Ecosysteming
Ecosysteming is the podcast redefining economic development through the lens of equitable entrepreneurship. Join NC IDEA’s Thom Ruhe as he engages with entrepreneurs and experts who are challenging the status quo and driving lasting change. Catch new episodes of Ecosysteming every other Tuesday on all major podcast platforms.
Ecosysteming
A Founder’s Path to a 120K Fellowship w/ Rich Gilliam | Ep. 39
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How can a founder fully tap into North Carolina’s entrepreneurial ecosystem?
Founder and CEO of Stem Plug, Rich Gilliam, shares his journey on Episode 39 of the Ecosysteming podcast with host Thom Ruhe.
Rich’s path began in engineering and evolved through his Master’s in Educational Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship at UNC-Chapel Hill. From there, he became an NC IDEA Startup Consultant Fellow, received an NC IDEA MICRO ($10K) grant, and most recently secured the $120,000 two-year Bold Path Fellowship supported by ECMC Foundation, Provident1898, and NC IDEA.
In this episode, Rich reflects not only on milestones but also on challenges, including not being selected for an NC IDEA SEED ($50K) grant and what that experience taught him. Stem Plug is focused on advancing STEM education, sparking entrepreneurial thinking, and building brains beyond books.