Jerry Coleman is the Director of CFCC’s Small Business Center, which provides free consultation and support services for entrepreneurs in the Greater Wilmington NC small biz ecosystem. Jerry has decades of experience as a small business owner, entrepreneur and consultant, making him extremely knowledgeable and proficient in advising entrepreneurs a…

AJ Stanaland is a 5th generation farmer and rancher in South Eastern North Carolina. Her family farm, Northwest Land and Cattle, provides a variety of “direct from the farm” produce and meats that are sold directly through her retail shop called “The Pack House,” which is on the family farm in Northwest, North Carolina. Check out the episode to lea…

Mike Kozlosky is the Executive Director of the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, also known as the The Wilmington MPO, which is a federally mandated and funded organization that plans regional transportation and manages federal transportation funds for the Wilmington area. Mike discusses the history, workings, partners and m…

Robert Cooley, Jr. is a retired Army General Officer, Entrepreneur, Investor and an all around Pay-It-Forward type of guy. He owns Apple Annie’s Bakery - a Wilmington, NC Staple - and is the Co-Founder and CEO of Nuream, a Nuero data science company. He is involved in several other businesses and ventures as well. Check out Rob’s story of connectin…

Celine Adair is the Founder and Executive Director of Education Without Walls (EWOW), a local non-profit committed to supporting teens in overcoming hardships through mentorship and outdoor adventures. Each year, EWOW taps a team of 24 leaders to help raise a total of $3,000 each, to sponsor a teen for the year-long program. Check out the story! Ho…

Andy Basinger is a Managing Partner and Head of Live Oak Private Wealth. He was part of the founding team in 2018, and shares his story of entrepreneurship and building a business within the Live Oak Bank ecosystem. The story goes well beyond the technical aspects of Financial Planning, and more specifically on the importance of relationships and c…

Bryan Kristof created the first Co-Working space in Wilmington, NC, called CoWorx. Since the creation in 2011, Bryan had several iterations of the space and model, with its final and current location of CoWorx in the Cargo District. Bryan sold the business in 2020, and has moved on to other business ventures, but found his way back to the shared wo…

John Monahan is an experienced CEO and business leader who has built a Peer Advisory Group for CEOs in Wilmington, NC, as part of the Vistage platform. Vistage is the world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization for small and midsize business leaders. John shares personal experiences of building and running businesses, and then payin…

Adam Shay founded an accounting firm in 2010, which quickly became one of the go-to CPA shops for entrepreneurs and business owners in the Greater Wilmington, NC area. Adam shares the real life story of how he built his business, and ultimately, the road to selling the firm and some of the contributing factors to that decision. The ‘How’ and the ‘W…

Girard Newkirk is the cofounder and CEO of Genesis Block, an organization dedicated to building entrepreneurship and innovation in our community. He was born and raised in Burgaw, NC, a rural farming community, and went on to spend time in Silicon Valley, before coming back to Wilmington, NC. A writer, a thought leader and a visionary in our commun…

Andy Jones is the CEO of WARM NC, a Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing low-income homeowners a safe and healthy home to live in, through free repairs and upgrades for qualified projects. Andy talks about the history of WARM NC, as well as his journey from a volunteer coordinator to the CEO of the organization, and the different facets of…

Chakema Clinton-Quintana is the Director of Channel - Powered by Live Oak Bank, an organization committed to supporting entrepreneurs and small business owners through the journey and process of building and legitimizing their businesses. Chakema shares her story of how she became the Director of Channel, as well as WHY Channel was founded. The tit…

Tony Stroud is the founding Partner of Stroud & Co, a full service CPA firm located in Wilmington, NC. Tony is also the owner of the Record Bar, a music shop that specializes in sales of new and used records, and the host of a local radio show “The Vinyl Revival” on The Penguin. Hang out with Tony and Chris for an hour for some knowledge share and …

Claude D’val “Hoop” Morgan III is the founder of The Forté Institute, a strengths-based communication style process. Hoop founded the business in the 1970s after a marketing client asked him to create an assessment and communication tool. Hoop realized there was no strengths-based tool available, and set out to create one. The Forté Institute has s…

Summary: Christina Haley is the President and CEO of Wilmington Downtown iNC, an organization that is committed to promoting the economic growth and development of downtown Wilmington. Christina shares the history of WDI and the growth and revitalization of downtown Wilmington over the past 50 years. More than $650 Million has been invested into Wi…

Summary: Mr. Craig Snow is an Senior Account Executive for Wilmington Media & Marketing - most popularly known as the Wilmington Business Journal. Craig Snow grew up on a farm in Arkansas, and found his way to Wilmington, NC through a somewhat random chain of events - best described as life. Check out Craig’s story. The art of a sale. Relationships…

Dr. Morris Nguyen, MD is the founder and CEO of Predicate HPG, a Medical Technology company powered by an AI platform, OpenDX. Dr. Nguyen shares the story of how he founded the business, and how AI can be used to increase the quality of our diagnoses and improve treatments. Predicate HPG won the Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Wilmington,…

Summary: Dr. John Grinnell is the founder and CEO of Grinnell Leadership & Organizational Development. He has 37 years of practical experience in the business world, and has become a true expert in helping leaders develop their potential and applying that potential toward the achievement of organizational goals and team success. Dr. Grinnell reside…

Heather McWhorter is the Executive Director of UNCW’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE). The CIE is an organization built around supporting entrepreneurs and start-ups in the greater Wilmington, NC region. Listen to Heather’s story and her vision for supporting the small business ecosystem. 1. The story of how the UNCW CIE was starte…

Jim Roberts has dedicated his career to supporting entrepreneurs and business communities find success. Most notably, Jim founded The Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington (NEW), leveraging his own capital and personal network to make Wilmington, NC a place where start-ups and entrepreneurs can flourish! In June 2024, Wilmington, NC was ranked th…

Wayne Hippo is Co-Owner and Managing Partner of PS Solutions, a US-based Software Engineering and Solutions agency. Wayne started his career as a lawyer, then moved into politics and found his way to starting a Software Solutions Agency. Listen to Wayne’s story as he highlights: Being the first person in his family to go to college from 5 generatio…

Tony Silvagni is an entrepreneur, world class surfer and an all around great dude. Tony shares his story of balancing the lifestyle of being a professional surfer and business owner, and the similarities of the mental game that go along with both.By Signal Fire Media

Nicolas Montoya is the General Manager of the Blockade Runner Beach Resort in Wrightsville Beach, NC. Nicolas is originally from the country of Colombia, went to high school in the UK, and made his way to Wilmington, NC through a career path in the Hospitality industry. Nicolas has been a mentor and leader for thousands of people over the years, th…

Grant Grinnell is the founder and owner of Fresh Alternatives, a Wilmington, NC business focused on providing the most potent and fresh medicinal mushrooms. In this episode, Grant explains: The Science behind legal, medicinal mushrooms The benefits medicinal mushrooms have for entrepreneurs and others with high-demanding lives How to Market a produ…

Andy Jones is a Wilmington, NC based - lawyer and business enthusiast. He is the Managing Partner for Michael Best in North Carolina, a law firm that offers a full range of legal services. Andy tells his story of balancing leadership, life and practicing law through, and his journey to becoming a Managing Partner at a very young age. Linkedin: http…

Jason Wheeler is the CEO, Partner and Wealth Consultant of Wilmington, NC based Pathfinder Wealth Consulting. Pathfinder Wealth Consulting was formed in 2005 by Robert Penn and Jason Wheeler, after leaving a large Wall Street firm so they could focus on their clients’ needs and not corporate shareholders. We learn about what a financial planner is …

Dr. Mouhcine Guettabi is an Associate Professor of Economics at University of North Carolina Wilmington. His recently published research can be found in some of the leading economic journals such as the Review of Economics and Statistics, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, and the Journal of Regional Science. In addition to his acad…

Tyler Newman is the President & CEO of BASE (Business Alliance for a Sound Economy) a non-profit advocacy organization that acts as a responsible “voice” and advocate for business and industry in southeastern North Carolina. Tyler shares his personal story, and how that aligns with the tremendous opportunities that Wilmington, NC has to offer. Inst…

Dallas Romanowski is the owner of Cornerstone Business Advisors, and a successful entrepreneur who has built, grown and sold his own companies, as well as supported many other entrepreneurs in doing the same. He shares his story of transformation from Corporate America to Entrepreneur. Website: https://www.launchgrowexit.com/…

Dane Scalise is the newest elected County Commissioner for New Hanover County. He shares his story and highlights the incredible opportunities that Wilmington, NC offers from a personal, family life and professional perspective. Instagram: @danescalise Website: Electdane.comBy Signal Fire Media

Natalie English is the President and CEO of your Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. Her experience in and passion for small business advocacy and economic development are second to none. Listen to Natalie’s story and the plans for the continued growth in Wilmington, NC. Instagram: @wilmington_chamber, @ Nataliehenglish Websites: https://www.wi…

Rob is a veteran turned entrepreneur and shares his story of building and selling an insurance agency, to business development and starting a media/marketing agency. Rob’s passion for business and personal development shines through in everything he does! Instagram: @Rob_Rens, @signalfire.media https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-rens-aab104195/…

John Gillespie, the CTO of MegaCorp Logistics, shares his story on how he got to this level in his career. Starting with a passion for IT and technology, John also prioritized lifestyle throughout his journey. https://www.megacorplogistics.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-carter-gillespie/By Signal Fire Media

Chad, Hunter and Worth are local entrepreneurs who have put a priority on lifestyle, building income streams and businesses to support the pursuit of keeping the dream alive. Instagram: @wbfishingcharters - Worth Farrington; @equationtraining - Chad Holderness https://www.heverlymarine.com/By Signal Fire Media

Rob Kaiser purchased the Wilmington Business Journal in 2007. He shares his entrepreneurial journey with insights on the local Wilmington Business Community evolution to where it is today! https://www.wilmingtonbiz.com/By Signal Fire Media

Wells Struble exited his first business venture in his mid-20s and has gone on to build several other businesses in different industries. He is a UNCW alumni and very active in the local small business community in Wilmington, NC. https://www.tamatea.com https://biggers-market.myshopify.com/pages/biggers_home…

Sandy Thorpe is a partner and owner of Parastream Development Co and has taken an entrepreneurial approach to developing commercial real estate in historic Wilmington, NC. Additionally, his team is serving as a catalyst for small biz development in the area. Check out the story of how it came to fruition.…

The story of The National Center for Outdoor and Adventure Education. Zac Adair was hit by a car in his early 20s, and woke up the next day blind. This is the story of how Zac built a successful outdoor and adventure education business as a legally blind man. Zac Adair and his family live in Wilmington, NC and run adventure education trips all over…

The story of a Father-Son duo building passive and recurring income streams to support the ultimate lifestyle. Erik and Levi Hemingway are General Contractors by trade; they have become Capital raisers, Investment Fund managers, and Business Builders through hands-on experience. They are generally awesome and family-focused dudes, with the goal of …