Charlotte’s Burgeoning Entrepreneurship Scene Is Now In Play

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This week may prove to be the highest impact week yet in Charlotte’s emerging entrepreneurship scene. The array of events May 16-20 will be the crowning point in Charlotte’s Small Business Month, as designated by mayoral proclamation earlier this year.

On Monday, May 14, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools tapped dozens of area business and community leaders to mentor students at the second annual Student Entrepreneur Summit. Topics to be presented by local founders AvidXChange, Lady Tech Charmers, and Advent Coworking, among others, will include available business resources, networking techniques and insights into the risks and rewards of choosing entrepreneurship over a traditional career.

Wednesday morning, May 16, the Charlotte Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) chapter will launch its first EO Accelerator program in partnership with Innovate Charlotte. While there are 170 EO chapters globally, only fifty cities operate the exclusive accelerator growth platform designed to help early-stage businesses quickly grow to $1 million in annual revenue, a milestone that takes the average startup more than a decade to achieve.

Innovate Charlotte, the nonprofit organization working to increase innovation and entrepreneurship capacity in the Greater Charlotte area, will bring financial resources, marketing and promotional capacity to the EO Accelerator. Twelve companies will join the cohort launch next week.

The afternoon of May 16, eight of the most promising early-stage companies nationwide in the fast-growing clean technology sector will spend three days gathering advice and, potentially, customers in Charlotte and the Research Triangle, N.C. at the kick-off of the Joules Accelerator Catalyst. Joules Accelerator, a Charlotte-based nonprofit backed by Duke Energy and the City of Charlotte, brings with it a track record of success developing pilot projects for corporate partners and utilities through the Catalyst program.

The current cohort, the accelerator’s fifth, includes three product innovators in the electric vehicle charging industry, three “smart grid” solutions that significantly improve electric grid reliability and energy efficiency, and two companies that are helping shape urban resiliency through place-making and ultra-productive indoor agriculture. As part of the three day program, Innovate Charlotte will host a roundtable breakfast where local leaders will “reverse pitch” the high-growth companies on the advantages of expansion in Charlotte.

Then on Friday, May 18, StartCharlotte, a digital hub for startup information and resources, will recognize the returning founders of three Charlotte startups selected to participate in the highly selective TechStars Accelerator in Austin, Texas this past winter.

“Creating the space and opportunity for sharing successes and lessons learned among peers is vital to entrepreneur growth,” said Juan Garzon, StartCharlotte’s director. “The Charlotte-based founders will divulge insights gleaned from their time being mentored by high-growth business peers and multinational firms, which will boost local knowledge and know-how for other startups.”

An array of other regularly scheduled networking events, including Venture South’s member meeting, NC Tech Association’s social, StartUp Grind X Davidson, Ignite Charlotte, #LinkedIn Local Charlotte, and Packard Place’s Public House, plus Small Business Month-themed workshops, will be held throughout the week.

“The opportunities for more collaboration, meaningful connection and business growth continue to multiply in the Charlotte region,” said Innovate Charlotte’s Walt Frye. “It’s important we continue to take these steps because the rapid growth and diversity of local firms has been shown to be one of the most important factors to the resiliency and health of local economies – including ours.”

For more details and to register for the open-to-the-public events listed above, visit http://startcharlotte.com/events/ and https://charlottebusinessresources.com/thriving-parent/calendar/.