What an incredible two days at the NC IDEA 2025 Summit. Day 1 featured panel discussions on mayoral perspectives on innovation, barriers to entrepreneurship, and statewide innovation models, as well as a fireside chat between Thom Ruhe and Andrew Yang. The day concluded with the celebratory announcement of the NC IDEA MICRO and SEED grant recipients. The momentum continued on Day 2 with energetic breakout sessions, where Catherine Read, Dr. Vania Ramos Ponce, CPA, MBA, and I had the privilege of leading a discussion on advocating for entrepreneurship.