The Rising Stars: The next generation of leaders who are already making waves (limited to those 35 years old and younger)
Chris Capone
Founder & CEO, Capone & Associates
Chris Capone started Capone & Associates, a Wilmington-based company that provides bookkeeping and CFO services, in 2022. It has grown to include 10 employees.
Why he’s a rising star: Besides growing Capone & Associates, Capone this year launched a podcast called Fractional, showcasing other local business leaders and entrepreneurs.
He also started a redevelopment project to house his business and others. Called 717 Mkt, the 13,000-square-foot building was built in 1960 and is located at 717 and 715 Market St.
“We are completely redeveloping an old, unutilized building, and turning it into a brand-new office space for Capone & Associates, as well as offering 16 memberships for executive suites,” Capone said.
The $3.6 million project will have a gym, podcast studio, four conference rooms, a collaborative work environment and a roof-top terrace.
On the mic: Capone is aiming for 50 podcast shows in 2025.
Jack Fleming
Lead Organizer, 1 Million Cups
Entrepreneur Jack Fleming, a 2019 UNCW Cameron School of Business graduate, serves as lead organizer of 1 Million Cups Wilmington, a weekly entrepreneurship platform.
Why he’s a rising star: Fleming brings other entrepreneurs and local startups together through his 1 Million Cups leadership. 1 Million Cups is a free, national program established by the Kauffman Foundation. With meetings every Wednesday at UNCW’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the program is based on the idea that entrepreneurs discover solutions and engage with their communities over coffee. Fleming is also CEO and founder of Socialry, a social media management company he started in 2020, and owner of Phrayz, a marketing content software. Additionally, he is part of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Council.
Outside activities: Fleming vounteers for Young Life and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.
Sarah Gibbs
VP of Development, YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina
Sarah Gibbs plays a key role in securing financial support for the YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina that funds the organization’s growing footprint and programming in the Cape Fear region.
Why she’s a rising star: Late last year, Gibbs was appointed as the local YMCA’s vice president of development, a role that involves managing the organization’s charitable support, community relations and brand awareness. She oversees a team of eight and an annual budget of $1.2 million.
The YMCA is looking to grow with investments at its midtown Wilmington facility and initial plans for a new YMCA in northern New Hanover County. Gibbs helped secure a $4 million matching grant late last year from the New Hanover Community Endowment to fund the Midtown YMCA expansion. She’s also working to identify partners and early supporters to help fund additional growth in the Wilmington area.
Over the past year, Gibbs worked with the YMCA’s board and leadership staff to develop a comprehensive plan to help the organization meet its strategic goals in the next five years. She also helped establish a strategic partnership with Novant Health to elevate and expand the YMCA’s community health programs throughout the region.
Raising funds: Gibbs is responsible for securing $1 million in charitable support, grants and special event revenue each year. That money makes up about 10% of the local YMCA’s annual operating budget.
ChyAnn Ketchum
Public Information Officer, City of Southport
ChyAnn Ketchum wears many hats for the city of Southport. She manages the city’s website and social media pages, streams city meetings, issues news releases and responds to media requests – all with a goal of getting the right information to the right people at the right time.
Why she’s a rising star: Ketchum led Southport’s communications during Hurricane Debby and Potential Tropical Storm 8, recent storms that brought heavy rain and flooding to the area. Her proactive storm response included regular social media updates, text alerts and news releases. This year, Ketchum also earned her Advanced Public Information Officer certification from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
She recently initiated an overhaul of Southport’s meeting audio/visual system to make it easier for remote presenters to participate and for at-home viewers to access streamed meetings. Ketchum has also established a partnership with the messaging system TextMyGov, which has helped grow the city’s text alert subscribers from less than 100 to more than 900.
In 2025, Ketchum aims to launch a new city website. She also wants to enroll in FEMA’s Executive Public Information Officer program and work towards earning her N.C. Emergency Management Associate certification.
Working together: If Ketchum could start a new company, she would open a coworking space to serve small businesses and entrepreneurs in the southern part of the Cape Fear Region. She envisions an “inspiring, safe, pet-friendly space” for locals to work.
Nicholas Newell
Owner, The Capstone Group & Founder, Saint Nicholas Christmas Foundation
In addition to owning a real estate company, Nicholas Newell started the Saint Nicholas Christmas Foundation.
Why he’s a rising star: While working as a real estate agent juggling multiple transactions at a time and serving on city committees, Newell also works on providing holiday cheer to those without throughout the region and beyond. His Christmas nonprofit started out as a small-scale fundraiser among friends and family in 2014, becoming a registered 501(c)(3) in November 2018. “Today, we cover over 5,000 square miles serving residents in Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender, Onslow, Carteret, Jones and Craven counties in Coastal North Carolina,” according to the organization’s website. Newell’s tasks for the foundation include “a lot of networking and public speaking, appearing on newscasts, organizing and soliciting donations, lists of those in need and facilitating the distribution of donations.”
Another leadership role: As president of the Mallory Creek Plantation HOA Inc., he leads a board that is currently managing $1 million in annual revenue and planning construction of a new amenity site. They’re also working with the town of Leland to create additional crosswalks and sidewalks within Mallory Creek.
Olaf Sanchez-Parada
Senior Paralegal & Community Liaison, Helen Tarokic Law
Olaf Sanchez-Parada works at the immigration law firm Helen Tarokic Law.
Why he’s a rising star: Sanchez-Parada assists immigrants who were victims of human trafficking, labor exploitation and domestic violence in the process of applying for and obtaining humanitarian visas.
He is a community liaison for the immigrant community in the Wilmington area, encouraging individuals to seek immigration relief through humanitarian visas.
He also helped establish St. Vincent de Paul Our Lady of the Rosary Cape Fear Conference, which was founded in July. The nonprofit assists those in need with emergency financial assistance. Sanchez-Parada serves as the group’s vice president.
2025 goal: Sanchez-Parada wants to get accepted to law school next year.
Isabelle Shepherd
Executive Director, Alliance for Cape Fear Trees
Isabelle Shepherd’s background in Wilmington has included working in local media and historic preservation.
Why she’s a rising star: In November, Shepherd was named as head of the Alliance for Cape Fear Trees, a nonprofit that advocates for tree preservation, planting and care in the Cape Fear region.
Founded in 2015, the group has planted or assisted in planting more than 3,000 trees throughout the city and distributed another 14,000 young trees to area residents.
Before this new role, Shepherd served as interim executive director for the Historic Wilmington Foundation (HWF) earlier this year. During that time, she led advocacy efforts on the issues of development of the Cape Fear River’s west bank and the replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge.
On the west bank issue this year, she worked with a coalition of nonprofit leaders to draft a position statement advocating for a conservation place-type designation in recent updates to New Hanover County’s Comprehensive Plan.
With federal funding announced for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement, HWF also took a position about what they support design-wise for the new bridge, advocating for a design of 100 feet or lower as a way to preserve Wilmington’s downtown historic district and maintaining the pre-existing right of way of the current bridge.
Fundraising chops: In Shepherd’s previous role as HWF’s development director, she secured over $100,000 in grants for HWF’s Preservation Equity Fund this year.
Read more about the 2024 WilmingtonBiz 100 honorees by clicking here.
