As part of our ‘Partner Spotlight’ series, we introduce our 2020 ECOSYSTEM partner, the Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington (NEW). NEW is dedicated to supporting coastal entrepreneurs across various industries by organizing educational events on sales and marketing, offering mentoring options, and maintaining consistent communication through a curated newsletter.
Describe your organization in 25 words or less.
The Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington (NEW) is a nurturing organization for Wilmington NC startups to connect entrepreneurs to resources so they can innovate, grow, and create jobs at the coast.
How does your organization support entrepreneurs?
Advocacy, GREAT educational events, mentors, preparation for capital and media relations / communications.
How has the NC IDEA ENGAGE grant helped your organization?
The NC IDEA ENGAGE grant helped with our regional and national media awareness as we hosted the editor of the Atlanta based Hypepotamus startup news site and newsletter. This was the 2nd most read article of the year for the site.
The same grant allowed us to invite and host the national PBS TV Show Start Up , who filmed FIVE episodes in Wilmington that were nominated for THREE Emmy Awards.
What advice would you give other organizations in acquiring funding?
Get involved in the state level committees at NC IDEA, NC Tech Association and CED to find opportunities for your entrepreneurs to raise their profile to find new investors and clients.
Realize that you may have to get some results in helping the entrepreneurs before the community provides financial sponsorship support.
The entrepreneurs care about MONEY. How can you HELP put more money in their hands? They want programming on Sales, marketing that leads to sales, how to find investors and some want help with grants.
Events need to be high energy, move at a fast pace and speak in the tone of the entrepreneurs.
Events must respect all three parts of the program. Events must respect the speakers, must respect the time of the audience and must stick to the topic of why the audience showed up. Sometimes, the speakers speak down to the audience of entrepreneurs, sometimes the audience gets loud with chatter while the speaker is volunteering their time and sometimes the speakers want to put on a sales pitch on stage instead of educating the audience.
Please share any collaborative partners or relationships your organization has either worked with in your community or within the broader NC entrepreneurial ecosystem. How do these partnerships strengthen your respective work and/or missions?
We work with the members of the Wilmington Small Business Coalition.
Published July 17, 2024
Submission Provided by: Jim Roberts (Founder)
As part of our ‘Partner Spotlight’ series, we introduce our 2020 ECOSYSTEM partner, the Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington (NEW). NEW is dedicated to supporting coastal entrepreneurs across various industries by organizing educational events on sales and marketing, offering mentoring options, and maintaining consistent communication through a curated newsletter.
Describe your organization in 25 words or less.
The Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington (NEW) is a nurturing organization for Wilmington NC startups to connect entrepreneurs to resources so they can innovate, grow, and create jobs at the coast.
How does your organization support entrepreneurs?
Advocacy, GREAT educational events, mentors, preparation for capital and media relations / communications.
How has the NC IDEA ENGAGE grant helped your organization?
The NC IDEA ENGAGE grant helped with our regional and national media awareness as we hosted the editor of the Atlanta based Hypepotamus startup news site and newsletter. This was the 2nd most read article of the year for the site.
The same grant allowed us to invite and host the national PBS TV Show Start Up , who filmed FIVE episodes in Wilmington that were nominated for THREE Emmy Awards.
What advice would you give other organizations in acquiring funding?
Get involved in the state level committees at NC IDEA, NC Tech Association and CED to find opportunities for your entrepreneurs to raise their profile to find new investors and clients.
Realize that you may have to get some results in helping the entrepreneurs before the community provides financial sponsorship support.
The entrepreneurs care about MONEY. How can you HELP put more money in their hands? They want programming on Sales, marketing that leads to sales, how to find investors and some want help with grants.
Events need to be high energy, move at a fast pace and speak in the tone of the entrepreneurs.
Events must respect all three parts of the program. Events must respect the speakers, must respect the time of the audience and must stick to the topic of why the audience showed up. Sometimes, the speakers speak down to the audience of entrepreneurs, sometimes the audience gets loud with chatter while the speaker is volunteering their time and sometimes the speakers want to put on a sales pitch on stage instead of educating the audience.
Please share any collaborative partners or relationships your organization has either worked with in your community or within the broader NC entrepreneurial ecosystem. How do these partnerships strengthen your respective work and/or missions?
We work with the members of the Wilmington Small Business Coalition.
Published July 17, 2024
Submission Provided by: Jim Roberts (Founder)
