Start Up

After witnessing a drive-by shooting in his community of Wilmington, North Carolina, George Taylor decided to take action. He started Tru Colors Brewery, whose mission is to unite and create understanding between rival gangs in order to better their community.

Two high school friends, Andrew Hare and Matt Daniels had a dream to bring healthy, local produce to South Carolina. Vertical Roots has since grown into the largest hydroponic container farm in the US producing year-round leafy greens and produce all throughout the United States.

Amanda and Dave Jacobs loved the beach so much they wanted to bring it home with them. After experimenting with a variety of methods, they finally found a way to turn Wrightsville Beach into a delicious salt perfect for cooking and created their own business, Sea Love Sea Salt Co.

Dave Myers was in Hawaii on vacation when a canceled scuba trip led him to "Trike Flying." This life-altering experience set Dave on a mission to create Amphibian Air, a company that invites the public to ride and pilot a FAA certified amphibious trike over the waters of Savannah, Georgia.

Tracey and Girard Newkirk believe that every community needs a place to collaborate and create together. Genesis Block provides not only coworking spaces, but also an Entrepreneur Academy with small business courses for all backgrounds and ANZA, a platform that pairs minority and women owned businesses with anchor institutions and prime contractors. 

Lou Thomann and Lori Judge took a vacation to Ossabaw Island where they were introduced to the Yaupon Holly tree. After experiencing the tea made from the Yaupon's leaves, Lou was hooked and spent the next three years researching until finally launching The Yaupon Tea Company in hopes of sharing the health benefits of tea with world. 

The Wrights are the proud parents of four children. Their two youngest, Bitty and Beau, have Down Syndrome. The Wrights opened their first Bitty & Beau Coffee in Wilmington, NC, a place they hoped would teach acceptance and inclusion. Today, Bitty & Beau is a franchise business that has grown to several locations across the US and employs hundreds of people with disabilities.

What started out as a pizza food truck has grown and developed into so much more. From pizza to bagels, Big Bon's core mission is to teach its team members business and life skills through a variety of experiences around great foods.

Hope has been doing yoga for 17 years and has seen first-hand the physical and mental health benefits it can provide. Mother Trucker Yoga provides fitness guidance to a market otherwise forgotten, drivers. Through short, easily accessible videos, Hope aspires to help drivers get moving wherever they may be.

Through Neely Powell's entrepreneurial spirit, what started out as a shoe wholesale business became so much more. After attending Savannah College of Art & Design, she collaborated with a cobbler in Mexico and formed Charleston Shoe Co., a business that provides women with comfortable and stylish shoes in stores all around the US. 

After years of brewing at home, Shane and Beth Faulkner decided to take the plunge and open their own distillery. End of Days Distillery provides Wilmington with fine small batch spirits and an opportunity to tour the distillery and experience how it's all made.

After growing bored with the furniture in her family home, Courtney Bukowsky decided to take matters into her own hands by slowly selling all of their household furniture, using the money she made to replace the items with vintage pieces that she loved.

Mimi turned her creative hobby of earring design into a full jewelry and accessory brand with the Tiny Tassel. Inspired by the colors and sites of Charleston, South Carolina, The Tiny Tassel includes earrings, bracelets, necklaces, garments and more each named after a special street or place within Charleston.