The Small Business Spotlight focuses on area businesses that have opened in the past three years in New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties.   How did you start Azalea Antiques & Art? Townsend: “I officially opened Azalea Antiques & Art at the corner of 23rd and Castle Hayne Road in 2022. We purchased a store that was going out of business. It was ...

The Small Business Spotlight focuses on area businesses that have opened in the past three years in New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties. For this month's spotlight, Jessica Tobin answered questions about her life and her new bookstore.   Where did you grow up? TOBIN: “I grew up in West Nyack, New York, just 20 miles outside of NYC.”   ...

A district court judge sentenced Wilmington entrepreneur George Taylor Jr. to a year and a day in prison on Wednesday for not paying more than $2 million in employment taxes and not filing employment tax returns related to his company National Speed. Chief Judge Richard E. Myers II sentenced Taylor to three years of supervised release following his prison time, along wi ...

Global Entrepreneurship Week began Monday in the Wilmington area.  Locally, the event celebrates entrepreneurship in the Wilmington region by highlighting the area’s top entrepreneurs and its entrepreneurial ecosystem. Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is celebrated worldwide with participants in more than 200 countries. This year’s GEW theme is &ld ...

The idea for the Beach Mule, an electric beach cart, came to Will Parker on the Bald Head Island ferry. As he watched passengers lug their baggage and beach gear, he noticed an older woman struggling with her bags. “She had this huge cart of luggage, and she was having the time of her life to get it on the ferry,” Parker said. “I was like, you know, wo ...

The greater Wilmington startup ecosystem gained some attention in recent statewide announcements, including a pitch challenge win, capital awards and a new global ranking.   Last week, the NC Tech Association hosted its State of Tech Exponential conference in Durham. Ocean Isle Beach-based medical imaging startup Artemis Immersive took home first prize in the event& ...

Gloria Monroe, interim director of the Small Business & Technology Development Center at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, was named the center's permanent director on Tuesday, according to an announcement from SBTDC.   Monroe served as interim director for nearly a year, starting the role in June 2023. She has worked at SBTDC for seven years, acc ...

Wilmington-based health technology company Predicate Healthcare Performance Group (HPG) won the 16th Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year award Wednesday.   Morris Nguyen, co-founder and CEO of the AI health care company, accepted his award, the Coastal Entrepreneur Award signature surfboard, to a standing ovation from hundreds in the audience at the University of North ...

Channel, an inclusive small business center powered by Live Oak Bank, partnered with the University of North Carolina School of Law Institute for Innovation to host three legal clinics for Wilmington small businesses and nonprofits.   Chakema Clinton-Quintana, the director of Channel, connected with UNC Law about how to fill the gaps in what the organization provide ...

When two Surf City dudes, Cody Leutgens and Steve Christian, realized the community they loved had a shortage of good, casual restaurants, they decided to address the situation.  They came up with Shaka Taco, a small taco joint selling fresh, locally sourced seafood. From that lowly beginning, Shaka Taco has expanded to three locations, each with a dedicated and gr ...