I’m thrilled to share that I recently participated in the NC IDEA Ecosystem Summit, which celebrated 20 years of innovation and collaboration in North Carolina’s startup ecosystem.

Here are a few key take-aways:
1) Together with founders, funders and ecosystem builders, we looked at how far we’ve come and what’s still needed to fuel growth statewide.
2) We heard how over the past 20 years the NC IDEA Foundation has supported 650+ companies with nearly $14 M in grants, resulting in $1.4 B in follow-on funding, 5,050+ jobs and 44 acquisitions.
3) Key themes: equity, regional opportunity, innovation ecosystems, and building “this thing of ours” together.

I’m personally inspired by the talent and dedication I saw, especially among entrepreneurs in underserved and rural communities, and I’m excited to continue collaborating, supporting and helping build the future of innovation in North Carolina.

A huge thank-you to NC IDEA and everyone who organized, spoke and attended. It is an honor to be a part of “this thing of ours”!