Register today for a UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) event to connect with others, learn something new, and accelerate your success. CIE offers educational and networking events for community members and UNCW faculty, staff, and students.
Additional weekly, monthly, and annual programs to support entrepreneurs and the ecosystem are described on the CIE Programs page.
Wednesday, February 5 | 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
What: Visitors welcome! CIE staff will be available all day to provide tours of our facility, to answer questions about CIE or UNCW, and to connect you to programs and ecosystem partners. Bonus: Free coworking all day for entrepreneurs!
Who: Entrepreneurs, UNCW faculty, staff, and students, and anyone interested in learning more about CIE
Where: UNCW CIE
Cost: Free, Registration not required
Sponsored by: City of Wilmington
Wednesday, February 12 | 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
What: Join us to celebrate the hundreds of businesses that have presented at 1MC Wilmington over the last 5 years. We will have normal 1 Million Cups programming, Wilmington Small Business Coalition tables, and much more!
Where: UNCW CIE
Cost: Free, Registration not required
Tuesday, February 18 | 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
The SBTDC, in partnership with First Flight Venture Center, is holding a free half-day event series designed to help you launch your innovation-driven business!
Learn about:
Location: CIE Event Space
Tuesday, March 4 | 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
What: When it comes to working with investors, new entrepreneurs are at a disadvantage: They often have misconceptions about the process, do not understand the concept of stage-appropriate capital, and do not understand investor expectations.
The Investor-Ready Entrepreneur program levels the playing field, educating and preparing growth-oriented entrepreneurs to successfully engage private equity investors.
The program, developed by experienced entrepreneurs, angel investors, angel network/fund executives, and venture capitalists, provides an “insider’s look” into the world of equity funding. You will hear directly from an investor panel and learn to view investors as “customers of equity.”
Who: Entrepreneurs, university spinouts, investors, SBIR recipients, & ecosystem stakeholders
Where: UNCW CIE
Cost: $35, registration required
Investor-Ready Entrepreneur Program Registration Here
Wednesday, March 5 | 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
What: Visitors welcome! CIE staff will be available all day to provide tours of our facility, to answer questions about CIE or UNCW, and to connect you to programs and ecosystem partners. Bonus: Free coworking all day for entrepreneurs!
Who: Entrepreneurs, UNCW faculty, staff, and students, and anyone interested in learning more about CIE
Where: UNCW CIE
Cost: Free, Registration not required
Sponsored by: City of Wilmington
Thursday, March 27 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
What: Join CIE in participating in the "Think Like a Cartoonist" workshop on March 27th. "Think Like a Cartoonist" is designed to spark creativity and innovative thinking in entrepreneurs. This interactive session helps participants apply the playful, problem-solving mindset of cartoonists to real-world business challenges. Attendees will learn to embrace creative thinking, storytelling, and visual communication as tools for innovation, brainstorming, and idea development.
The workshop will be taught by cartoonist Leigh Rubin. Leigh Rubin is an accomplished author and cartoonist. He has written more than 20 books. 2024 marked the 40th anniversary of Leigh's internationally syndicated cartoon, Rubes®, which is, distributed by Creators Syndicate to hundreds of newspapers and media outlets worldwide.
Where: UNCW CIE
Cost: Free, Registration required
Click Here for Workshop Registration
Friday-Sunday, March 28-30
CIE's EcoInnovate Weekend is our second installment of EcoInnovate Weekend, a high-energy, weekend-long event that provides attendees opportunities to engage with like-minded individuals and potentially start something GREAT. It's a dynamic and immersive experience that fosters creativity, teamwork, and innovation in a short timeframe.
Location: CIE Event Space
Additional details and schedule coming soon!
EcoInnovate Weekend Registration Here
Wednesday, May 21 | 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
The Coastal Entrepreneur Awards are a joint effort of UNCW’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Greater Wilmington Business Journal to shine a spotlight on entrepreneurs in the Cape Fear region.
Location: UNCW Burney Center
Additional Details & Tickets here
Every Wednesday at 9:00 AM at CIE or online.
1 Million Cups Wilmington is part of a national movement to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs and communities over one million cups of coffee. Any regional business that is 5 years old or less is welcome to present.
Subscribe to our 1 Million Cups Wilmington email by signing up for the CIE Email List to receive weekly emails with speaker announcements and Zoom links. Follow us on our Facebook @1MCWilmingtonNC to get weekly updates and to watch the speakers on Facebook Live.
1 MILLION CUPS Wilmington website