NC IDEA expands ecosystem network with 15 new partnership grants 

 NC IDEA announced on Friday 15 new partnerships through the organization’s ECOSYSTEM program at the Foundation’s 2021 Ecosystem Summit.

The partnerships, known as regional impact grants, are meant to “further strengthen the infrastructure supporting North Carolina entrepreneurs,” said Ruhe.

The grant program from NC IDEA required at least two organizations within a regional entrepreneurial ecosystem to collaborate on a program supporting entrepreneurs that were building scalable businesses, with a goal of spurring and strengthening collaboration and resource sharing within regions across the state.  Several such partnerships were funded under the leadership of the North Carolina Black Entrepreneurship Council, NC BEC, said NC IDEA, due to the focus on elevating black entrepreneurship in the selected region.

According to NC IDEA, the recipients of the ECOSYSTEM grants are:

Statewide

• ACCESS Center for Equity + Success and Knox St. Studios
• Black Girl Magic Market and The Wright Village and National Coalition of Black Women Rising and City of Asheville Business Inclusion Office
• First Flight Venture Center and NCSU Industry Expansion Solution/NC Manufacturing Extension Partnership
• WE Power Food and NC NIK

Charlotte/Central Piedmont Region

• Davidson County Community College Small Business Center and Venture Asheboro and City of Thomasville and City of Lexington
• Jay Hurt Hub for Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Launch LKN and First Turn Innovations

Eastern NC Region

• Crisp Small Business Resource Center and Campbell University
• Nash County Community College Small Business Center and Nash County Economic Development

Piedmont Triad Region

• HUSTLE Winston-Salem and Flywheel Foundation

Research Triangle Region

• Central Carolina Community College Small Business Center and Innovate Carolina

Western NC/Mountains Region

• Boundless Impact and Western NC Community College’s Small Business Network
• Corporation for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and WCU Rapid Prototype Development Center
• GRIND, LLC and Eagle Market Streets Development Corporation
• Warrior Moms and The Sequoyah Fund

Wilmington/Coastal NC and Sandhills Region

• Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington and UNCW CIE and UNCP Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub

Source: NC IDEA expands ecosystem network with 15 new partnership grants | WRAL TechWire