RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – The Council for Entrepreneurial Development, one of the largest organizations in the country working with startups and the surrounding ecosystem, is moving its headquarters to RTP from Durham.
The CED is leaving its offices located at The American Underground at the American Tobacco Historic District, which is owned by WRAL TechWire corporate parent Capitol Broadcasting Company. The organization was among the first tenants to locate in the Underground – space devoted to startups and emerging entrepreneurial companies – when it opened in 2010.
Its new headquarters as of Oct. 1 will be at The Frontier, which is operated by the Research Triangle Foundation, the Park’s manager.
A new building at the Frontier, the 600, will host the CED as its first tenant.
The CED and RT Foundation announced the move early Tuesday.
“In order for our organization to most effectively serve the region, we need to be in a central location,” said Ravila Gupta, CEO of CED. in a statement. “We are thankful to have been an early tenant of American Underground and part of the entrepreneurial community in downtown Durham since 2010.”
Before moving to Durham the CED had been based in the Triangle.
Scott Levitan, the CEO of the RT Foundation, pointed out that The Frontier is expanding with more space to come.
“The Frontier campus is expanding into two additional buildings,” Levitan said. “CED is our first tenant at The Frontier 600 building. We welcome this organization back to RTP, and are excited to promote their continued engagement with companies in the Triangle Region.”
Gupta also noted that the CED isn’t abandoning Durham.
“This isn’t goodbye,” she noted. “Our staff will continue to spend time with companies located in AU just as we serve entrepreneurs in other entrepreneurial spaces throughout the Triangle.”
The CED currently has nine full-time employees.
Launched in 1984. the CED will most a meetup on May 15 at The Frontier’s original building, the 800. Its current membership numbers more than 400 companies plus individuals and supporting companies. The CED says it “comprises the largest and longest-running network for entrepreneurs in the country.”
