Monica Chen

Amazingly, although there are many stories of Millennials who are anything but spoiled or bratty, who are starting their own businesses, working on nonprofits, thinking big and putting their money and courage where their mouth is— it seems the popular opinion on Millennials, or young people between 12 and 32 years old, is that we’re a bunch of iPhone-toting self-centered, self-involved brats. OK, I see how older people would think that, what with the Justin Biebers and Lindsay Lohans hogging the media spotlight. But there are also Millennials who are quietly doing good, like the young man I remember...

As HUB Raleigh nears its grand opening on Nov. 1, I stopped by last week to check out how the new incubator was coming along. I took a half-hour tour with Jason Widen, one of the partners in the venture who is managing the space, stopped in on (interrupted the work of) three teams and chatted about the goals and philosophy of the hub with Jason. I didn’t know what to expect when HUB Raleigh was announced, other than knowing that there was significant capital involved and people with good track records as entrepreneurs were partnering on the venture....

Artisan startups are kind of the untold story on the Triangle’s startup scene. There are tech startups, who’ve gotten plenty of attention, financially and otherwise. There are biotech startups. There are cleantech/green startups. And then there are companies like Bound Custom Journals, CityFabric, The Makery and Seam Happy that make items (and platforms for those items) that are both functional and beautiful, but find their business models a bit more of a hard sell to investors who are more familiar with startups built on MySQL than startups built on paper and fabric. To help artisans get on the road...

The former leaders of EvoApp are moving on swiftly. The news is out that 23-year-old Joe Davy, the co-founder and chief product officer of EvoApp, is already back within less than two months after the startup shut down. (EvoApp former CEO Kip Frey, one of the more well-known dealmakers in the Triangle, is also apparently on...

The name, Social Venture Chapel Hill, is a bit of a play on words. The new monthly networking event is in Chapel Hill, yes, but it isn’t meant for just social entrepreneurs. Everyone is welcome. It’s not for social media people either. It really is for everyone, said co-founder Julian Wooten. SVCH will launch 6-8 p.m., Sept. 13 at Top of the Hill with 230 expected attendees. As of Wednesday night, Julian said, just four tickets remained. The event is free. (Registration available here.) The event is meant to fulfill the need for community among Chapel Hill entrepreneurs, Julian...

BrightFarms, a New York-based builder of hydroponic urban greenhouses, is checking out Durham and Raleigh for 50,000 to 200,000 square feet of space for a new greenhouse — “ideally, on a rooftop,” said the company. And they’re willing to pay $1,000 to the person who helps them find the right location. BrightFarms has announced the Envision Us Here contest. Visit the contest page for their criteria, which opens up some interesting possibilities. For instance, they need heat, so they could be located near a brewery. The contest ends September 15th, and the company expects the new greenhouse to be...

Shoeboxed has raised $500,000 of funding in debts and options. The company is recalibrating its core business to become a “one-stop shop” for small business’ accounting needs. The five-year-old company, which has specialized in scanning receipts for small businesses — Shoeboxed, for a shoebox of receipts — also reached a new milestone this year: 500,000 accounts opened since founding. With the new infusion of cash, adding to the company’s $1.4 million fundraiser from Novak Biddle in 2011, Shoeboxed has begun making new hires in every department. Currently, there are about 85 workers — 25 full-timers and about 60 part-timers...

Raleigh is taking a big step toward becoming more supportive of entrepreneurs today. HUB Raleigh, a 10,000-square-foot incubator for “purpose-driven, high-impact” entrepreneurs, is being unveiled this morning at 711 Hillsborough St. The HUB will have six offices for startups, a co-working space with 18 desks, two conference rooms, a community area with an informal meeting space and a business center. There also will be a 4,000-square-foot event space with an outdoor terrace connected to the HUB, and a cafe/bar, Click Cafe. The incubator/co-working space is being built by Brooks Bell, a Duke University alum who is the owner of...