General Information
The North Carolina Entrepreneurship Summit is the premier event for people who want to celebrate and cultivate our Entrepreneurial State.
Small business development is a proven and essential piece of the evolving economy, and North Carolina is working hard to position itself for success in entrepreneurship. The summit is a living, growing, and working collaborative of leadership from across our diverse state on a mission to create ‘homegrown’ jobs. This year’s summit, “Doorways to Entrepreneurial Communities,” will be the third statewide gathering to celebrate and work for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Billy Ray Hall, President of the NC Rural Center said at the 2007 Summit, “North Carolina’s best and brightest leaders are here today, together in one room with one purpose: to make North Carolina the best state in which to do business and be in business.”
Download the "Resource Guide"
Download "Navigating Business Services"
Download "2007 Summit Annoucement Package"If you are interested in:
- business, economic or workforce development
- state or local policy
- education of adults or youth
- improving the economic climate for your small business
...You will want to participate in this celebration and caucus about entrepreneurship in our state.
The North Carolina Entrepreneurship Summit was initiated by the N.C. Rural Center and many partners through a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and held in the Triangle in 2006 and 2007. Attendance was 600 in 2007. The 2008 Summit marks the beginning of statewide rotation of a biennial event, starting with the Piedmont Triad region. The Summit is hosted by the North Carolina Business Resource Alliance, a virtual organization of business resource providers working to develop a comprehensive network of business services for the state. Alliance members contributing to the Entrepreneurship Summit include the N.C. Rural Center, the SBTDC, the Small Business Center Network, N.C. Commerce, NC REAL and many others. To learn more about the Alliance, visit the Business Resource Alliance web site.
Leaders of more than 50 organizations gathered in April 2006 for the state’s first Entrepreneurship Summit. They organized their work around five key imperatives, which still form the framework for the summit.
- Foster entrepreneurship education at all levels. High-quality educational programs should be available to help people make informed choices about creating and managing businesses.
- Broaden financial options for start-ups, research and development, and business growth. Significant gaps remain in North Carolina’s business finance system. Rural entrepreneurs in particular need greater access to debt and equity capital. A concerted effort is also needed to improve financial literacy among adults and youths to prepare them better for the challenges of business ownership.
- Invest in a high-quality, integrated system of support services. At different times in the life of their businesses, entrepreneurs may need training, technical assistance, professional services or the advice of peers. These services should be available and easily accessible in every area of the state.
- Strengthen business-to-business networking opportunities. Business people may learn best from each other. Formal and informal networks allow entrepreneurs to share experiences, ideas, contacts and resources, to trade goods and services, and to collaborate on new ventures.
- Enhance the environment for entrepreneurship. Provide leadership through both policy and community support. Strong entrepreneurial sectors do not arise in a vacuum. Policy makers should explicitly address the needs of entrepreneurs, which may vary significantly from those of large corporations. Communities, too, must understand and adopt the economic development strategies that will encourage business start-ups and growth, whether it means improving hard or soft infrastructure or increasing public awareness of entrepreneurs’ contributions to the community.
