Ecosysteming

We are celebrating 50 episodes of the Ecosysteming podcast with Sophie Dagenais, President and CEO of the New Hanover Community Endowment, for a conversation about how philanthropy, entrepreneurship, and innovation can work together to strengthen communities.

Sophie shares how her career has shaped her approach to leadership and investment, and why The Endowment, valued at more than $1.8 billion, has made entrepreneurship and innovation a priority in New Hanover County.

Host Thom Ruhe and Sophie discuss what it takes to build a community where innovation is expected, entrepreneurship is accessible, risk-taking is supported, and success is reinvested.

The New Hanover Community Endowment is also serving as the Host Community Partner for NC IDEA’s 2026 Ecosystem Summit, taking place November 12–13 in Wrightsville Beach.

From strengthening founder networks to solving longstanding community challenges, the conversation explores how thoughtful investment can help create lasting economic opportunity across the coast.

What do you do after building and selling a hugely successful software company? If you’re David Cummings, you put the vast majority of your wealth back into helping build the next generation of entrepreneurs.

On this episode of Ecosysteming, Thom Ruhe sits down with David, Founder and CEO of Atlanta Ventures, Founder of Atlanta Tech Village, and Co-founder and Chairman of SoDo Atlanta. His entrepreneurial journey started years earlier at Duke University and eventually led to building Pardot, the marketing automation company acquired by ExactTarget in 2012.

After that exit, David made a major bet on Atlanta and its founders. He and Thom discuss the experiences that shaped his approach to entrepreneurship, why he looks for opportunities others overlook, what he values in founders, and how investing in people, places, and ideas can help an entire startup ecosystem grow.

From building companies to building community, David shares lessons from decades of entrepreneurship and what it takes to create more opportunities for founders to succeed.

What happens to a successful business when its owner is ready to retire, but there is no one prepared to take over?

On this episode of Ecosysteming, host Thom Ruhe sits down with Darryl Lindie, Co-Founder of New Majority Capital and President of AA Sign & Awning, an 80 year old company he acquired and now operates.

Darryl makes the case for entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA), a path that allows aspiring entrepreneurs to buy and grow existing businesses rather than starting from scratch. They explore the growing need for business succession, the risk communities face when established companies close their doors, and the opportunity to create a new generation of business owners while preserving jobs and building wealth.

Through New Majority Capital, Darryl is helping create a clearer path to business ownership by preparing the next generation of buyers and making acquisitions more accessible. For anyone who has ever thought about owning a business, this conversation may change the way you think about entrepreneurship.

At just 18 years old, Arnav Chauhan is already challenging the traditional path from high school to college to career.

In this episode of #Ecosysteming, host Thom Ruhe talks with Arnav about leaving the traditional high school experience behind, spending time working with startups in San Francisco, using AI to build and learn faster, and preparing for his next chapter as a Meritocracy Fellow at Palantir.

Arnav shares how growing up in an entrepreneurial household shaped his mindset and why curiosity and critical thinking may matter more than ever in the age of AI. He also breaks down the unconventional strategy he has used to stand out to companies to create opportunities for himself rather than waiting for them to appear.

From higher education to AI, entrepreneurship, and the future of work, this conversation offers a glimpse into how one ambitious 18 year old is thinking about what comes next.

Episode 46 of #Ecosysteming features a very special guest as host Thom Ruhe sits down with Q. Nicole Vanderhorst, founder and CEO of WH Farms Co., to discuss her journey from commercial real estate to building a vertically integrated botanical science company.

They explore misconceptions surrounding industrial hemp, the challenges of navigating regulation and capital, and WH Farms’ strategy for competing in a market expected to reach $82 billion in the next several years.

Q. Nicole also shares her perspective on resilience, self-care, and building a North Carolina company with global reach. An NC IDEA SEED ($50K) grant recipient, she reflects on the entrepreneurial journey that has taken WH Farms from early-stage funding to its current $1 million raise.

This episode of #Ecosysteming offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at NC IDEA’s grantmaking process with Amy Bastian, Vice President of Grants and Programs.

With applications for the Fall 2026 Grant Cycle now open, Amy joins host Thom Ruhe for a deep dive into NC IDEA MICRO ($10K) and SEED ($50K), two non-dilutive grant programs (free money!) supporting North Carolina founders.

Which grant should you apply for? Is your company eligible? What industries are a fit? Who reviews the applications and what are reviewers looking for? Amy answers these questions and shares practical guidance to help founders better understand the application and selection process.

If you are a North Carolina founder considering applying for an NC IDEA grant, this is an episode you will not want to miss. Learn how NC IDEA is expanding access to entrepreneurship and empowering North Carolinians to reach their entrepreneurial potential.

Can we destroy PFAS forever chemicals before they reach our drinking water? Doug Speight believes we can.

Doug is the CEO of AxNano, a five time technology startup founder, and an experienced innovation commercialization leader who has worked with universities, NASA, and Department of Energy research labs. He joins host Thom Ruhe to explain how AxNano is using supercritical water oxidation to destroy PFAS and other toxic industrial chemicals at the source.

They also discuss why founders are the real job creators, how behavioral bias shapes venture capital, why conventional economic development incentives often fall short, and why NCInnovation matters to North Carolina’s entrepreneurial future.

Franchising is often overlooked as a path to entrepreneurship, but Anna Dey is redefining what it means to build a business through the franchise model.

In Episode 43 of #Ecosysteming, host Thom Ruhe sits down with top producing franchise consultant, multi-unit and multi-brand franchise owner, and founder of franSPOT, Anna Dey. With more than 15 years of experience, Anna has owned and operated franchises including Anytime Fitness, The Vitamin Shoppe, Smoothie King, Clean Eatz, goGLOW, and several other ventures. She shares what it takes to build, scale, and succeed across multiple franchise brands while helping aspiring entrepreneurs find the right path to business ownership.

Whether you're exploring franchising as your first entrepreneurial venture or simply curious about the industry, this episode offers valuable insights you won't want to miss.

Episode 42 of #Ecosysteming is a real treat as host Thom Ruhe sits down with entrepreneur, investor, and community builder Talib Graves-Manns.

This wide ranging conversation explores ownership, wealth creation, entrepreneurship, and the future of economic development. From launching Partners in Equity, to helping  business owners purchase commercial real estate, Talib shares why access to capital remains at the center of opportunity. Together, Thom and Talib discuss the power of ideas, the rise of AI, and what it takes to build stronger communities and create generational wealth.

As Managing Partner of Partners in Equity, Founder and Executive Director of Knox St. Studios, Aspen Institute Fellow, and Co-Founder of Black Wall Street, Talib has spent years building pathways to ownership and economic opportunity across North Carolina. His insights make for a conversation you will not want to miss.

Once known for tobacco and textiles, Winston-Salem is now producing founders and funders that are catching the attention of the entire nation.

On Episode 41 of Ecosysteming, host Thom Ruhe sits down with Stan Parker, General Partner of the Winston-Salem Partners Roundtable (WSPR) Fund and former President of Winston Starts, for a timely conversation about how Winston-Salem is producing so much entrepreneurial talent and why founders often struggle to secure VC investment. You’ll also learn more about our ECOSYSTEM Partner, Winston Starts, and how their work has become a cornerstone of entrepreneurial development in the Triad.

Whether you’re a founder preparing to raise capital or considering growing your startup in the Triad, this episode is for you.