UNCW Honors Regional Entrepreneurs, Local Energy Company Takes Top Award

For more than 15 years, the UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Greater Wilmington Business Journal have honored standout companies and nonprofits with the Coastal Entrepreneur Awards.

The GWBJ accepts nominations in 11 categories, from biotech to retail. The CEA celebration is held at the UNCW Burney Center, where all category winners are recognized, and the overall winner is named.

Koolbridge Energy was announced as the 2026 Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year. Nominated in the category of Manufacturing and Distribution, Koolbridge Energy leads the charge to modernize home energy systems through innovative solutions to help manage energy more effectively, reduce costs and maximize comfort.

J. Stephen Burnett, the company’s co-founder and chairman, credited David Sturdy, owner and CEO of the Sturdy Corporation of Wilmington, with much of the company’s current success. Calling him “one of the most intelligent business people I’ve ever met,” Burnett noted the two met 50+ years ago on the campus of UNCW.

“Three years ago, Koolbridge was pretty much at a stopping point,” said Burnett. “Dave Sturdy and his team took our product and dissected it layer after layer and rebuilt it into what we have today.”

“Unbelievable,” said Koolbridge CEO Bill Griffin as he formally accepted the award. “Koolbridge Energy loves Wilmington, NC.”

The complete list of winners and links to their websites are below:

• Biotechnology: Nautigen 
• Emerging Company: Skillmaker.AI 
• Health Care: CareHome Health Solutions 
• Internet-Related Business: DesignLoud 
• Manufacturing and Distribution: Koolbridge Energy 
• Minority/Woman-Owned Business: Unwind Collection 
• Nonprofit: Carolina Beach Mural Project 
• Nonprofit: The Healing Place 
• Professional Services: Earney IT 
• Retail & Hospitality: Biggers Market 
• Technology: True Guardian

“The Coastal Entrepreneur Awards are a special moment each year when our community gathers to celebrate the creativity, resilience and impact of our region’s top entrepreneurs,” said Heather McWhorter, director of the UNCW CIE. “The CIE team is proud to partner with the Greater Wilmington Business Journal to grow and elevate this program. This year’s sold-out event was a tremendous success.”

Since 2013, the UNCW CIE has offered programs, services and events to promote and support regional entrepreneurship efforts. An extension of the university, the CIE is a hub for startups, innovators and business incubation. Four of the 2026 winners, Nautigen, Unwind Collection, DesignLoud and CareHome Health Solutions, participated in CIE programs.

Also at the event, CIE announced the CIE Mentor Team of the Year award. The sleep tech company Nuream Mentor Team, consisting of CIE Mentors Mary Beth Bobeck, Nannette Stangle-Castor, Jay Kleinman, Keith Markfield, Hoop Morgan, Jim Roberts and Lee White, took the honor.