENGAGE grant program and directs event activities for the organization. Previously, Sarah was the Program Manager at NC IDEA supporting logistics and operations for its various programs.

Before working at NC IDEA, Sarah worked for Carolina Performing Arts where she directed front of house operations and event logistics for over 200 yearly events at Memorial Hall, Gerrard Hall and Historic Playmaker’s Theater on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus. Sarah also participated in the planning and execution of university events, including commencement ceremonies, VIP receptions and student group performances. During this time, she completed Venue Management School through The International Association of Venue Managers and managed a staff of 50 student ushers.

Sarah has her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Latin American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Ben Redding

Chief Financial Officer

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Ben is the Chief Financial Officer at NC IDEA where he oversees the day-to-day management of the Foundation’s financial activities. He also manages the NC IDEA ECOSYSTEM grant program working with partners throughout the state who share in our vision to maximize the economic potential of the people of North Carolina.

Prior to NC IDEA, Ben founded WellScale with the goal of creating a technology platform to facilitate smooth successful business exits, allowing business owners to transition their ownership to company acquirers in an optimized fashion. While testing his idea, Ben participated in NC IDEA LABS.

During his career Ben has served in senior Finance roles in private equity and for multiple growing firms, including well-known Triangle companies such as Counter Culture Coffee and iContact. His background includes working with teams to assess and adapt company direction, create infrastructure for scale, and buy/grow/sell companies; along the way he has worked to optimize capital structures, obtain growth financing, and execute sell-side transaction initiatives in both fast-growth and declining multi-location firms.

Ben received his Juris Doctor, MBA, and BSBA in Finance all from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Cristhian Rodriguez

Marketing Manager

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Cristhian serves as the Marketing Manager at NC IDEA. In this role, he helps amplify the great work of partners and entrepreneurs. He ensures marketing compliance and consistency with regard to NC IDEA branding. Additionally, he manages all NC IDEA social media while assisting with event coordination.

Prior to NC IDEA, Cristhian was the Marketing Intern for Boss Consulting HR, LLC. There he managed social media accounts and created marketing campaigns to showcase the organization’s services. He maintained the business website and presented estimates on merchandising branding for clients. During this time, he was also a full-time student and had a student-employment position. Cristhian was also a Fellowship Project Intern for The Gratitude Network, where he created promotional content and reviewed applicant eligibility. He is also an NC IDEA MINDSET certified facilitator of the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program.

Cristhian received his Bachelor of Science in Communication and Sociology with a minor in Business Information Systems from Eastern Connecticut State University.

Thom Ruhe

President & CEO

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Thom is President and CEO of NC IDEA. He is an entrepreneur, investor, mentor and works with entrepreneurs, governments, universities and NGOs around the world to embrace the entrepreneurial mindset needed to grow vibrant economies.

During his seven-year tenure at the Kauffman Foundation, he directed the Foundation’s programs addressing entrepreneurial education, mentoring, access to capital and fostering entrepreneurial ecosystems. Thom also led Kauffman Labs for Enterprise Creation, a school dedicated to advancing community deployed experiential-based entrepreneurial education.

Thom has served on the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council for Entrepreneurship, addressed the United Nations Assembly on Entrepreneurship, lectured at conferences around the world and serves on multiple boards including Innovation Fund America and the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at the University of North Carolina. He is also an NC IDEA MINDSET certified facilitator of the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program

Barry Ryan

Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships

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Barry serves as Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at NC IDEA.  In his role, he leads the Foundation’s efforts to secure new resources and leverage the impact of its work helping the people of North Carolina achieve their entrepreneurial potential. 

Prior to NC IDEA, Barry served for 14 years at the Rural Center, most recently as Senior Vice President of Strategy & Small Business Capital.  While at the Rural Center, he played a leading role in the launch of Thread Capital, a nonprofit small business lender and Community Development Financial Institution. He also supported the formation of CornerSquare Community Capital, in partnership with Truist Bank, serving Community Development Financial Institutions in a 17-state footprint.  In response to the Covid-19 Pandemic, he led a coalition of eight lenders and dozens of supporting partners to secure and deploy over $100 million in recovery funds to affected businesses. 

A longtime supporter of North Carolina’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, he has contributed to initiatives in in small business lending and investment, entrepreneurship education, community engagement, entrepreneur-led advocacy, workforce development, and disaster recovery. Barry received a B.S. in Business and Economics from Winthrop University.

Allan Younger

Senior Director

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Allan is the Senior Director of Programs at NC IDEA where he leads the Foundation’s programmatic priorities and partnerships. He oversees program development and management for all entrepreneur programming; including the Foundation’s NC IDEA LABS customer discovery curriculum, programmatic support for NC IDEA MICRO grant recipients and deployment of the Ice House curriculum through NC IDEA MINDSET.

Prior to NC IDEA, Allan served as the Director of the Small Business Center at Forsyth Technical Community College located in Winston-Salem, NC where he was responsible for strengthening operations and services, enhancing support to small businesses and providing community advocacy. Previously, Allan was a Business Counselor at the Small Business and Technology Development Center. He also served in several roles at GE Capital. Allan currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at Winston-Salem State University and previously served as Adjunct Professor at Carolina Christian College, Forsyth Technical Community College and Salem College.

Allan received his MBA from Winston-Salem State University and a B.A. in Economics and Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Allan is available for 15-minute appointments for those interested in discussing their existing or prospective businesses.  Schedule a time with Allan here. 

Christopher Kelly

East Regional EIR

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Christopher B. Kelly is a senior executive with more than 25 years of experience in general management, corporate development, finance, and global operations. He has started several companies and been recruited by startup boards to drive growth efforts.

Chris co-founded Xlibris Corporation, the first self-publishing technology company which was sold to Penguin Random House. As CEO he led Ribonomics, a Duke biotech company that was sold to MBL International. He co-founded Galaxy Diagnostics, an infectious disease company spun out of NC State’s veterinary school.

Chris is a veteran of more than 70 strategic transactions and acquisitions across four continents in industries as diverse as drug discovery, digital therapeutics, diagnostics, composite materials, agtech and medical devices. He began his career at Deloitte, and held senior finance and operations roles at Alco Standard and Oracle Corporation. He has earned degrees from Villanova University and the University of North Carolina.

Paula Pingel

Charlotte Regional EIR

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Paula Pingel, MS, MBA, leverages three decades of global expertise in business development, strategic planning, commercialization, marketing, and operations. She excels in launching products, services, and startups while crafting innovative strategies for both for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Her diverse experience spans industries such as healthcare, energy, digital imaging, pharmaceuticals, and consumer products across regions including the U.S., Canada, Japan, China, the UK, Southern Ireland, and South America. With expertise across fourteen functional areas, Paula delivers impactful solutions that drive growth and innovation. She holds an Executive MBA from the University of Rochester, an MS in Industrial Hygiene/Toxicology, and a BS in Pre-Medicine. Based in Weddington, NC, Paula enjoys reading, movies, scriptwriting, and spending time with her husband and three children.

Frank Pollock

Piedmont Regional EIR

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For more than 25 years, Frank has worked at the intersection of marketing, innovation, and strategy. In addition to serving as the Piedmont Regional EIR for NC IDEA, he is the Chief Marketing Officer/Co-Founder at Home Lending Pal and Chief Marketing Officer at BlueRecruit. Frank was part of the initial application review team for NC Innovation and he has participated in the NC IDEA grant process for 8 years. When he isn’t working, you can find him in front of a TV yelling as his beloved Tar Heels play college basketball.

Kym Verhovshek

West Regional EIR

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Kym is dedicated to growth and scalability across for-profit and nonprofit sectors, from startups to publicly traded companies. With expertise in building and leading high-performance teams, Kym leverages her passion for cultivating strategic partnerships to empower organizations to create innovative, sustainable solutions.

Kym’s global health and wellness industry work includes enhancing brand presence for Nordic Naturals and Genova Diagnostics, where she drove operational efficiency through localized marketing, refined logistics and a commitment to consultative customer service.

Her passion for building and leveraging brands originated in the creation of tailored advertising and integrated sponsorship opportunities, partnership marketing and co-branded events during the fusion of MTV/MTV2.

Kym’s non-profit efforts are focused on increasing grant programs, individual and planned giving, and growing corporate and community partnerships, while enhancing membership retention and growth.