The startup culture in Wilmington continues to grow as more entrepreneurs discover and want to be immersed in the area’s quality of life. While challenges remain, such as the need to attract more capital to the coast to help local startups thrive and potentially stay in the Port City, early entrepreneurs say they’ve found a welcoming atmosphere and important resources. The following are the stories of three Wilmington startup founders, in their own words.

University of North Carolina Wilmington graduate Megan Rowe, 26, and her brother Dustin built an algorithm and website in 2023 that compiles events and small businesses into categories: events, activities, restaurants, kid-friendly establishments and more.

Their company, Check What’s Good, also founded by Mahmud Ahsan, secured about $100,000 in seed funding from two Wrightsville Beach-based private investors. Rowe has degrees in public health and international studies.
 

First job ever: “I worked at a country club!”
 

Inspiration: “My entire life, I’ve been inspired by people who put something out into the world that enhances the lives of others. I wanted to be one of those people and began solving a problem that my friends and I personally experienced.
 

I saw a need for a centralized platform to highlight local events and businesses. From working in the community, I knew that most small business owners open their doors out of passion. They end up becoming a mix of HR, custodians, customer service representatives, graphic designers and more.
 

Being able to harness the power of AI and take the burden of marketing off their plate, allows them to focus on building a great business while we help handle getting the word out about their events and business. Checkwhatsgood.com bridges the gap for everyone. Local businesses can focus on their passion, our platform helps them reach new customers, and users like me can discover all the hidden gems our community has to offer.”
 

Thoughts on Wilmington’s startup environment: “It’s a really cool place to start off and grow. There seems to be a shared sentiment among a lot of people that a rising tide raises all of the boats. People are championing for each other’s businesses left and right.
 

Not only do I appreciate that mentality as being a young entrepreneur, but it’s catching the eye of business professionals in the surrounding cities.”
 

Where do you hope your company will be in a year? Five years? “In one year, we hope to be in three new cities and continue to thrive in Wilmington. In five years, we want to be the undisputed go-to platform for planning things to do.”
 

Advice for other startups: “It’s okay if your product isn’t perfect; just put it out there. We were pushed out of the nest a lot sooner than we were comfortable with while launching our website, but it’s the best thing that could have happened.
 

Getting early user feedback and learning what people love is the best way to steer a company rather than waiting for a product to be ‘perfect.’ It feels really vulnerable, but that’s part of being a founder. We’ve found that our audience connects with this vulnerability, and the fact that we have real humans running the company has built a lot of trust.”
 

What else do you want people to know about you and your company? “My brother and I co-founded this company, and it’s been an incredible journey collaborating on our shared vision. Our complementary skills have been invaluable, and we’re excited to continue growing and improving. We have big plans for the future, including enhanced user experiences, more data, and richer content. We’re just getting started.”