The Libraries for Entrepreneurial Advancement Fellowship (LEAF) is Accepting Applications Through August 24th
DURHAM, NC – August 6, 2025 – NC IDEA, a private foundation committed to supporting entrepreneurial ambition and economic empowerment in North Carolina, announced today that the organization has launched The Libraries for Entrepreneurial Advancement Fellowship (LEAF), a groundbreaking fellowship program that values library staff and empowers them to support the entrepreneurs and small business owners in their communities. NC IDEA has partnered with NC LIVE and BLINC (Business Librarianship in North Carolina) in this effort.
“Libraries have done more good with less money than just about any other public service,” said Carlo Diy, Program Manager at NC IDEA. “Yet in North Carolina alone, public libraries are losing millions of dollars in federal funding. Now is the time for us to champion and invest in these critical institutions. Libraries are lifelong learning hubs and the foundational incubators of innovation,” Diy added.
LEAF is a two-and-a-half-day, in-person fellowship and skills-building event followed by eight weeks of virtual support. The cost of participation is covered 100% by NC IDEA to ensure accessibility for all library systems across the state. LEAF Fellows build up their confidence around business services and sharpen their skills with NC LIVE’s research tools. Fellows connect with North Carolina’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and receive full support from NC IDEA. This positions libraries to become even more vibrant hubs of entrepreneurial activity and support.
“LEAF Fellows return to their libraries with enhanced skills in business reference, deeper awareness of statewide resources, and a growing network of peer and partner support,” said Sarah Gransee, Director of Library Development at the State Library of North Carolina.
From May through July of this year, NC IDEA conducted a successful pilot with 15 librarians and library staff to help inform the formal rollout of the program. The first cohort will kick off its in-person portion of the program this September 24-26, 2025 in Hendersonville, NC, focused on libraries in the western part of the state. Over the next six months, two additional cohorts will be held in Central NC (December 2025) and Eastern NC (March 2026), targeting libraries in those respective regions of North Carolina. Applications are now open for the Western Cohort through August 24th. Learn more and apply at https://ncidea.org/nc-idea-mindset/.
“I have learned so much and gained such motivation and momentum to launch our library’s collaboration with the Small Business Center,” said Devin Ortiz-Hoffman, Librarian at Mitchell Community College and LEAF Pilot Participant. “I am looking forward to future opportunities to reconnect with and learn from our LEAF cohort,” Ortiz-Hoffman added.
About NC IDEA FOUNDATION
Celebrating its 20th year, NC IDEA is an independent private foundation committed to equitably empowering North Carolinians to achieve their entrepreneurial potential. Through our powerful combination of competitive grants and programs, and a network of strategic partners, we help entrepreneurs when they need it most. NC IDEA’s resources are highly competitive, enabling the foundation to support North Carolina’s most ambitious entrepreneurs. We believe entrepreneurs transform communities and view our work as a catalyst for positive change. Learn more at www.ncidea.org.
