Startups in Wilmington tend to have a love-hate relationship with the Triangle. Wilmington’s technology entrepreneur ecosystem benefits from its proximity to the Triangle, but its behemoth ecosystem dwarfs Wilmington's by comparison.    Tech talent and startups often leave Wilmington for the Triangle, among other cities, in search of more venture doll ...

When two Surf City dudes, Cody Leutgens and Steve Christian, realized the community they loved had a shortage of good, casual restaurants, they decided to address the situation.  They came up with Shaka Taco, a small taco joint selling fresh, locally sourced seafood. From that lowly beginning, Shaka Taco has expanded to three locations, each with a dedicated and gr ...

Kimberly Lupo started Portrett Pharmaceuticals after working in the contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) industry for several years.  She wanted to do something different with her company: Provide customer service beyond what was expected at other companies and offer a better work environment and mentorship for her employees.  She star ...

Adrienne Arrington-Kenion had a problem. Actually, a plethora of problems. Like something out of a Pepto commercial, she was struggling with heartburn, indigestion, an upset stomach and nausea. But over-the-counter medications did nothing to provide Arrington-Kenion with some relief. “I Googled what people use before medicine, and herbs is what came up. So I ...

After Stevie Burke lost a friend to an overdose, he committed himself to finishing what that friend had started – a platform for people struggling with addiction. As one of the founders and CEO of Clean Community Inc., Burke said he wants to decrease the glorification of drugs and alcohol on mobile devices, personal computers and other areas. “I am dedica ...

After medical school, most graduates move on to residency and specialization in the medical field. Morris Nguyen went into technology instead. Upon earning a master’s in business administration and a medical degree from the University of Michigan, Nguyen worked for medical device companies such as Edwards Lifesciences and Teleflex. “I really thought I cou ...

Lots of kids, and adults, enjoy collecting and trading sports cards. Matthew Ham Jr. (called Little Matt) had another idea. He turned his passion for sports cards into a profitable online business, Ham House Sports. Thirteen-year-old Little Matt got the idea after visiting a sports card shop on a family vacation. He enlisted his father, Matthew Ham Sr. (Big Matt), to be ...

Greenfield Energy officials want their company to address the challenges of an unpredictable coastal climate. As a result, they tested their new product – the HERO (Heat Exchanger Reliable Output) generator system – in Southeastern North Carolina. “This product is a result of the innovations formulated by our CEO Floyd Price as a solution to the pro ...

Since starting her company in 2023, Khalilah Olokunola of ReEngineering HR said she has been building fair-chance hiring strategies and redesigning HR practices to foster meaningful cultural shifts for companies’ most important asset – people. In the past year, Olokunola grew her headcount by 250%, broadened the company’s geographic footprint of client ...

In his final semester as a business student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Landon Hill received an assignment that would shape his early career. A business professor challenged Hill and his classmates to create a “data-oriented business concept that leveraged Wilmington’s strengths as a coastal community.” “Obviously, my brain ...