With every grant cycle we get a snapshot of the entrepreneurial potential within the state of North Carolina, and it is a promising picture. We continue to see bright folks from a variety of fields pursuing ideas of high potential, whilst building the companies that will create tomorrow’s economic prosperity for the state.
We constantly assess our programs and work hard to understand the impact of our work in furtherance of our charitable purpose to expand entrepreneurial opportunities for North Carolinians. We do this because we know that entrepreneurship, namely supporting more people starting and growing companies, positively impacts communities in deep and lasting ways.
This round of grant recipients illustrates this potential while highlighting the breadth of diverse industries within our state. Couple this with a growing statewide ecosystem supporting entrepreneurs and you have the ingredients to do great things.
To be certain, we continue to grapple with questions like: how we might spur more engagement from outside the Triangle? By the way, email me if you have ideas. But I am encouraged by the dynamism of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and am confident it is only going to continue to get stronger and distinguish the state in wonderful ways.
May 18, 2017
Written by NC IDEA President & CEO, Thom Ruhe
