Founder Shares

Every year, GrepBeat identifies the North Carolina startups showing the most impressive early traction, and the 2026 class might be the strongest yet. In this episode, recorded live at the Startups to Watch Awards in the Research Triangle, Hutchison attorney Jasjit Grewal sits down with honorees, judges, and GrepBeat managing editor David Schwartz to find out what is actually working for early-stage founders right now. The eleven companies recognized this year span fintech compliance, social services technology, agtech, renewable energy infrastructure, AI-powered simulation, media asset management, and biomedical devices, and their founders share candid advice on product validation, mission-driven team building, and how to make the most of North Carolina's uniquely collaborative startup ecosystem. The judges break down exactly what separated the standout applications from the rest, including the metrics, traction signals, and storytelling that made certain companies impossible to ignore. And David Schwartz shares what GrepBeat's transition to nonprofit status means for how the organization will cover and support founders going forward. If you are building a company in North Carolina, thinking about applying to Startups to Watch, or just want an honest look at what early-stage success looks like in 2026, this episode is for you. Hosted by Trevor Schmidt, with field reporting by Jasjit Grewal.

Direct air capture technology has the potential to meaningfully reduce atmospheric CO2, but high costs and energy demands have kept it from scaling. In this episode, Cory Sanderson, founder and CEO of Sustaera, explains how his Durham-based climate tech company is taking a fundamentally different approach. Sustaera's conductive structured sorbent technology uses resistive electrical heating instead of thermal regeneration, making it three to four times more energy-efficient than competing direct air capture systems and far simpler to deploy at scale. Cory also gets into the realities of building a climate tech hardware company in the current funding environment, why patient capital and mission-aligned investors matter more than traditional VC timelines, and how the Research Triangle ecosystem has been a genuine asset on the fundraising trail. Attorney Josh Hayes of Hutchison PLLC joins the conversation to add perspective on the unique legal and structural challenges facing clean tech founders. Hosted by Trevor Schmidt.

Raising startup capital is one of the hardest things a founder will do, and most people learn the hard way. In this episode, three founders who have collectively raised over $27 million share what actually works. Robin Cowie (Skillmaker.ai), Isaac Park (Keebler Health), and Lucy Shores Kosturko (Social Cascade) break down how to build a fundraising process, why the story you tell investors must be different from the story you tell customers, and how non-dilutive funding sources like SBIR grants can build the traction that makes venture conversations easier. They also get honest about the time cost of fundraising, the evolving expectations at each funding stage, and why the best companies of the next decade are being built right now. Recorded at Grep-a-Palooza 2026, sponsored by GrepBeat, and moderated by Anna Tharrington, corporate partner at Hutchison PLLC.

Founder Shares is brought to you by Hutchison PLLC.

Recorded live at the Angus Barn during Hutchison's 30th anniversary celebration, this special episode of Founder Shares brings together some of the Triangle's most respected founders, investors, and ecosystem builders to reflect on three decades of what it really means to build a community — not just a law firm. Guests include Andrea Cook of NC Idea, Karl Rectanus, CEO, Really Great Reading | Co-Chair BOD, CED (Center for Entrepreneurial Development), Adam Steege, founder and CEO of Trio Labs, Tim McLoughlin of CoFounders Capital, Jason Caplain of Bull City Venture Partners, Pablo Casilimas, Managing Partner, OneSixOne Ventures, Krista Covey of First Flight Venture Center, David Mendez of Good Growth Capital, and Jim Roberts of the WAEL Angel Network - NEW (Network for Entrepreneurs of Wilmington),  WALE (Wilmington Angels for Local Entrepreneurs) — all united by a single thread: that Hutchison's greatest asset has never been its legal expertise alone, but its willingness to show up, make the introduction, and put founders first before any transaction is on the table. Plus, Karl LaPan of UF Innovate shares what ChatGPT told him when he asked how to describe a law firm like Hutchison — and the answer, "ecosystem architect," just might be the most accurate two-word summary of thirty years of work anyone has offered yet.

Hosted by Trevor Schmidt, Founder Shares is brought to you by Hutchison PLLC.

Host Trevor Schmidt chats with Taylor Casey, Founder and CEO of Kahmino, and Hutchison partner John Rudd, about how a 500-mile pilgrimage across Spain sparked a real estate tech company built to help people truly love where they live. Taylor shares her unconventional path — from accounting major to InsureTech product manager to solo founder — and how being "product person number one" at her first startup gave her just enough confidence to do it all over again on her own terms. She breaks down how Kahmino uses over 50 data sources to match homebuyers not just to a zip code, but to a lifestyle and community vibe, and how a scrappy, zero-marketing-spend approach powered by real estate agent word-of-mouth has already carried the company into five markets across North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. 

John Rudd adds critical legal context on entity formation, equity vesting, advisor compensation, and what founders need to know before signing their first big customer contract. Plus, Taylor opens up about the one thing nobody warned her about before starting a company — that even when you're not working, the mental load never really clocks out — and why finding sustainable practices isn't optional if you're building for the long haul.

Hosted by Trevor Schmidt, Founder Shares is brought to you by Hutchison PLLC.

Host Trevor Schmidt chats with five powerhouse voices — Abha Bowers, Head of Strategic Partnerships at CED; Anna Tharrington, Partner at Hutchison PLLC; Zakiya Alta Lee, Principal at Idea Fund Partners; Seema Nandi, Ph.D. At SelSym Biotech; and Elizabeth Kelly, Managing Director at Pappas Capital — about what it truly takes to close the gender gap in entrepreneurship and venture capital. Recorded live on the eve of the Venture Connect Conference at the Strength in Numbers mixer, this episode captures an ecosystem mid-momentum: a community of founders, investors, and allies who are done waiting for the conversation to change and are actively changing it themselves. From Zakiya's practical framework for diversifying VC deal-flow sourcing, to Seema's first FDA meeting milestone, to Liz's candid admission that early-stage investing is lonelier than people think, the episode is a rare, unfiltered look at the real infrastructure being built to support underrepresented founders in the Triangle. Plus, Zakiya Alta Lee reframes the "only woman in the room" dynamic entirely — flipping the script on a familiar frustration into a pitch-room superpower, reminding founders that the unicorn in the room is exactly who everyone is looking for. 

Hosted by Trevor Schmidt, Founder Shares is brought to you by Hutchison PLLC.

Host Trevor Schmidt chats with Rick Carlson, founder and CEO of NeuroTone AI, and Hutchison attorney Jasjit Grewal about the "creative process" of building a serial startup career. Rick shares his journey from the early days of email automation at SharpSpring to his "un-retirement" to lead a ghost business back to life. He explains how having a solution to a problem isn't enough to build a business—you have to prove people want to buy it—and dives into the importance of having a "day-one" data room to streamline fundraising. Plus, Rick discusses the future of Neurotone AI, including how they are using AI to localize auditory training apps in 12 different languages to help those with hearing loss process sound better.

Hosted by Trevor Schmidt, Founder Shares is brought to you by Hutchison PLLC

Host Trevor Schmidt chats with Amber Melanie Smith, founder of Change Kit, and Danny Rosin, co-founder of Brand Fuel and Band Together, about the unique challenges and "soul" required to lead in the nonprofit and social entrepreneurship space. Amber shares her journey from a cross-country volunteering road trip to founding Activate Good, while Danny discusses his "prankster" roots and his mission to use business as a force for good through his B Corp.

They dive deep into the burnout crisis facing the sector, with Amber highlighting that 70% of nonprofit staff are considering career changes, and Danny explaining how to break the "starvation cycle" of fundraising by investing in leadership as mission-critical infrastructure. The pair also explore the technical side of doing good, discussing the importance of choosing the right legal structure and finding a donor’s "love language" through AI and collaboration. Plus, Amber and Danny share moving stories of impact—from a homeless volunteer to a parent seeing their child’s life changed through music—proving that anyone can be a change-maker with the right support.

Hosted by Trevor Schmidt, Founder Shares is brought to you by Hutchison PLLC.

Host Trevor Schmidt chats with Hutchison law partner and former D1 athlete Anna Tharrington and Mike Halpert, CEO of Ver Coaching, about Mike's journey fueled by a sense of "calling" to develop an app that uses VR headsets for athlete vision training. Mike explains that the technology improves hand-eye coordination and performance by training the eye muscles to work better in sync with quick, measurable results. He highlights the impact on mental confidence, citing the vast improvement one athlete made; going from struggling at the plate to hitting an at-bat home run after using the app. Mike shares the honest challenge of being a founder, stressing the need for a strong support community and the mindset that you "have to be okay with failure". Plus, Anna tries out the Ver Coaching app and the results are impressive!

Hosted by Trevor Schmidt, Founder Shares is brought to you by Hutchison PLLC.

On this episode of the Founder Shares podcast, host Trevor Schmidt is joined by Chelsey Warren, Founder and Principal of Spark People Advisory, and employment lawyer Ashley Pittman (Hutchison PLLC), who tackle the critical "people" aspect of any growing company. Chelsey shares her strategic approach to hiring, retention, and knowing when to bring in HR expertise, while Ashley provides the essential legal perspective on compliance, noting how rules change as a company crosses employee count thresholds. The discussion covers practical, tough topics for founders, including best practices for consistent interviewing to avoid costly mishires, why candid feedback is more effective than formal performance improvement plans (PIPs), and the legal best practices for termination, emphasizing the value of severance and non-disparagement agreements to mitigate risk.

Hosted by Trevor Schmidt, Founder Shares is brought to you by Hutchison PLLC.