Ecosysteming

Episode 22 of Ecosysteming is here! This week, host Thom Ruhe sits down with Victor W. Hwang, Founder & CEO of Right to Start, for a powerful conversation on entrepreneurship as a fundamental right and what it will take to level the playing field for everyone.

Victor is a seasoned entrepreneur who has launched multiple companies, organizations, and initiatives aimed at breaking down barriers for aspiring founders. His past roles include serving as Senior Advisor on entrepreneurship strategy at the U.S. Commerce Secretary's Office, VP of Entrepreneurship at the Kauffman Foundation, and author of several influential works.

Right to Start is a national, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to expand entrepreneurial opportunity for all. Their latest campaign, America the Entrepreneurial, seeks to renew the nation’s entrepreneurial promise in celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary.

On this episode of Ecosysteming, we are thrilled to feature Nicola Corzine, CEO and Executive Director of the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center. As the founding leader of this nonprofit dedicated to expanding access and knowledge in entrepreneurship, Nicola brings over 18 years of experience in venture investment, entrepreneurship, and nonprofit leadership. She is a recognized thought leader in capital access, innovation, and ecosystem-building.

Host Thom Ruhe and Nicola engage in a powerful conversation about the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center’s role in the national entrepreneurial ecosystem and explore why North Carolina’s ecosystem has distinguished itself across the country.

Since its launch in 2014, the Center has empowered more than 100,000 entrepreneurs through free education, mentorship, and immersive programming, while advancing research aimed at identifying and removing barriers to entrepreneurship.

Our 20th episode of Ecosysteming is here! Join host Thom Ruhe for a thoughtful conversation with Farad Ali—business leader, executive consultant, community builder, and passionate advocate for equity. Farad has spent his career advancing the economic empowerment of underrepresented communities and currently serves on several influential boards.

In this episode, Thom and Farad explore timely issues around economic development, politics, and the contradictions in how our society approaches diversity—valuing it when it leads to wins, but neglecting it when it comes to sharing.

This week on Ecosysteming we are joined by Paul Corson. With nearly three decades of experience pursuing entrepreneurial initiatives across the U.S., Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia, Paul’s work spans the public and private sectors, NGOs, and higher education. His journey has taken him from startups to shaping public policy at the federal level for the Secretary of Commerce, NASA, and the White House. 

He now serves as Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer at The University of Texas at Arlington, where he leads efforts to spur regional innovation and economic development based on research and technology developed at UTA.

Tune in to explore how university led innovation and entrepreneurship touch more parts of our lives than we often realize.

In Episode 18 of Ecosysteming, we are joined by Laura Smailes, Relationship Manager at Everblue and former Assistant Director of Charlotte’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI). A longtime NC IDEA MICRO reviewer, Laura has helped shape Charlotte’s entrepreneurial landscape by supporting students, faculty, and community partners in developing ideas and sparking innovation. Her work has helped strengthen NC IDEA’s presence in the Queen City and deepen support for high growth companies in the state. Want to get more involved in your local startup ecosystem? This episode is for you.

In this episode of Ecosysteming, host Thom Ruhe speaks with Mayor Leonardo Williams of Durham, North Carolina, about leadership, economic development, entrepreneurship, and the untold story behind his viral speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

Mayor Williams reflects on his journey—from music teacher to entrepreneur to public office—and shares how he and his wife, Zwelibanzi Moyo Williams, opened the first Zimbabwean restaurant in the U.S. with just $36,000 and a dream. He explains how those early entrepreneurial lessons now shape his work in public office, and what’s next for the City of Durham.

We are thrilled to welcome David Baxter, Chief Pixel and Strategist at Big Pixel, to this week’s episode of Ecosysteming. Big Pixel is a fully US-based strategic design and development firm that specializes in UX, startups, and a little bit of magic. Their mission? Helping businesses get to the core of what they truly want to achieve.

As the leader behind Big Pixel, David offers a valuable perspective on North Carolina’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, drawing from over 20 years of experience navigating its ups and downs. In this conversation, he and host Thom Ruhe trade stories (and scars) from their own entrepreneurial journeys, offering hard-earned insights and advice to help others navigate their entrepreneurial path.

Navigating a natural disaster is no easy feat — and our friends in Western North Carolina are still grappling with the lasting effects of Hurricane Helene. In this episode, we are joined by ECOSYSTEM partner Jeffrey Kaplan, CEO of Optimist Ventures and Director of Venture Asheville. With deep experience in the entrepreneurial landscape, Jeffrey and his team are working to revitalize the region through an innovative model of venture philanthropy. Their approach — blending capital infusion with accelerator programming — is helping to rebuild a more resilient entrepreneurial ecosystem. And stick around: Thom and Jeffrey share a celebratory shot in honor of Purim, which happened to coincide with the day of the recording.

In this episode of Ecosysteming, we welcome our friend and #ECOSYSTEM partner Heather McWhorter, Director of the UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Host Thom Ruhe and Heather dive into her journey to Wilmington, NC, and the incredible growth of the region’s coastal startup ecosystem. They explore the rising tide of the Blue Economy—and why it’s capturing national attention. Discover how the UNCW CIE is fueling high-impact startups with education, connections, and incubation space, helping southeastern North Carolina thrive as a vibrant hub of innovation.

It’s not every day you get a masterclass in leadership and team building. On this week’s episode of Ecosysteming, host Thom Ruhe is joined by Liz S. Brigham for an insightful conversation on leading with purpose. As the W. Spencer Mitchem Executive Director of The Hurt Hub@Davidson and an NC IDEA #ECOSYSTEM partner, Liz brings deep experience to North Carolina’s entrepreneurial landscape—having held leadership roles at Morningstar, Disney Parks, Jive Software, and more. Tune in to hear how The Hurt Hub@Davidson is fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in Davidson and across the greater Charlotte region.