1986 VENTUREPRISE 2017Charlotte’s Longest Serving Entrepreneur Support Organization

2017 STAFF

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Ventureprise 1986—2017 Overview Charlotte’s longest serving entrepreneur support non-profit organization became an integrated component of UNC Charlotte in September 2017. Since inception in 1986 as the University Business Incubator Center, the organization has operated as a non-profit corporation closely affiliated with and financially supported by the University.

Known for 25 years as The Ben Craig Center Inc., it operated as a small business incubator primarily serving entrepreneurs from the Charlotte community. That history was celebrated in November 2011 and captured in a publication, The Ben Craig Center…Supporting Charlotte’s Entrepreneurs for 25 Years.

The organization took on the broader role of a venture development organization beginning in 2012 and adopted a new name, Ventureprise Inc., to communicate a mission beyond a place-based business incubator. By February 2014, UNC Charlotte’s new building for university-industry partnerships was ready for occupancy and the Ventureprise® operation moved into the PORTAL building on campus.

Its broader mission contributed to a 2016 Charlotte community leadership commitment to build “a robust innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.” With that regional effort underway in 2017, Ventureprise Inc. leadership decided to transform the organization’s mission and structure.

Beginning in September 2017, it began to operate as fully integrated organization within the University that has been its primary financial supporter for over 30 years. The Ventureprise team now focuses on building strong entrepreneurial capacity serving the faculty, researchers, and students of this large, rapidly growing urban research university. This next phase builds upon the lessons of three decades with the intent of making UNC Charlotte an effective leader in the next decade of the region’s innovation and entrepreneurship development.

Business Incubator Business incubation, a relatively new concept in the 1980s, was the founding purpose of the University Business Incubation Center. As it evolved into The Ben Craig Center and Ventureprise, its incubation mission evolved from small business to innovation-driven enterprise. From inception through 2017, the business incubator served 154 resident client-tenant companies and numerous affiliates and seminar participants.

The history of the incubator program is in the 25-year publication. The following table summarizes client-tenant admissions. A complete list of client-tenants is included beginning on page 10.

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Client-tenant admission year

New Clients

Per Year

1986-1996 78 7.8 1997-2007 30 3.0 2008-2017 46 5.1 1986-2017 Total 154 5.0

Success stories since 2008 include attractive exits by multiple companies including CSi/Photograds and Verian Technologies. Others, such as SecureEdge Networks and Saprex, have moved into their own commercial facilities to accommodate substantial growth. Additionally, eight Ben Craig Center client-tenants moved into the PORTAL building in 2014 to continue their development.

Ecomdash is worthy of special note since it received a Charlotte Angel Fund 2016 investment. It remained the only Charlotte-area startup in the Fund’s portfolio of ten investments through 2017.

UNC Charlotte companies The business incubator has primarily served startups from the Charlotte metro community. Although a university-affiliated incubator, only two companies in the first ten years were founded by university faculty and/or with a license to UNC Charlotte intellectual property. Throughout the 31-year life of the incubator, it served 11 UNC Charlotte resident client-tenants.

UNCC Client-tenant admission year

New Clients

% of total Companies

1986-1996 2 3% Digital Optics | Target Communications Group

1997-2007 4 13% Calyptix Security | Medical Optical Imaging | Mindvalve | Opsource

2008-2017 5 11% Camber Ridge | CetoTech | InfoSense | Optoniks | Video Collaboratory

1986-2017 Total 11 7% Digital Optics is the incubator’s all-time success story with a $60 million exit in 2006. Several recent UNC Charlotte startups have had notable milestones. The Charlotte Business Journal’s Fast 50 list recognized InfoSense, an NC IDEA Foundation Seed Grant recipient, as the region’s fastest growing private firm in 2015. Optoniks and Video Collaboratory have secured federal research grants (SBIR/STTR) to advance their technology toward commercial acceptance.

Venture Development By 2011, Ben Craig Center leadership concluded that the region needed more than a business incubator. The organization mission expanded in 2012 to operate as a venture development organization with a new brand and organization name: Ventureprise, Inc. The board of directors, although reduced in number, broadened to include business, investors, entrepreneurs, academics, government, and economic development. The visual brand identified Ventureprise as a component of UNC Charlotte while the legal structure of a non-profit corporation continued.

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Campus Initiatives The 2012 strategy shift led to an increased focus on UNC Charlotte innovation and entrepreneurship. In anticipation of the move to the campus PORTAL building, Ventureprise piloted a student business incubator in the Ben Craig Center. A dedicated co-working space opened in PORTAL in mid-2014 to support startups led by UNC Charlotte students and alumni within one year of graduation. The 49er Foundry has served 36 student teams and serves as an occasional gathering place for student groups such as Advancing Innovative Minds (AIM).

The UNC system introduced a social entrepreneurship conference and competition for students at all UNC institutions in 2012-13. Ventureprise managed the UNC Charlotte program in 2015 and 2016. Seven teams competed at the statewide event yielding three finalists, and, a 2016 cash prizewinner. The program was discontinued by the UNC system in 2017.

The most significant campus-oriented accomplishment was the Ventureprise-led National Science Foundation I-Corps Site selection in 2015. UNC Charlotte was awarded a three-year grant as one of only 37 I-Corps Site universities in the country. Notably, UNC Charlotte was the only I-Corps Site in the Carolinas until the mid-2017 award of additional Sites. The program focuses on tech commercialization through customer discovery, business model generation, and evidence-based entrepreneurship. As of 2017, fifty UNC Charlotte teams have experienced the Site program. Several teams have earned substantial follow-on funding from NSF and elsewhere.

PORTAL Innovation Center The business incubator continued to operate and, in February 2014, moved into the newly opened PORTAL building on the UNC Charlotte campus. Ventureprise leased 37,000 square feet at an attractive rate and, in turn, licensed space to client-tenants. Eight companies moved from the Ben Craig Center building to PORTAL. From 2014 through early 2017, 22 additional startup companies moved in. The PORTAL value proposition proved attractive as Ventureprise averaged seven new client-tenants per year compared to an annual average of three in 1997-2007.

The University’s commercial entrepreneurship and innovation operations—Ventureprise, Office of Technology Transfer, and the Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC)—are located in PORTAL.

Regional Initiatives The 2012 mission expansion led Ventureprise to increased engagement in metro and statewide entrepreneurship support initiatives.

The Five Ventures business plan competition that originated in 2001 with five UNC Charlotte competitors was re-designed in 2012 as the Charlotte Venture Challenge (CVC). Its new format focused on innovative business models and attracted competitors from the Carolinas, District of Columbia, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia. Over 500 commercial startups and student ventures entered CVC from 2012 through 2016. The annual finals event awards substantial cash prizes, including Hauser Family Fund awards, and engages winners with investors, corporate innovation executives, and community supporters. CVC is the longest-running startup competition in the Carolinas.

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Ventureprise personnel have had major roles in multiple community initiatives that address the regional entrepreneur support ecosystem. Ventureprise and UNC Charlotte sponsored and provided judges for the annual Startup Weekend and the annual social innovation competition, SEED20, organized by Social Venture Partners.

Ventureprise collaborated with the founder of City Startup Labs to launch an accelerator that serves African-American millennials. The ongoing program is located in Ventureprise office space and shares teaching concepts with Ventureprise customer discovery programs.

Ventureprise contributed to statewide initiatives through the 2016 University Innovation Council and by judging numerous NC IDEA seed grant applications over many years. In 2016, the NC IDEA Foundation awarded nine Entrepreneur Ecosystem Partner grants including one to Ventureprise as the Charlotte area recipient. The Ventureprise Launch program, based on NSF I-Corps methods, helps innovation-driven entrepreneurs define and find their first customers.

Entrepreneurial and city leaders began an intensive effort to understand and strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem at the same time as Ventureprise began to act as a venture development

organization. The 2013 Mapping the Ecosystem assessment, completed with significant Ventureprise involvement, identified gaps and opportunities to improve.

In 2015, Ventureprise led the creation of an in-depth quantitative analysis of Charlotte metro performance on many innovation and entrepreneurship indicators. The Charlotte Entrepreneur Growth Report received broad attention and helped guide major 2016 efforts to create a regional economic development plan and envision new initiatives through an entrepreneurship design sprint. Ventureprise staff and directors were active participants.

International Engagement In the 1990s, the Ben Craig Center established a business incubator in Germany that operated for several years. That international perspective has taken a new form since 2012.

Ventureprise annually hosts U.S. State Department Fellows for two to four weeks of engagement with Charlotte-area entrepreneurs and Ventureprise staff (Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative, Young Transatlantic Leaders Initiative, Young African Professional). The initiative, managed by associate director Devin Collins, has brought fellows and visitors from 36 countries to the PORTAL building and has included reciprocal visits by him to Zambia and Zimbabwe.

International Visitors to Ventureprise PORTAL 2014-2017 Africa Middle East Asia Central & South

America Europe

Ghana Iraq Armenia Bolivia Greece Nigeria Oman Azerbaijan Brazil Hungary Tunisia UAE China Chile Italy Zambia West Bank Kazakhstan Columbia Kosovo Zimbabwe Yemen Kyrgyz Republic Dominican Republic Romania Laos Nicaragua Russia Pakistan Suriname Ukraine Tajikistan Trinidad & Tobago Pakistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan

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Leadership Since inception, the organization has enjoyed the support of Charlotte’s business and academic communities. Its board of directors has engaged 122 community leaders including two, Tom Meckley and Walter Wilkinson, who served for 25 years. Eight chairpersons from banking, business, government, and professional services have led the board. Doug Dawson, elected in 2011, was the first UNC Charlotte graduate and first incubator client-tenant founder (Optinfo) to serve as board chair. A complete list of directors begins on page 7.

Board Chairpersons 1986-1988 Ben Craig 1989-1995 Ken Iverson 1996-1997 Frank Dunn 1998-2003 Larry Dagenhart 2004-2007 Tom Meckley 2008-2011 Harrison Marshall 2011-2015 Douglas Dawson 2015-2017 Patrick Mumford

Employees The organization size has varied throughout its history in response to an evolving mission and funding. Since inception, 36 people have been on staff. Its executive leadership has been remarkably stable.

1986-1998 Jon Benson 1998-2007 Mark Schaffner 2007-2008 (interim) Ross Annable 2008-2017 Paul Wetenhall

The 2017 team includes associate director Devin Collins, long-time client and administrative support specialist Carolyn Smith, and Laura Smailes who joined as assistant director in November 2017.

2017 Transition and Future Ventureprise began in 1986 as a small business incubator, broadened its efforts in 2012 as a venture development organization, and, in 2017, increased focus on UNC Charlotte innovation and entrepreneurship. Each transition has responded to identified needs in metro Charlotte and at this rapidly growing university.

Although business incubation has been a core service since inception, Ventureprise now offers incubation limited to student teams and acceleration services for university research startups. Community business incubation was discontinued in July 2017, although community businesses will continue to be welcomed as university business partners in the PORTAL Innovation Center.

There are many reasons for eliminating community business incubation: expanded options in co-working spaces, lack of need for shared physical services, limited ability for substantial impact on companies across industries, limited population of high potential startups, and a shift to industry-specific accelerators such as Joules and QC FinTech.

The Ventureprise transition away from business incubation is echoed by the name change at an organization that recognized Ventureprise as a 30-year member in 2017. The National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) became the International Business Innovation Association (INBIA).

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The Ventureprise emphasis on NSF I-Corps for university research and the NC IDEA Ventureprise Launch program for the broader community emphasize early customer engagement for innovators. Customer discovery and evidence-based entrepreneurship will continue as a core value of the organization in the years ahead.

Ventureprise has begun an effort to create better entrepreneurial support services for UNC Charlotte students and researchers. The 2018-2020 goal is to establish the academic, co-curricular, and support programs that can expose thousands of students to entrepreneurial thinking and engage hundreds in real-world experiences.

The longest organizational engagement with entrepreneurs of any Charlotte non-profit organization is the legacy of Ventureprise (formerly Ben Craig Center and University Business Incubator Center). This constancy of purpose is evident in programs such as the Charlotte Venture Challenge, an annual event since 2001.

The organization demonstrates the ability to adopt emerging best practices such as its NSF I-Corps leadership. As Ventureprise becomes a university innovation and entrepreneurship center, the goal is to address emerging needs by enabling UNC Charlotte to become a regional leader in entrepreneurial action and support.

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Corporate Directors Term Name Affiliation 1986 Ronald J. Terpak Site Manager, IBM 1986 Chuck Grace

1986 - 1988 Ben T. Craig President, First Union National Bank 1986 - 1988 Bobby Lowery President, Better Cleaning Janitor Service, Inc. 1986 - 1988 Harold G. Hoak Regional VP, Wachovia Bank & Trust Co 1986 - 1988 Joan Zimmerman President, Southern Shows, Inc. 1986 - 1988 Robert F. Davis President, Daifield, Inc. 1986 - 1989 B. Bernard Burnes Jr. Partner, Smith Helms Mulliss & Moore 1986 - 1989 William C. Covington Jr. Executive VP, NCNB National Bank 1986 - 1990 Roddey Dowd Sr. Chairman, Charlotte Pipe & Foundry Co. 1986 - 1991 C. David Biswell President, BarclaysAmerican 1986 - 1991 C.L. (Chuck) Grace President, Cummins Atlantic Inc. 1986 - 1991 Douglas M. Orr Jr. Vice Chancellor, Research and Public Service, UNC Charlotte 1986 - 1991 James W. Clay Vice President, Carley Capital 1986 - 1991 Jerry Schweiner President & CEO, Air Devices, Inc. 1986 - 1991 Leo E. Ells Vice Chancellor, Business Affairs, UNC Charlotte 1986 - 1993 Dick Neel Dean, College of Business, UNC Charlotte 1986 - 1997 James W. (Jim) Busby President, Datasouth Computer Corp 1986 - 1997 John E. Summers President, World Wide Welding, Inc. 1986 - 1999 Robert Snyder Dean, College of Engineering, UNC Charlotte 1986 - 2001 Pamela Patterson City Council, City of Charlotte; Director of Development &

Marketing, Grassroots Leadership 1986 - 2002 F. Kenneth Iverson Former Chairman & CEO, Nucor Corporation 1986 - 2007 David Taylor Chairman, University Research Park and UNC Charlotte

Foundation 1986 - 2007 Eric S. Hill Retired Technical Director, Celanese Fibers 1986 - 2008 William G. Seymour Vice Chairman, Broadway & Seymour; President, Primax

Properties, LLC 1986 - 2010 John H. Robison Jr. President, Robison & McAulay; Retired Chairman, UVEST

Financial Services Group 1986 - 2010 Robert L. Avinger Jr. Principal, Sterling Capital Management; Retired, Director &

Managing Partner, Optcapital, LLC 1986 - 2011 E. Thomas Meckley Partner, Ernst & Young 1986 - 2011 Walter H. Wilkinson Jr. President, Kitty Hawk Capital, Inc. 1989 - 1990 Jim Shaw

1989 - 1993 James V. (Jay) Tomai III President, Network Computing Corp 1989 - 1998 Austin Adams Executive VP, First Union National Bank 1989 - 2000 Ella Scarborough City Council, City of Charlotte 1989 - 2003 J. S. (Jim) King Chairman, KCI, Inc.; President, Sunox 1989 - 2006 Olen B. Smith Jr. Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs, UNC Charlotte 1989 - 2009 H. Keith Brunnemer Jr. President, First Tryon Securities, LLC 1990 - 2000 Loy Thompson III Senior VP, NCNB National Bank 1990 - 2005 Seddon (Rusty) Goode Jr. President, University Research Park, Inc. 1990 - 2008 Larry J. Dagenhart Partner, Helms, Mulliss & Wicker; Smith Helms Mulliss &

Moore; Partner, McGuire Woods, LLP 1991 - 1993 Hap H. Arnold

1991 - 1993 Tony Walker Coopers & Lybrand 1991 - 2008 Cameron M. Harris President, Cameron M. Harris Co 1992 David Stovall

1992 Thomas (Tad) Dickson Executive VP, American & Efrid, Inc. 1992 - 1993 Ed Shelton The Shelton Companies 1992 - 1994 Fred Stubblefield President, Controls Southeast, Inc. 1992 - 1994 James R. Nisbet Owner, The Nisbet Business Center

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Term Name Affiliation 1992 - 1995 Willie Skelton President, Coin Telephones, Inc. 1992 - 1997 Jay Atlas JHA Associates 1992 - 2000 Gerald Fox Manager, Mecklenburg County 1992 - 2001 Eckart Goette Honorary Consul Rep of Germany 1992 - 2004 James H. Woodward Chancellor, UNC Charlotte 1992 - 2009 George Mackie Entrepreneur in Residence, Wakefield Group; President &

CEO, Insource Contract Services 1993 - 1994 Wendall White City Manager, Charlotte 1993 - 1998 Edward M. Mazze Dean, School of Business, UNC Charlotte 1993 - 2000 Dick Handshaw Founder & CEO, Handshaw & Associates 1993 - 2005 R. Edward Kizer Jr. Vice Chancellor of Development and Public Service, UNC

Charlotte 1994 Aaron Plyler

1994 Beverly Dolan CEO, Textron 1994 Ted Sumner

1994 - 2005 Kurt Scholler Executive VP & CEO, American Trutzschler 1995 - 2000 Frank H. Dunn Jr. Retired Chairman & CEO, First Union National Bank of NC 1995 - 2007 Jane Craig Hanes

1995 - 2009 Joseph K. Hall Chairman, Carolina Pad & Paper International, Inc. 1996 Heath Massey

1996 - 2000 Kisoon Park Valence, LLC; Perkem Tech 1998 - 2013 Harrison Marshall Partner, Helms Mulliss & Wicker; Partner, McGuire Woods 1999 - 2005 Harry J. Leamy Director, CC Cameron Applied Research Center 1999 - 2009 Claude C. Lilly III Dean, Belk College of Business, UNC Charlotte 2000 - 2005 Miles J. Smith Jr. NexGen Capital Corporation 2000 - 2005 Paul M. Givens Managing Director, Cresset Capital Partners 2000 - 2008 Cynthia Carlson Partner, Campbell/Carlson Executive Search 2000 - 2011 Robert (Bob) Johnson Dean, William States Lee College of Engineering, UNC

Charlotte 2001 - 2002 Lisa Crutchfield Vice President, TIAA-CREF 2001 - 2005 Mary Mack Regional President, First Union 2001 - 2008 Carl Belk Chairman & CEO, Monroe Hardware 2001 - 2008 Kevin Drehmer President, Digital Optics Corp. 2001 - 2008 Lawrence Kimbrough President & CEO, First Charter 2002 - 2005 Carroll Gray President, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce 2002 - 2005 Robert T. Ladd President & CEO, Duke Capital Partners, LLC 2002 - 2005 Tom Fruge Senior VP, Bank of America 2002 - 2008 Mark Ethridge President & COO, Cotter Communications; President,

Carolina Parenting, Inc. 2002 - 2009 Roy Davis Chairman Emeritus, S & D Coffee, Inc. 2002 - 2010 John D. Lewis Retired Partner, Anderson, LLP 2003 Mark Leggett Retired Executive, Bank of America 2003 - 2005 Henry W. (Hank) Flint Partner, Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman; Executive

VP, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated 2003 - 2008 E. Lynwood Mallard Partner, Kilpatrick Stockton, LLP; Partner, McGuire Woods 2003 - 2008 William (Bill) Boyd Director Emeritus, Muzak, LLC; Chairman, Agility Recovery

Solutions 2004 - 2005 James Woodward Chancellor, UNC Charlotte 2004 - 2008 Tony Almeida Vice President, Economic Development, Duke Energy 2004 - 2009 E. F. (Ernie) Dehnert Senior VP, BB&T 2004 - 2010 J. Michael McGuire Carolinas Managing Partner, Grant Thornton, LLP 2005 - 2011 Joseph G. Piemont Executive VP, Strategic Services, Carolinas Healthcare

System

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Term Name Affiliation 2005 - 2011 Stephen R. Mosier Vice Chancellor, Research & Federal Relations, UNC

Charlotte 2006 - 2008 David F. Grams Wachovia; Managing Partner, Mandan Capital Partners 2006 - 2008 Jeannie Falknor Publisher, Charlotte Business Journal 2006 - 2008 Susan W. Bush Senior VP, Business Banking, Bank of America 2006 - 2011 Philip Dubois Chancellor, UNC Charlotte 2006 - 2017 Elizabeth A. Hardin Vice Chancellor, Business Affairs, UNC Charlotte 2008 Steven H. Ott Dean, Belk College of Business, UNC Charlotte 2008 - 2011 Richard Little President, LEAD Technologies, Inc. 2008 - 2011 Tehseen Ali Dahya President & CEO, Verian Technologies 2008 - 2012 Leroy Hill President & CEO, Yorel Integrated Solutions 2008 - 2013 Marcus Lee Member, Moore & Van Allen, PLLC 2008 - 2017 Doug Dawson Founder, Optinfo; President, WanderPoint 2008 - 2017 Robert G. Wilhelm Executive Director, CRI & Vice Chancellor for Research &

Economic Development, UNC Charlotte 2009 - 2010 Joseph Mazzola Dean, Belk College of Business, UNC Charlotte 2009 - 2014 Stephen E. Sellers Managing Director, Sockwell Partners 2009 - 2017 Rajeev Kulkarni Vice President, Global Engineering, 3D Systems, Inc. 2012 - 2012 James Oblinger President, David H. Murdock Research Institute 2012 - 2013 Bob Morgan President, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce 2012 - 2015 Charles E. Bamford Founder, Bamford Associates, LLC; formerly Queens

University 2012 - 2017 Louis J. Foreman CEO, Enventys, LLC 2012 - 2017 Patrick Mumford Director, City of Charlotte 2012 - 2017 Ronald Elmore Managing Director, Milestone Partners, LLC 2013 - 2015 Chris Halligan Partner, Pipeline Investors, Ltd. 2013 - 2016 Lori Collins Executive Director, CLT Joules 2013 - 2017 George Selembo InfoSense 2013 - 2017 J. D. Costa Attorney at Law, McGuire Woods, LLP 2013 - 2017 John Bradberry Managing Partner, Ready Founder Services 2013 - 2017 Keva Walton Senior Vice President, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce 2014 - 2017 Mike Marvin MDM Advisors

Note: The Ventureprise Inc. Board of Directors approved bylaws revisions at the September 2017 meeting that include a smaller board. The 2018 board has two UNC Charlotte Vice Chancellors who serve as ex-officio directors.

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Client-Tenants Entry Year Company CEO or Founder 1986 Handshaw & Associates Dick Handshaw 1987 Coin Telephone Company Willie Skelton 1987 MACTECH Steve Mason 1987 Mason-Porter Computer Services E. E. Mason 1987 Perkem Technology, Inc. Kisoon Park 1987 Process Applications Conrad P. Prachyt 1987 Run Spot Run Patricia Turnbull Mason 1987 Vealtronics Corporation John Veal 1988 Clearstory E. E. Humpries 1988 HM Systems James F. Howlett 1988 Innovative Research Jerry Fischer 1988 PC Free Gary Clark 1988 Sakura Steven Orr 1988 US Energy James Russell 1989 Cellacom International Larry Dowd 1989 ChemEnco Bill Klotz 1989 Connelly Communications Dave Connelly 1989 Diversified Environmental Services Dale T. Jessop 1989 Inner Response Jack Shimell 1989 Whitley Group Bill Whitley 1990 C. Dalmine, Inc. Pierangelo Ghilardi 1990 Group Five Sales Dan DuVall 1990 Lead Technologies Richard Little 1990 Nirup A. Kishan Rao 1991 Blum National Controls Greg Blum 1991 Carolina Cartridge Systems Sharon Summers 1991 Charlotte Software Channel Tom Chrane 1991 Diversified Products & Controls, Inc. Peter Blowers 1991 Energeco Rafael Gonzalez 1991 G-Force Gina Columna 1991 Gulf South Development Vincent James 1991 Healthtech Todd Johnson 1991 Hydro Bath Systems Arthur Jamison 1991 Injury Data Corporation Ron Basini 1991 Integration Technology John Mounts 1991 International Commercial Ventures, Ltd Frederick Nugent 1991 Labstaffers Debra Overby 1991 Leasing Legends Annette Myers 1991 Pielco Ed Nicollian 1991 St. Clair Group Steve St. Clair 1991 T. S. Ainsworth & Company Terry Ainsworth 1991 Technical Visions Development Thomas Derrick 1992 Amplate David French 1992 Captor Electronics Mike Muhull 1992 Carolina Legal Plans Johnathan Frank 1992 Digital Optics Corporation Kevin Drehmer 1992 Metrolina Outreach Mammography Jean Griswold 1992 NC Community Care Pete Lang 1992 New Solutions Norm Gagnon

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Entry Year Company CEO or Founder 1992 Optinfo Doug Dawson 1992 Performance Group Sam Frowine 1993 Atlantic Lease Services Mike Mills 1993 Decision Support Systems Tom Hearn 1993 Delta Rho Corp N. Peter Hansen 1993 Fresh Holdings Whitney Montgomery 1993 Metro Tech Services Bill Ferree 1993 Target Communications Group Ken Russell 1993 Yorel Integrated Solutions Leroy Hill 1994 Controlled Electronic Management Systems Michael Hepworth 1994 Digital Dynamics John Clark 1994 Glatt Inox Mark Thompson 1994 Neal Systems Richard Secoolish 1994 Secure Shredding Andrew Erler 1994 SFBC Charlotte Scott Davis 1994 Southeast Mfg. Tech Center John Irion 1994 Vehicle Electronics Development Laboratory Dr. Charles B. Cook 1995 Ah-Bon Athletics Bob Miller 1995 Alliance Plus, Inc. Bill Moore 1995 Autobase Information Systems Robert E. Brooks 1995 Camstar Systems Inc. Steve Reynolds 1995 Carolina Contractor Mike Butler 1995 M. May & Company Todd Dunnagan 1995 Video and Electronics Systems Joan Phoenix 1996 Ark Sales Automation Group Andy Kaplan 1996 Grinding Machines Nuernberg, Inc. Diether Frankenberg 1996 IBOS Eric Meier 1996 Kubilins Transportation Group Margaret Kubilins 1996 Vandercook & Associates Brian Vandercook 1997 Carolina Joint Medical Chad Wagner 1997 Charlotte World Warren Smith 1997 Data Disc Corporation Andreas Gubig 1997 Kovex Eugene Kozhevnikov 1997 Medical Optical Imaging Jon Benson 1997 Pacific Resources Dwight Nordstrom 1997 Vincent McMurray, Inc. John McMurray 1998 Business Systems of America Eric Martin 1998 Frontline Consulting Services Vikas Handa & Dharmesh Sethis 1998 Verian Technologies Tehseen Dahya Ali 1999 BridgeBuilder Scott Spanbauer 1999 Choice Translating Michelle Luhr Menard 1999 Endeco. LLC Ted Warlick 1999 LabelPak, Inc. Jerry Dawson 2000 Market Velocity Patrick Vaughn 2001 Infinite Software Resources Paul Mohanan 2001 Mindvalve Mirsad Hadzikadic 2001 Opsource Scott Smith 2003 Media Marketing Group Ed Bellaire 2004 BlueChip Solutions Joe Miller 2004 Companion Cabinet Software Chris Mele 2004 Eclipse Engineering Tim Waylett

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Entry Year Company CEO or Founder 2004 Valcor Industries Eric Reeves 2005 Systems Integration Group Chris Horton 2006 Appian International Research Grier Harris 2006 Calyptix Security Ben Yarbrough 2006 IKS, USA Tito Domoto 2006 Mass Transmit Adam Holden-Bache 2006 SecurEdge Networks Phillip Wegner 2007 CSi/Photograds Steve Montgomery 2009 C5 Insight Geoff Ables 2009 InfoSense Ivan Howitt 2009 Insologies Michael Longano 2009 Whitley Financial, LLC Mark & Phillip Whitley 2010 Blue Nano, Inc. David Himebaugh 2010 Camber Ridge Jim Cuttino 2010 Countervail Bill Basinger 2010 Media Economics Group Carlos Pelay 2011 Acrowire Ted Theodoropoulos 2011 Agingo Jacob Hall 2011 Mod-Spec Joe Zagrobelny 2011 Proformance Logo Products & Apparel Scott Hobbs 2011 Reveille Technologies Raghuraman Ramadas 2011 Saprex Bob Goulet 2011 Schleich, N.A., Inc. Don Rothwell 2011 X-tramile Soft, LLC Vivek Vemunorri 2012 Amergy Systems Mohamad-Ali Hasan 2012 ARiCON Joe Daziel 2012 Business Policy Solutions Blaise Taylor 2012 Sistas That Travel Knigi Glee 2012 Vivid Data Group Franz Lorio 2013 Blazing Point Solutions Rick Hawks 2013 Cetotech Lu Na 2013 Driving MBA Murdoch Morrison 2013 ecomdash Nick Maglosky 2014 Atom Engineering, PLLC Ryan Kennedy 2014 Caselite Software Marc Calello 2014 Columbus Photovoltaics Corey Lerner 2014 CompSol Majid Babaie 2014 Informative Technologies James Walker 2014 Optoniks Mehrdad Abolbashari 2014 Orbital Socket Greg Johnson 2014 Pidyon Yochi Cohen & Steve Duke 2014 Sinewatts Shibashis Bhowmik 2014 Spatial Decision Systems Michael Gallis & Terri Beattie 2015 Atom Power Ryan Kennedy 2015 Crump Engineering Works Kenneth Crump 2015 May Automation and Software Mert Konu 2015 Uh-Sem-Blee Oscar Monroy 2015 Vedamsoft Haripriya Pothugunta 2015 Yuno, Inc. André Walters 2016 International ThermoDyne Tim Risser & Paul Solitario 2016 Virtual StrongBox Ron Daly

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Entry Year Company CEO or Founder 2016 Wellnecity John Quinn 2016 Yobi Capital Fund Darrell Hubbard 2017 Video Collaboratory David Wilson

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Ventureprise Client-Tenants 2014-2017 at PORTAL Acrowire

www.acrowire.com

IT consulting firm specializing in web and mobile development using Microsoft technologies.

Agingo www.agingo.com

Provides technology to deliver personalized, protected Internet navigation.

Atom Engineering, PLLC www.atomengineers.com

Electrical and mechanical engineering for commercial buildings.

Atom Power www.atompower.com

Integrates hardware and software into revolutionary power distribution products by developing digitally controlled, solid-state circuit breaker technology for commercial and industrial buildings.

C5 Insight www.c5insight.com

Cloud-based solutions with Microsoft Share Point, Dynamics CRM, Salesforce.com & NET platforms.

Caselite Software, Inc. www.caselite.com

Caselite Software is a web-based system for special education scheduling, documentation and workload analysis.

CetoTech

Specializing in introduction of natural materials into the composites industry.

Columbus Photovoltaics www.columbuspv.com

Solar research company developing high band gap solar cells using new proprietary process for power generation.

Compsol www.compsolusa.com

Computer services and solutions.

Countervail www.countervailcorp.com

Development & commercialization of antidotes to military nerve agents & pesticides.

Crump Engineering Works www.crumpworks.com

Forensic engineering with innovation and emerging technologies.

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Driving MBA

Offers simulator-based immersion experiences for situational awareness driving skills.

Ecomdash www.ecomdash.com

Web software for ecommerce sellers to do business anywhere any time quickly.

Informative Technologies www.informativeinc.com

IT solutions for cloud computing/data science for information overload.

International Thermodyne www.ithermodyne.com

Harvests natural heat and motion to convert into usable electrical energy.

May Automation & Software www.mayautomation.com

Energy management software.

Optoniks www.optoniks.com

An early stage technology company.

Orbital Socket www.orbitalsocket.com

Brand engagement company.

Pidyon

Designs personal protection systems.

Reveille Technologies www.reveilletechnologies.com

IT services and business process services.

Sinewatts www.sinewatts.com

An early stage solar energy company.

Spatial Decision Systems www.spatialdecisionsystems.com

Technology tools to physical and economic environments for investment decisions.

Uh-Sem-Blee www.uh-sem-blee.com

Product development workspace for disruptive brand building products

Vedamsoft www.vedamsoft.com

Hadoop software tools for big data analysis.

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Video Collaboratory www.videocollaboratory.com

Software products disrupting video centered collaboration.

Virtual Strongbox www.myvirtualstrongbox.com

Data security solution for workflow processes.

Vivid Data Group www.vividdatagroup.com

Innovating in-plant label printing for US manufacturing and distribution. Variable Data and Color Working Together.

Wellnecity www.wellnecity.com

Technology and Data to improve health and wellness for US citizens.

Yobifund www.yobifund.com

Online marketplace for buying and selling securities.

Yuno, Inc. www.yuno.co

Social media company whose mission is to empower others to capture true value of their influence.

Ventureprise 2018As one of the National Science Foundation I-Corps Sites, and the Carolinas’ first Site in 2015, UNC Cahrlotte/Ventureprise is a national

leader in customer discovery and business model generation. Our selection in 2016 by the NC IDEA Foundation as an entrepreneurial

ecosystem partner provided the support to extend this program to promising startup teams from Charlotte and western North Carolina.

Since our 1987 founding as the Ben Craig Center small business incubator, we have evolved our mission and our methods. Today,

VVentureprise is fully integrated within UNC Charlotte’s Research and Economic Development organization and located in the PORTAL

building. We will continue to serve the community and the campus as a center of excellence for evidence-based entrepreuneruship through

VEntureprise Launch, the Charlotte Venture Challenge, and 49er Foundry student business incubator.

Credits Research: Devin Collins, Carolyn SmithDesign: Latevi Spero Lawson, Laura Smailes Writing: Paul Wetenhall

Ventureprise PORTAL Building, Suite 2529319 Robert D. Snyder RD.Charlotte, NC 28223Charlotte, NC 28223704 687 - 0900entrepreneurship.uncc.edu | Ventureprise.org

Ventureprise® is a registered trademark of Ventureprise, Inc.©2018 Ventureprise. All rights reserved.