GrepBeat, a media corporation focused on tech, recently hosted its inaugural rising stars event at a hotel in downtown Durham, and three of those awarded have connections to the University of North Carolina Wilmington's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

According to a GrepBeat article, the awards "celebrate some of the most impactful individuals working to advance the Triangle and Wilmington startup communities."

Awardees with Wilmington connections were: angel investor and UNCW CIE mentor Nannette Stangle-Castor, who is also founder of IVT; Jack Fleming, founder and CEO of Phrayz and lead organizer of 1 Million Cups in Wilmington; and Lydia Thomas, program manager at UNCW CIE.

The rising stars were selected from about 100 total nominations, according to GrepBeat. Heather McWhorter, director of the UNCW CIE, was one of five judges.