RALEIGH – The NC IDEA Foundation will be hosting this week its first-ever Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Summit, which aims to highlight North Carolina’s progress in becoming a hub for entrepreneurship and innovation.
The event, held November 18-19 at Hilton Raleigh North Hills, coincides with Global Entrepreneurship Week, an annual program that involves over 35,000 events in 170 countries.
In addition to discussing startup trends in North Carolina, the two-day program also showcases the entrepreneurial resources, programs and initiatives taking shape in regions across the state.
- MORE CALENDAR NEWS: Check out WRAL TechWire’s extensive listings covering events across North Carolina for this month – and coming months.
NC IDEA announced the event in August and has been putting together a comprehensive agenda for the past few months.
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Day one consists of a series of talks about North Carolina’s startup ecosystem as a whole (both in rural and urban areas) and the role of startup communities in economic development.
Keynote talks will be delivered by Craig Buerstatte, acting director of the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Maryann Feldman, Heninger Distinguished Professor in UNC’s Department of Public Policy, professor of finance at the Kenan-Flagler Business School and research director at the UNC Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise.
Feldman will present data and trends that show the state of entrepreneurship across North Carolina. Buerstatte’s keynote will focus on public policies that support entrepreneurship.
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A resource fair and reception will wrap up day one. During the resource fair, attendees can learn more about the many resources, organizations and events that serve entrepreneurs.
Day two begins with welcoming remarks from North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. Following, talks will focus on entrepreneurship education policies, inclusive startup ecosystems, rural entrepreneurship, preparing young professionals for startup success and expanding access to state business development resources.
Also on the agenda for day two is a set of breakout sessions focused on specific angles of entrepreneurship in North Carolina and activating entrepreneurship at institutions such as universities, community colleges and K-12 schools.
The full agenda is available here. Tickets to the event are $100 on Eventbrite. Sales end on November 8.
https://wraltechwire.com/event/north-carolina-entrepreneurial-ecosystem-summit/
