November 24, 2015

With its new offices ready for occupancy, UNC Pembroke’s Entrepreneurship Incubator (EI) is ready to serve start-up businesses in the region.

The incubator has been conceived as an engine for job creation and innovation for the 10-county region extending from the coast to the sandhills. The project was funded by $1.2 million in grants and gifts from the U.S. Commerce Department, the Golden Leaf Foundation, and private donors.

The 17,000 square-foot facility supports local entrepreneurs by providing new businesses with physical space, consulting services, educational seminars and workshops, mentoring, and networking opportunities.

The incubator itself has been a business start-up of entrepreneurial proportions, said Dr. Cammie Hunt, associate vice chancellor for Engaged Outreach.

UNCP’s incubator draws from the resources of North Carolina’s Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC), UNCP’s Thomas Family Center for Entrepreneurship and the School of Business. The EI also has formed strategic partnerships with InnovateNC, headquartered at NC State University, and NCGrowth at UNC Chapel Hill.

“It took state, federal and community support to get to this day, and we are very excited about opening the doors of this beautiful facility to facilitate businesses’ success,” Dr. Hunt said. “The Entrepreneurship Incubator will be a significant job creator for the region.”