Code School Opening in American Tobacco

Kicking down doors and busting through glass ceilings is just another day in the life for aspiring coders in Durham. Now there will be a new code school in Durham to help men and women learn skills in Java, CSS, HTML, Ruby on Rails, and other software languages that are needed for successful careers in technology.

A new code academy, The Iron Yard, is coming to Durham in June at the American Tobacco Campus.The school will partner with Smashing Boxes, a Durham-based technology shop to bring the intensive classes to life. This partnership is just another example of the growing technology sector in Durham, and the integral nature of thriving partnerships in the community.

The code school will hold 12-week courses that will combine practical application, mentorship, collaboration, and teaching, all within close proximity to successful Durham tech entrepreneurs at places like the American Underground and the Startup Factory, just two of many such entities here in town. Students will graduate from the school with the necessary skills to be hired as junior-level coders. There are an abundance of these kinds of jobs in Durham, and this school hopes to close the gap between skilled workers and the need for them.

The Iron Yard will join the ranks of Durham's educational institutions like North Carolina Central University, Duke University, and Durham Tech which prepare talented students to enter the workforce. The new school will also contribute to the growing technology buzz in Durham, already identified and affirmed by Google with its Tech Hub partnership with American Underground. That partnership allows technology developers to interact and have access to Google developers and products.

The Iron Yard and Smashing Boxes aim to teach students who have little or no prior development knowledge. This speaks to the inclusive nature of the technology community in Durham, where diversity is valued and encouraged. Recently Google helped fund Soar, a Durham-based program that connects women entrepreneurs with capital needed to help close the gender gap in entrepreneurship. These programs are just a couple of examples of how the Durham community seeks to support all of its members.

Look online to discover more reasons why Durham is a great place to visit, work, and do business.

Durham's Second Liquor Producer Launches Product

Durham continues to grow as a major US food destination, and two entrepreneurs have chosen it to launch Mystic Bourbon Liqueur, a new specialty beverage company here. Mystic is second only to The Brother's Vilgalys who make Krupnikas in Durham.

Mystic began as a way for company founders Jonathan Blitz and Michael Sinclair to pursue their passion for fine spirits. “We both love bourbon,” said Blitz. Sinclair, a former professional brewer, had discovered a unique and easy-to-drink Scotch liqueur when he was tracing his family’s roots on the coast of Scotland.

The pair decided to bring a version of the product to market. With his wife, Sinclair refined the recipe instead using American bourbon whiskey, and incorporating more exotic botanicals.  “I knew they had created something really special, and I immediately wanted to share it with everyone,” Blitz said of his first taste of the result.

Blitz and Sinclair, who named their venture Barrister & Brewer after their professions, knew they needed help to get the business rolling. Luckily, they found a friend and mentor in Rimas Vilgalys at The Brothers Vilgalys Spirits Company in Durham. Vilgalys had a licensed facility, experience in obtaining approvals for the formulation and labeling of a new liquor, and he was happy to help. “Durham has been a great place for me to get started, so I wanted to pay that forward and help get Mystic off the ground,” Vilgalys said.

"Durham is such a vibrant start up community, and its food scene is just about the worst kept secret on earth," said Sam Poley, a retired chef who works for Durham's marketing agency. "Food entrepreneurs find a pretty welcoming crowd in Durham," Poley added.

Blitz and Sinclair have been humbled by the reception Triangle-wide, but apparently Durham has given them an exceptional welcome. "Frankly, we're kind of blown away by the reception in Durham. AlI I have to do is go into a restaurant and tell them I have a new, locally-made spirit, and they make a few minutes to speak with me. They are also usually willing to work with us to arrange a tasting so their customers can try it, too. That doesn't happen everywhere. Everyone has been incredibly supportive and helpful," Blitz said.

Blitz and Sinclair got their recipe federally approved, and the North Carolina ABC Commission indicated an interest in carrying the product in the state warehouse.  “We’re working full-time to keep the ABC Stores in the Triangle stocked,” said Sinclair.  The two are already working on approval for interstate sales, as well. “Now we’re working on building and audience by getting people to try it. We’d love for people to contact us on our Facebook page to give us ideas,” Blitz said.  The company’s Facebook page will be where they announce tasting events, too. The product is currently available in Durham, Franklin, Onslow, Orange and some Wake county ABC stores.

“It’s amazing how willing people are to try something new and local, and how fast their friends become customers as well,” Blitz added.  “We feel really lucky that people are enjoying the product. We’re going to make sure that we keep the same quality in every bottle.”

Check out the Durham Stuff website for other products made in Durham - a site on which Mystic will appear soon.

Creative Entrepreneur Expo May 16

Durham, NC has the highest percentage of creative class jobs in the US, so it's only natural for the community to focus on that portion of the economy. Coming up next week is an opportunity for Durhamites to gain new entrepreneurial insights, hone business skills, connect with business resources and be inspired.

The Durham Arts Council in partnership with the City of Durham Office of Economic & Workforce Development, the Durham Cultural Advisory Board, the Durham Small Business Advisory Council and the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau will present a Creative Entrepreneur Expo May 16 from 8 am - 12:30 PM at the Durham Arts Council at 120 Morris Street.

The Expo will be an opportunity for learning, discussion and networking featuring keynote presentations, discussion of the Creative Vitality Index, business development workshops and a resource expo filled with invaluable resources to help participants launch and create their own business.

Tickets are $25  and includes breakfast, all presentations, workshops, handouts, business
resources, free parking, plus lunch discount at downtown partner restaurants. Tickets are available here.

SCHEDULE
8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.
Registration and Continental Breakfast, Networking

8:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
The Importance of the Creative Economy and Creative Entrepreneurs in Durham, NC
* Welcome from Event Hosts - Sherry DeVries, DAC Executive Director and Renee Leverty, Chair, Cultural Advisory Board
* Greetings from Mayor William V. "Bill" Bell
* Creative Impact in Our State - NC Secretary of Cultural Resources Susan Klutz
* Creative Vitality Index ™ Announcement - the latest data for Durham!
* Keynote: Carl Nordgren, Author, Creative Entrepreneur "Guru", & Duke University Professor
with Christopher Gergen, Founder of Bull City Forward
* Introduction of Creative Business Resource Expo & Workshops - Thomas Leathers, City of Durham OEWD, Coordinator for Small Business Advisory Council

10:00 a.m. - 12:30 pm
Creative Business Resource Expo
Over 30 local business resources and companies to help you build your creative enterprise. Resource tables and experts located on main and 2nd floor of Durham Arts Council
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
5 Outstanding Creative Business Workshops to Help You
Launch, Develop or Expand Your Creative Business
Attend 2 workshops of your choice

12:30
Lunch On Your Own and Continue the Networking
Discount coupon for participating downtown restaurants will be provided

For more information about Durham, click here.

Online Food Delivery Service Awarded Spot in Durham Startup Incubator

Known as a foodie and tech haven, Durham seems the perfect place for a new restaurant delivery business start.  Given that one is getting going here, that assessment might be right on target.

Tech-based company BringMeThat has been accepted into the Triangle Startup Factory for a three-month spring session and is currently launching its service in North Carolina. As of mid-April, BringMeThat offers delivery from more than 1,200 restaurants across the state, with hundreds more set to be added.

Started at the beginning of the year, BringMeThat has created a system for customers to place delivery orders online without ever needing to use the phone. The site features comprehensive lists of restaurants that offer delivery, searchable by address. BringMeThat began in Ohio, where it features more than 1,400 restaurant listings across 300 cities.

Located in downtown Durham, on the historic American Tobacco Campus, the Triangle Startup Factory is "the most highly-capitalized technology accelerator in the southeast," created to launch early-stage tech companies. BringMeThat received $50,000 in upfront funding and is eligible for up to $150,000 in additional funding. As one of only six businesses in the program, the company will be immersed in a network of technology experts and entrepreneurial mentors.

BringMeThat was created by friends Michael LaMarca and Jason Liang. Coming from New York City, an area saturated with food services, the co-founders wanted to bring an online ordering system to North Carolina. Cities like Durham, where the food culture is burgeoning thanks to the national media spotlight, would gain access to aggregated digital menus. While specialized delivery services already exist in some NC cities, BringMeThat will provide exhaustive lists that also cover the state's underserved rural areas.

For more information about all the great food in Durham, grab a napkin and visit this site.

Durham Furniture Designer Partners with Durham Manufacturer

Durham is known for its creativity and for being a hub of entrepreneurialism. It is also a place filled with people who appreciate authenticity and value integrity.  Those traits tend to foster synergistic relationships between local businesses.  Just such union has recently been formed to bring to market a line of children's furniture both designed and manufactured in Durham.

Durham-based furniture designer Mas Sato Designs has expanded operations of its modern children’s furniture line by partnering with Phillip Fletcher of Durham Bookcases in Downtown Durham. The company has added production capabilities using local craftspeople to build and assemble originally designed furniture pieces.  In the past year, Mas Sato Designs has launched a new website to improve availability and ease of ordering. It has also added a flat-ship option to expand its offerings and lower shipping costs.

Mas Sato Designs began as a small independent craft maker and quickly saw international demand and sales growth for high-quality modern children’s furniture. It provides locally manufactured furniture that is sturdy, modern and elegant for children ages 1-10.

About Mas Sato Designs
Mas Sato Designs’ mission is to create stylish furniture children will love to use and adults will love to display. What started as a project for his own family grew into a business that helps children to create, imagine and be independent. Mas Sato’s designs are elegant, minimal and decidedly modern. Drawing from both traditional Japanese aesthetics and mid-century modern design, the pieces offer a unique twist to standard children’s furniture. Each design is original and is designed and manufactured in Durham, NC. In addition, Mas Sato Designs takes commissions for custom furniture work and works with interior designers, architects, business owners, and homeowners. www.massatodesigns.com, Mas Sato Designs is located at Livingstone Place, Durham, NC.

About Durham Bookcases
Durham Bookcases opened in 1995 building bookcases at competitive prices with high quality workmanship. Today, its 20,000 sq ft retail and manufacturing building creates more than 450 standard sized bookcases in addition to a large variety of furniture pieces in all kinds of woods and finishes including crown mouldings, solid wood doors and stylized drawers and more. In addition to standard built pieces Durham Bookcases builds custom designed pieces. Learn more at www.bookcaseshop.com, Durham Bookcases factory and store are located at: 301 S Duke St. Durham, NC 27701.

Like to stay in touch with things made in Durham, go to the Durham Stuff website!

Booch, Beer and Sustainable Business

There are so many "Durham" things about this story.  It's about sustainability, equality, great food and drink, and even mass transit.  It's the sort of story that makes people love Durham even more...and research shows the love for Durham is at an all time high.

On March 7th, 2012, from 6:00 – 8:00pm, Slow Money NC is holding a “Booch, Beer and Sustainable Business Gathering” at Ninth Street Bakery. Several local business entrepreneurs – including Ninth Street Bakery - will kick off the evening by showcasing their upcoming expansion ideas to potential Slow Money lenders.

Frank Ferrell Serves Up Bull City Booch at Nintth St. Bakery

“In June of 2010,” recalls Carol Peppe Hewitt, co-founder of Slow Money NC, “we made the first Slow Money loan of $2000 to an aspiring baker in Pittsboro, NC. Since then dozens of ordinary people throughout NC have made similar low-interest loans to sustainable farmers, restaurants that serve local food, a beekeeper, a gluten-free baker, a local produce distribution company, and more. To date these Slow Money loans, that range from $500 to $5000, now total over $100,000.” 

Slow Money NC also formed an Investor Club that continues to break new ground in building resilience in local economies across the state, bringing the total  local investment to over half a million dollars.

Bryan McGannon, from the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) in Washington, DC will be on hand at the event to talk about how North Carolina sustainable businesses and their organizations can collaborate to build a more vibrant, just and sustainable local and national economy. Like Slow Money NC, the ASBC supports innovative financing solutions to transform our economy while working to shape public policy in that direction.

Ninth Street Baker has been operating in Durham since 1981. This year they added beer on tap, cider, Bull City Booch (their signature kombucha), an expanded menu, and extended their hours at the East Chapel Hill Street location in Downtown Durham.  They, too, seek a Slow Money loan to add an outdoor deck to host more events.

“Making small, affordable loans to local food projects, and helping others do the same, is a way to greatly expand that impact. Frank has been giving to his community for decades. Now it’s time to give him something back,” added Hewitt.

Durham has a national reputation for being a great place for start-up businesses and entrepreneurs, in part because of strong community support.  Learn more about the latest effort to entice new start-up businesses to come to Durham here.  Nationally, Slow Money has a goal of one million people investing 1% of their money in local food systems within the decade.

Really Small News?

The creators of the Bull City Startup Stampede are back at it with a new project.  It's a really big deal and a great opportunity for the winner.  The exposure will be massive and the financial value is big.  It's just that the space is, well, small.

Really small.

The Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Durham, Inc. are partnering once again to bring entrepreneurs to downtown Durham, this time through an initiative called The Smoffice. A national competition, The Smoffice will provide one startup with six months of free space in “The World’s Smallest Office” as well as  a free six-month lease on a downtown condo.

The Smoffice will be located in the storefront window of Beyu Caffe, a prominent coffee shop on Main Street. “We are excited to be working with Dorian (owner of Beyu) as we think entrepreneurship and coffee make a great pair,” said Adam Klein, Startup Strategist at the Durham Chamber. “We like the energy of the crowd that spends time at Beyu Caffe and think this location will give the winning entrepreneur an easy opportunity to meet and mingle with fellow entrepreneurs and Durham’s business leaders.”

The Smoffice design was created by Center Studio Architecture and constructed by McDonald York. The winning entrepreneur will enjoy a custom built desk as well as free furniture from CBi and a tablet. In addition to the commercial space, the winner will get to enjoy downtown Durham around the clock with a free condo at Mangum 506.

“Downtown Durham powers startups and we want to give The Smoffice winner as much exposure and time in Durham as possible,” said Downtown Durham Inc.’s Director of Marketing Matthew Coppedge. “We are quickly becoming a significant startup hub and The Smoffice gives us a great chance to continue to feature entrepreneurs and the kind of energy and creativity they drive in a downtown environment. This initiative will show that one does not need the best or fanciest space to launch a successful company, but rather be surrounded by a stimulating environment and people.”

The Smoffice winner will also receive technical assistance from startup experts in legal, accounting and marketing. Perhaps most important, the winner will be networked with the 70 other startups that call downtown Durham home.

 Applications for The Smoffice open on Leap Day, February 29 and close Friday, March 30. Interested applicants can learn more at www.thesmoffice.com or on Twitter @thesmoffice. Applications should include a one page business plan along with a 60 second You Tube video detailing why the startup should win The Smoffice space. The Smoffice winner will be announced on Friday, April 13 and the winner will arrive in Durham and open The Smoffice on Monday, April 30. Website design for The Smoffice was provided by Kompleks Creative.

Durham is a great place for big ideas, big personalities and big businesses...but they all started someplace (ugh.) small.

Start to Finish - Entrepreneurialism in Durham, NC

Imagine a community welcoming to people with ideas, passion and the desire to start a business; a place where when people hear the ideas of others they respond with “How can I help?” instead of “Good luck;” a place where even failure is ok as long as the road there is lined with integrity.

That place is Durham, NC.

Durham, a city with deep entrepreneurial roots, has been garnering national attention for its progressive and innovative nature for hundreds of years. Durham is home to Research Triangle Park (RTP), the largest high-tech research and science park in North America.  In addition, Downtown Durham is home to over 60 startup companies employing more than 500 people.

The startup culture is hardly new. Durham has always been a hotbed of entrepreneurialism - the Great American Indian Trading Path ran through here; a route that was an early manifestation of entrepreneurial activity.  In the 1860s, Washington Duke started what grew into the mega-giant American Tobacco Company from pocket change.  Businesses like Durham-based Cree and Quintiles grew from a handful of employees 25 years ago to their current status as multinational companies with thousands of employees.   

More recently, in 2011, Durham was the first stop on the US Small Business Administration’s national tour of roundtable discussions called Startup America: Reducing Barriers. In other words, entrepreneurism is an essential part of Durham’s DNA. 

With the startup landscape flourishing in Durham, the future looks brighter every day.  An influx of small business incubators and accelerators has drawn entrepreneurs to Durham from around the world, all of whom have a dream and the drive to succeed.  Organizations like JoyStick Labs, LaunchBox Digital and Bull City Forward, to name a few. 

Much of the success of these small businesses can be traced to organizations and programs that help entrepreneurs thrive.  The Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Durham Inc. have hosted The Bull City Start-up Stampede, a competitive initiative matching start-up companies with free office space and technical assistance.  CED, the regional council for entrepreneurial development located in Downtown Durham also provides entrepreneurs with the necessary resources and tools to start and grow their businesses.  

Duke University recently launched a major campus-wide initiative in innovation and entrepreneurship led by Kimberly Jenkins.  A Duke alumna, Jenkins’ resume includes working with Microsoft’s Bill Gates back when it was a start-up company, leading the marketing department for Steve Jobs at NeXT, as well as stints advising companies such as Sun, Oracle and Cisco.  This effort will help keep bright graduates close by and further expand the societal impact of Duke innovations. 

Turns out, Durham is also a great place to be to work on stepping away from a business that has grown to great success, too.  Two of Durham’s entrepreneurs, Jess Eberdt and Doug Townsend, did exactly this and maneuvered away from the daily operations of their hugely successful business Parata Systems.  They started Tempus Durham, a firm that helps successful entrepreneurs do exactly as they have done, devise an exit strategy from a successful business to have freedom to pursue other things. 

Durham has myriad stories of dreams that became ideas that became realities that grew into great successes.  It’s really a city to be reckoned with when it comes to starting a business, routinely being named in the same breath as Silicon Valley.

Considering that more than 80% of relocating executives visit a location first before deciding to move their companies, the success of Durham as a visitor destination can only further encourage the natural evolution and current momentum that made Durham such a highly sought-after business climates in the U.S. 

The Cookery joins Durham Food and Entrepreneurship Community

The newest addition to Durham’s food and entrepreneurship communities opened its doors to an eager crowd of local food enthusiasts on Thursday night. Visitors got a first look at The Cookery, a for-hire commercial kitchen space which will operate both as a commercial kitchen for food trucks and catering businesses, and as a small food-business incubator.  Culinary entrepreneurs will be provided the tools they need, both intellectual and practical, to start and run their operation. Clients contract use of the facility on a monthly basis or by the hour where the kitchen is open 24 hours per day and 7 days per week.

Durham is routinely considered the Silicon Valley of the South Eastern US with incubators such as American Underground and Bull City Forward, and the Start Up Stampede as drivers of the growth.  Durham is also one of the country’s most vibrant and celebrated food markets and was on the NY Times list of the top 41 places in the world to visit in 2011 with its food culture highlighted as a component. The Cookery’s business model serves both markets by fostering creative culinary minds as they set out to become the next Durham’s local food scene success story.

Durham a Hotbed of Entrepreneurial Activity

Durham, a city with deep entrepreneurial roots, is again garnering national attention for its progressive and innovative community. Currently, the Chamber estimates that downtown Durham is home to over 50 startup companies, employing more than 500 people. Also home to the Research Triangle Park, Durham really is a city to be reckoned with.  

These facts make it easy to see why the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce announced the Bull City Startup Stampede at vertically the same time the federal government announced its intention to begin a series of roundtables aimed at reducing barriers and regulations to build a more supportive environment for entrepreneurship and innovation right here in Durham on March 3. Here is more information on each program.

The Bull City Startup Stampede, will provide startups access to 3,500 square feet of office space at 201 W. Main Street in downtown Durham for 60 days. During the Stampede, entrepreneurs will have time to focus on launching their business, receive free technical assistance from attorneys, accountants, and other service providers and meet with several successful entrepreneurs located in downtown Durham. Entrepreneurs will get to use the state’s fastest Wi-Fi connection courtesy of Time Warner Cable Business Class and receive free parking compliments of the City of Durham. Local companies nBaxter Design, Edge Office, Preation and Smashing Boxes have provided additional support for the project – assisting with logistical aspects of the Stampede. This program is courtesy of courtesy of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Durham, Inc. and Self-Help Commercial Real Estate.

The Startup America: Reducing Barriers roundtables are in response to President Obama’s issuing of an Executive Order instructing federal agencies to identify and take steps to reduce regulations that are outdated or overly burdensome to entrepreneurs. The roundtable series will build on this directive and is part of the Administration’s overall Startup America efforts to support for startups and entrepreneurs with tools and resources to grow America’s economy and win the future. Entrepreneurs and small business owners in Durham interested in attending any of the events can learn more by emailing reducingbarriers@sba.gov or by visiting www.sba.gov/startupamerica.

Durham Gets MORE Entrepreneurial

Durham has always been a hotbed of entrepreneurialism - even the Great American Indian Trading Path ran through this place; a route that was an early manifestation of entrepreneurial activity.  In other words, Durham's brand can claim the spirit of entrepreneurialism at the genetic level.


Duke University announced a major move forward for those
interested in starting businesses in Durham.



Today, Duke University announced a major leap forward that builds upon Durham's previous successes in this area.  Duke alumna Kimberly Jenkins will assist Duke in its efforts to promote both entrepreneurship and innovation at Duke.  Click here for a story that more clearly addresses start ups in Durham.

"Durham continues to rise as a hub for start ups in a way that few communities can compete with regionally or nationally," said Shelly Green, the President and CEO of the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau.  This sentiment echoes repeated national rankings and recognition of Durham's promienence as a dynamic place to live, work, play and retire.  "This news is great for Duke and great for Durham," Ms. Green noted. 

Click here for more information about Duke's new initiative.