Editor’s Note: Tim Scales is the executive director at the American Underground, which is owned by WRAL TechWire parent Capitol Broadcasting Company now in its 11th year. Scales provided this mid-year update from American Underground exclusively to WRAL TechWire, and it has been lightly edited for clarity.
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DURHAM – This summer, I had the pleasure and privilege to step into the role of executive director at the American Underground.
I started as an AU member with my own startup in 2017, joined the AU team at the start of the pandemic in 2020, and now I’m thrilled to work with this team and our diverse community of member companies to continue the AU’s ongoing work in Durham.
A number of folks have asked me, “So what’s next for AU?”
As we look ahead, the mission will remain the same — to serve our community of startups and entrepreneurs, while working to build the most inclusive startup ecosystem in the world.
However, the world is not the same as it was when I first joined the AU five years ago. We’re living through a lingering pandemic that has upended how we work, a period of international turmoil, and a complex and pessimistic economic environment. How we approach our mission must also evolve.
Innovation is built into the AU ethos, so we will continue to test, assess, and iterate. On that note, I wanted to catch up on a few accomplishments of the year, so far, and share some things that we have lined up for the months ahead.
The nation’s first LGBTQ+ co-working community could soon be a reality in the Triangle
Changing space at the American Underground
This year, we kicked off a space improvement project that included the Podcast Studio with our partner Earfluence, upgraded phonebooths, new greenery and rooftop amenities, and two beautiful new murals from local artists Candy Carver and Sean Kernick. Our coworking areas and offices are looking better than ever.
We’re also now operating at close to full capacity, with a thriving and diverse community of startups, entrepreneurs, remote workers, and others. With that strong foundation in place, we’ve been able to invest our time and resources into founder-focused events and programming.
We’ve just launched a new American Underground podcast called Equity Raise: Leveling the Landscape for Diverse Founders and Their VCs. Hosted by AU member and Black Founders Exchange alumna Naya Fela Powell and sponsored by The Diversity Movement, the podcast tackles issues around race, gender, and venture capital.
On each episode, we’ll feature a BIPOC and/or female founder who has successfully raised venture capital, to explore their journey, successes, and lessons learned. They’ll be joined by one of their early VC partners, to share the investor perspective and offer advice for the field. We just released Episode 1 with Partake Foods founder Denise Woodard and her investor Karen Howland with CircleUP Equity — give it a listen!
American Underground turns 10: The evolution to Triangle treasure from trash in a basement
Applications open
We’ve also opened applications for Idea to Entrepreneur, which kicks off August 4. This is a free, high-impact program for “idea stage” entrepreneurs that delivers the mindset, tools, and network needed to take the first steps in launching their new venture. Thanks to the generosity of our friends at Hutchison PLLC, the program will be provided at no cost to participants.
Idea to Entrepreneur begins with a hands-on bootcamp led by Triangle startup ecosystem veteran Chris Heivly, then provide three months free AU membership alongside a curated curriculum of educational workshops, office hours, and networking opportunities. Finally, the program will conclude with a final pitch competition and public celebration on November 3. If you know someone who’s kicking around a new business idea, please send them our way.
Lastly, applications are open for the seventh annual Black Founders Exchange, scheduled for October. Through our ongoing partnership with Google for Startups, we will bring a new cohort of founders to Durham for a weeklong intensive of luminary speakers, educational workshops, and a final pitch competition. The program is designed to launch startups into growth mode, and alumni have collectively raised over $30M in venture funding.
These larger initiatives complement the AU’s ongoing schedule of member-focused events this year, from weekly happy hours to workshops to our Celebrity Chef series. There’s always a lot going on at the AU — come on by!
American Underground ‘transitions’ to new executive leadership
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Tim Scales is the new Executive Director of the American Underground, a Google for Startups Tech Hub in downtown Durham. He previously served as AU’s Director of Growth, and before that was an AU member with his civic tech startup CivicRise.
