Ecosysteming

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.

Episode 40 of Ecosysteming welcomes Amy Dunlap, CEO and Co-founder of Stemz, a Winston-Salem based logistics and technology company connecting U.S. flower farmers with floral creatives.

Host Thom Ruhe chats with Amy about the unprecedented growth Stemz has experienced over the past year, leading her team to expand beyond North Carolina and raise a new seed round. Amy shares the journey behind that momentum, from designing flowers at Walt Disney World, to closing her custom floral design studio in 2018, to building one of North Carolina’s most exciting emerging companies.

Amy’s story is also deeply connected to NC IDEA. Her journey includes NC IDEA LABS in 2019, NC IDEA MICRO ($10K) in 2020, NC IDEA SEED ($50K) in 2021, and most recently, an NC IDEA Rural Impact Grant ($20K) in 2025. For anyone looking to better understand how founders can tap into North Carolina’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, this episode is for you.

How can a founder fully tap into North Carolina’s entrepreneurial ecosystem?

Founder and CEO of Stem Plug, Rich Gilliam, shares his journey on Episode 39 of the Ecosysteming podcast with host Thom Ruhe.

Rich’s path began in engineering and evolved through his Master’s in Educational Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship at UNC-Chapel Hill. From there, he became an NC IDEA Startup Analyst Associate, received an NC IDEA MICRO ($10K) grant, and most recently secured the $120,000 two-year Bold Path Fellowship supported by ECMC Foundation, Provident1898, and NC IDEA.

In this episode, Rich reflects not only on milestones but also on challenges, including not being selected for an NC IDEA SEED ($50K) grant in this most recent cycle and what this experience is teaching him. Stem Plug is focused on advancing STEM education, sparking entrepreneurial thinking, and building brains beyond books.

Episode 38 of Ecosysteming welcomes Margaret McNab, a longtime friend of the Foundation. Host Thom Ruhe sits down with the Principal and Strategic Advisor of McNab & Company to discuss her accomplished career helping people come together, strengthen communities, and expand opportunity for all.

At McNab & Company, Margaret helps leaders communicate their vision with clarity and purpose, specializing in the development and implementation of public relations strategies that drive growth across the economic development, nonprofit, and academic sectors.

Tune in for a timely conversation about freelancing, its strong connection to entrepreneurship, and why freelancers can thrive even in a declining job market. Jobs may be decreasing, but the work is still there.

If you are a founder looking for direction on how to tap into the entrepreneurial ecosystem, this episode is for you.

Runbin Dong, Founder and CEO of Scale Social AI, knows how to make the most of the resources available to founders across the state. A biomedical engineer turned Serial Entrepreneur, Runbin has built Scale Social AI to help brands capture authentic customer experiences in real time, transforming raw user generated content into high performing assets.

Along the way, Scale Social AI has received both an NC IDEA MICRO ($10K) and SEED grant ($50K). Runbin has also participated in the FCAT Fellowship, CED’s GRO Incubator, the RIoT Accelerator Program, and more. Beyond leading his startup, he is now giving back to the ecosystem as an advisor for The Seed List, an experiential learning program that connects talented students with innovative companies across the Triangle.

If you are wondering how to start, build, and scale a business, tune in for an insightful conversation between host Thom Ruhe and Runbin Dong.

Episode 36 of Ecosysteming welcomes a good friend of the Foundation, Michelle Bolas, President and CEO of NCInnovation.

What does it take to turn university research into real economic opportunity for North Carolina? In this episode, host Thom Ruhe sits down with Michelle to unpack NCInnovation's model for moving breakthrough technologies out of public universities and into the market faster, smarter, and with statewide impact.

Tune in to hear how NCInnovation is helping reshape economic development in North Carolina and building a model other states may soon look to follow.

2026 has already been a BIG year for NC IDEA and an even bigger one for North Carolina’s startup ecosystem.

On this episode of 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨, host Thom Ruhe sits down with Scot Wingo and Robbie Allen, General Partners of the newly rebranded NC Tweener Fund, Powered by NC IDEA. The conversation explores the strategic investor relationship between NC IDEA and the Triangle Tweener Fund, and what it means to take this early stage investment model statewide.

Access to capital continues to be one of the biggest barriers facing North Carolina founders. When startups can’t find funding locally, they often scale more slowly or look outside the state for investment, increasing the risk that talent, jobs, and economic impact follow.

Tune in to find out what this means for the future of North Carolina's entrepreneurial ecosystem!

Disclosure: NC IDEA IS A LEAD INVESTOR IN THE NC TWEENER FUND (THE “FUND”) AND HAS A MATERIAL ECONOMIC INTEREST IN THE FUND, INCLUDING PARTICIPATION IN THE FUND’S CARRIED INTEREST. CONSEQUENTLY, NC IDEA WILL BENEFIT INDIRECTLY FROM ANY INVESTMENTS THAT ARE MADE IN THE FUND.

Episode 34 of Ecosysteming is a must listen as host Thom Ruhe sits down with Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell. Together, they explore what is driving Raleigh and the Triangle’s momentum and why the region continues to attract entrepreneurs and funders from outside of North Carolina.

Mayor Cowell shares her path to public service and explains why entrepreneurship and small business growth are central to Raleigh’s long term success. The conversation highlights key barriers the city and region have faced in recent times, along with the strategies Raleigh and North Carolina are using to respond. Tune in to learn why inclusive growth must be part of the equation so that prosperity expands opportunity for all, not just a few.

Episode 33 of 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 welcomes a familiar face and NC IDEA’s newest team member, Tom Snyder, Vice President of Programs at the Foundation.

Host Thom Ruhe joins Tom for a wide-ranging conversation highlighting NC IDEA’s recent joint venture with The Wireless Research Center, and how this collaboration expands NC IDEA’s acceleration services for entrepreneurs across North Carolina and strengthens the statewide entrepreneurial ecosystem.

They also dig into what it takes to build entrepreneurial infrastructure that helps founders thrive, how economic development is creating places where people want to live, the revitalization of rural regions, the responsibility elected officials share in supporting entrepreneurship, and much more.