2019 Summit

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

• 8:00am – 9:00am
  Registration and Continental Breakfast
• 9:00am – 9:15am
  Welcoming Remarks
  > Thom Ruhe, President and CEO, NC IDEA FOUNDATION
  > Patti Gillenwater, President and CEO, Elinvar; Board Chair, NC IDEA FOUNDATION
• 9:15am – 9:35am
  Opening Remarks
  > The Honorable Roy Cooper, Governor of North Carolina
• 9:35am – 10:20am
  Featured Session: What School Could Be
  Our increasingly-innovative world poses new challenges and opportunities for our youth, and profoundly changes the skillsets and mindsets they need to thrive. We owe it to our kids to provide them with the kinds of learning experiences that prepare them for their futures and empower them to lead lives of purpose. But too often, our education policies and priorities impair — instead of elevate — the life prospects of our kids.
  > Ted Dintersmith, Author + Education Change Agent
• 10:20am – 11:20am
  Featured Session: All Together Now | Creating Inclusive Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
  The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in North Carolina’s 100 counties. Opportunity, however, is not evenly distributed. An inclusive ecosystem starts with a deep understanding of the challenges that face underserved entrepreneurs and a new approach to distributing access to resources. Hear from the Executive Director of the flagship Minority Business Accelerator program at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber followed by an engaging panel discussion.
  > Featured Speaker: Darrin M. Redus, Sr., Vice President/Executive Director, Minority Business Accelerator, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber
  Featured Panelists:
  > Moderator: Dee McDougal, Senior Vice President, Diversity + Inclusion, Pacific Western Bank
  > José Alvarez, Vice President, Prospera USA
  > Darrin M. Redus, Sr., Vice President/Executive Director, Minority Business Accelerator, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber
• 11:20am – 11:35pm
  Break: Transition to Breakout Sessions
• 11:35pm – 12:35pm
• Breakout Sessions: Expanding Entrepreneurship

  Beyond the Usual Suspects | Capital Ideas for the Earliest Stages
  Few businesses are venture backable in their earliest stages — but they still require capital to grow. Though often overlooked, North Carolina boasts many alternative paths to funding for the state’s most ambitious entrepreneurs and promising startups.
  > Moderator: Wilson Lester, Executive Director, Piedmont Business Capital
  > Jonathan Brereton, Executive Director, Thread Capital
  > Benji Jones, Co-Founder, Innovate Capital Law
  > Matt Raker, Assistant Director, Mountain BizWorks

• Stepping Up | Entrepreneur-Led Ecosystem Initiatives
  Entrepreneurs are by their very nature problem solvers — they see a need and develop a solution. When this entrepreneurial mindset is applied at an ecosystem level, communities are born and new sectors of the economy can emerge. We can all learn a thing or two from entrepreneur driven initiatives.
  > Moderator: Jim Roberts, Founder, Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington
  > Tom Dempsey, CEO, SylvanSport
  > Margaret McNab, Co-Founder and Organizer, The Freelance League of North Carolina
  > Sara Chester, Executive Co-Director, The Industrial Commons
• Building Tech Beyond the Triangle
  The Triangle is a great place to grow a tech company in North Carolina, but it’s not the only place. Hear first-hand what it’s like to grow a successful startup outside of the state’s biggest tech hub — advantages, challenges and all.
  > Moderator: Jeffrey Scott, Startup High Country
  > Pete Catoe, CEO & President, ECRS
  > Kurt Taylor, CEO, Untappd
  > Luke Walling, Founder, Temprano Techvestors
• New Possibilities | Exposing Veterans to Entrepreneurship
  Entrepreneurship presents an alternative career path for veterans and transitioning service members. Yet too often the option is ruled out. This panel explores ways to ensure veterans have the resources and community they need to explore and fulfill their entrepreneurial potential.
  > Moderator: Mary Nelson, CEO, Neli
  > Dean Bundschu, Atlantic Regional Executive Director, Bunker Labs
  > Tim Horan, Co-Founder, Veteran Capital
  > Dave Neal, Managing Director, Accelerant Ventures
• 12:35pm – 1:35pm
  Networking Lunch
  Special Presentation: The Impact of the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program
  > Naomi Blackwell, 9th Grader, St. Pauls High School; Ice House Participant and Cohort Final Pitch Competition Winner as 8th Grader at CIS Academy Charter School
• 1:35pm – 2:20pm
  Featured Session: Straight Out of School | Activating a New Generation of Entrepreneurs
  Once the path less traveled, entrepreneurship has become a viable career strategy for recent graduates. Learn how the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship and Venture for America are preparing college presidents, educators and young professionals for startup success.
  > Rebecca A. Corbin, Ed.D., President & CEO, NACCE
  > Amy Nelson, CEO, Venture for America
• 2:20pm – 2:35pm
  Break: Transition to Breakout Sessions
• 2:35pm – 3:35pm
  Breakout Sessions: Activating Entrepreneurship
• Ready for The Real World | Universities & Entrepreneurship
  North Carolina universities are arming their students for startup success. In addition to developing innovative curriculum for future entrepreneurs, our state’s leading academic institutions are increasingly focused on connecting students with real world experiences after graduation.
  > Moderator: Vickie Gibbs, Executive Director, Kenan-Flagler Business School Entrepreneurship Center
  > Michael Harris, J. Fielding Miller Distinguished Professor and Director, Miller School of Entrepreneurship at ECU
  > Lewis Sheats, Assistant Vice Provost and Executive Director, NCSU Entrepreneurship Clinic
  > Thaddeus McEwen, Professor, Department of Management and Interim Director, Center of Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation North Carolina A&T State University
• Community Colleges Embracing Entrepreneurship
  An entrepreneurial mindset is key to opportunity. It’s an essential skill that North Carolina Community Colleges are encouraging with special programs. This session explores strategies for promoting entrepreneurship through the community college system.
  > Moderator: Anne Shaw, State Director, Small Business Center Network , North Carolna Community College System
  > Katie Gailes, Director of Entrepreneurship Initiatives, Wake Technical Communtiy College
  > Michael McDonald, Client Services Manager, Blue Ridge Food Ventures
  > Dan St.Louis, Executive Director, Manufacturing Solutions Center
  > Stuart Weismiller, Founder, Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund
• Getting There | Engaging Non-Traditional Entrepreneurs
  The world is changing and everyone needs to start thinking like an entrepreneur. Even if they don’t fit the traditional definition of an entrepreneur. Meet the next wave of community leaders who are modeling an entrepreneurial path to wealth generation.
  > Moderator: Geraud Staton, Executive Director, Helius Foundation
  > Duncan Smith, Chief Public Library Strategist, EBSCO Publishing
  > Tom Bennett, Vice President of Public Affairs, Eastern North Carolina, Brian Hamilton Foundation
• The Kids Can Too | K-12 Programs for Youth Entrepreneurs
  Entrepreneurship isn’t just for adults! Programs across the state are engaging entrepreneurs starting as early as elementary school. Learn how these transformational programs are inspiring a new generation of young people to see and seize the opportunities around them.
  > Moderator: Leland Davis, Department of Engineering and Entrepreneurship, Discovery Charter School
  > Manuel Hernandez, Program and Communications Lead, Audacity Labs
  > Anne Jones, Co-Founder, District C
  > Garrett Hinshaw, Ed.D., President, Catawba Valley Community College
• 3:35pm – 3:45pm
  Break: Transition to Featured Session
• 3:45pm – 4:05pm
  Featured Session: Policies and Programs That *Actually* Drive Entrepreneurship
  After 30+ years of success in the public and private sector, Thomas Stith knows what it takes to drive growth and achieve policy goals. And it’s access to resources that makes all the difference. Hear North Carolina’s newly sworn-in District Director for the U.S. Small Business Administration share his vision for expanding access to these critical resources for the benefit of entrepreneurs.
  > Thomas A. Stith III, Director, North Carolina District, U.S. Small Business Administration
• 4:05pm – 4:50pm
  Featured Panel Session: The Case for Rural Entrepreneurs
  Entrepreneurship is blooming from the Coast to the Piedmont. A common thread in this promising trend is the collaboration across government, business and education. Take note as community leaders share lessons learned and what they have been able to achieve.
  > Moderator: Barry Ryan, Vice President, The Rural Center
  > Will Aycock, General Manager, Greenlight Community Broadband
  > Tom Hall, Executive Director, Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub at UNC Pembroke
  > Freddie Killough, Executive Director, Marion Business Association
  > Rachel Withrow, Owner, The Crooked Door Coffee House
• 4:50pm – 5:00pm
  Closing Remarks
  > Thom Ruhe, President and CEO, NC IDEA FOUNDATION