Advising

SimpleRelevance

Role: Board Member & Advisor

This Chicago startup was sold to Rise Interactive in 2015 for its digital marketing technology, which uses machine learning and predictive analytics to produce individualized marketing messages for clients. I was a board member and advisor for four years. 

Organizations & Projects

Entrepreneurs Organization Raleigh-Durham Chapter

Role: Board Member - Membership Committee (June 2016-June 2017)

The Raleigh-Durham chapter of the Entrepreneurs Organization joins a global movement to connect like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders around the world, for the betterment of startup ecosystems everywhere.   

World's Smallest Office ("Smoffice") Campaign at Durham Chamber of Commerce   

Role: Mentor

This unique incubator placed the participating startup in a quaint, 25-square-foot downtown condo for six months. Over the course of the program, the Durham Chamber of Commerce connected the founders to local seasoned entrepreneurs who would provide marketing and business development mentorship. In 2011, the project won an award for the most innovative economic development idea, under the category “Best Unconventional Project,” at the annual World Chambers Competition in Doha, Qatar. Smoffice was the only U.S.-based finalist among its competitors, and was the first-ever U.S. participant to win the award.

See related profile in Chamber Executive Magazine.

Idea Fund Partners

Role: Investor

Based in Durham, North Carolina, this group of venture and operating partners has made early-stage and seed investments in dozens of companies since its start in 2002.       

American Underground at American Tobacco Campus

Role: Mentor

American Underground, one of 11 Google for Entrepreneurs Tech Hubs in the U.S., first opened at downtown Durham’s American Tobacco Campus in 2010. I mentored early-stage tech companies launching in the space from when it first opened and throughout its expansion to the city’s Main Street area, which set the stage for a series of later expansions.

Bull City Startup Stampede

Role: Co-Founder & Mentor (2010-2012)

This accelerator, which has now rebranded to “Startup Stampede” after a four-year hiatus, helped launch 30+ companies and direct national attention toward Durham’s burgeoning startup scene in its early stages. I helped the Durham Chamber of Commerce shape the vision for the program in 2010, after which I served as a mentor to the participating companies.

The Startup Factory

Role: Mentor   

This seed funding program and accelerator helped develop and launch 35 startups over a five-year existence until its close in late 2016. Over the course of its tenure, The Startup Factory made a significant impact on the Durham startup community and local economy.

Startup Veterans

Role: Mentor   

Startup Veterans is community of entrepreneurs, investors, corporate partners and business leaders all working to help veteran-led companies succeed. It provides on and offline business development education, as well as peer mentoring services for this demographic of innovators.       

DowntownDurhamStartups.com

Role: Co-Founder

Along with Shoeboxed CEO Taylor Mingos, I co-founded and co-operated an online resource guide and directory of tech startups leading the growth of Durham’s entrepreneurial scene in the early stages of its growth, in 2010.

Soccer Kids America

Role: Board Member       

Through classes, camps and tournaments, this nonprofit organization uses the game of soccer to teach kids teamwork, ethics and what it means to have a positive self-esteem.

Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED)

Role: Board of Directors (2011-present)

CED is a network of investors, startups, entrepreneurs and business leaders from areas throughout North Carolina, all working to better engage the innovation ecosystem statewide. In 2012, myself and iContact’s co-founder Ryan Allis, made $270,000 in total donations to CED—the single largest gift in the network’s history at the time.

Durham Chamber of Commerce

Role: Board Member (2012-2016)

University of North Carolina Computer Science Department

Role: Advisor

I am on the dean’s advisory board alongside notable names such as Mike Capps, former CEO of Epic Games. We helped the dean match the programming with the skills employers are looking for. We also assisted in strategizing a vision for the program’s future—there were only 70 students in the program when I was an undergrad; now there’s 900.

University of North Carolina Adams Apprenticeship

Role: Advisor

UNC’s entrepreneurship program is built on a mission to cultivate generations of successful innovators and startup leaders among the university’s student and alumni bases.

Shuford Program in Entrepreneurship at UNC

Role: Advisor

The Shuford Program in Entrepreneurship is for students from all backgrounds that are pursuing any major across campus. The program was founded on the understanding that there is a common process for the realization of new ventures, whether those ventures are startups, non-profits, artistic endeavors or even growth within existing enterprises.

TechStars Boulder Accelerator Spring 2018 Session

Role: Mentor

Techstars is the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed. Mentors match as lead and participating mentors with up to 10 startups selected to participate in a three-month long TechStars cycle.