DURHAM, NC – November 12, 2021 – NC IDEA, a private foundation committed to supporting entrepreneurial ambition and economic empowerment in North Carolina, announced today that the organization has awarded over $1.1 million in grants during the organization’s 2021 Ecosystem Summit, coinciding with this year’s Global Entrepreneurship Week. Nine NC IDEA SEED grants and fifteen Regional Impact Grants have been awarded to partners and companies across the state.

“Today we announced the most ever (nine) SEED grants awarded in one cycle, along with fifteen new partnerships,  under the auspice of our ECOSYSTEM Partner Program, intended to further strengthen the infrastructure supporting North Carolina entrepreneurs,” said Thom Ruhe, CEO and President of NC IDEA. “We are empowering entrepreneurs to reach their full potential by funding them directly and working in partnership with others that support their efforts when they need it most. These awards are yet another direct investment in the equitable startup ecosystems of North Carolina that so many people depend upon. It is a fitting way to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week,” Ruhe concluded.

The Regional Impact Grants under the umbrella of NC IDEA ECOSYSTEM, were made available to existing NC IDEA ECOSYSTEM and NC IDEA ENGAGE partners to serve as the lead grantee. The solicitation required at least two organizations to collaborate on a program supporting entrepreneurs building scalable businesses, focusing on a specific region of their choosing. This particular grant program intends to strengthen the infrastructure supporting North Carolina entrepreneurs via collaboration and the sharing of resources and networks. Several of the partnerships focused on elevating Black entrepreneurship were funded under the leadership of the North Carolina Black Entrepreneurship Council (NC BEC).

Boundless Impact's ImagineHub learning network of missional innovation centers is one of 4 grant recipients in the western NC region. ImagineHub will collaborate with the Western NC Community College’s Small Business Network to expand Cultural Entrepreneur Mindset workshops and programs, as new ImagineHub sites launch in western NC.

In partnership with WNCC Equity and Justice Ministries, Boundless Impact is launching a 6-session Racial Healing and Reconciliation Learning Cohort from October 2021 through March 2022. Eight teams representing 10 churches from western NC and TN will participate in monthly cohort gatherings for training, listening, support and sharing resources. Between cohort gatherings, teams will meet separately to work on assignments and prepare for the next gathering. A diverse Guide Team is designing and facilitating the program, as well as providing coaching and support for churches throughout the program:

ImagineHub learning network of missional innovation centers is thrilled to welcome 5 new sites to the network, bringing our community to 17 total sites in NC and FL:

• Macedonia United Methodist Church in Cary, NC
• Central United Methodist Church in Thomasville, NC
• In My Fathers House Community Support Service Network, Inc. in Newton, NC
• Stokesdale United Methodist Church in Stokesdale, NC
• Wells Spring UMC in Forest City, NC

These churches and community centers recently began ImagineHub 101, our on-boarding program, working with our Guide Team on the 4D's process of missional innovation: DISCERN, DREAM, DESIGN and DO.

In partnership with the Dogwood Health Trust, ImagineHub is excited to expand the number of sites in western NC and further build capacity for the current 17 sites in our learning network of missional innovation centers. The Dogwood Health Trust covers the 18 most western counties in NC, and through their support over the next two years, ImagineHub will have a site in each of the 18 counties. These sites will join our growing movement of faith communities committed to inspiring innovation, economic empowerment, community development and entrepreneurship!

My name is Anna Lloyd, and I am the Community Engagement Coordinator for Boundless Impact, focusing on ImagineHub. I am currently an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where I am majoring in Global Studies and Political Science. Working with Boundless Impact has been an inspiring, enlightening, and engaging experience. I manage and create content for ImagineHub’s social media platforms (@imaginehub.us), which include Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. In addition to creating social media content, I have also had the opportunity to create program marketing materials, assist in event preparations, and participate in the ImagineHub Summit, Information Session, and Steering Committee meeting. All of this has helped me gain an inside look into the innovative and meaningful work that ImagineHub is doing. 

 I deeply admire how Boundless Impact combines multiple initiatives across faith, commerce, education, and civic networks. As a Global Studies student, I am constantly searching for intersectional and inclusive solutions to global problems, and I believe Boundless Impact’s mission embodies this. My zeal for creativity stems from my love of the arts, specifically dance and music, and I have greatly enjoyed my Community Engagement Coordinator role as it allows me to combine my love of writing and creativity. Creating social media spotlights on different ImagineHub sites and hearing firsthand from ImagineHub site leaders has allowed me to not only better understand how impactful innovation, entrepreneurship, and equitable economic empowerment can be, but actually see the positive effect that they have had on local communities. I am proud to be a small part of helping the world hear about, see, and understand the essential work ImagineHub and Boundless Impact is doing, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be welcomed into a community as remarkable as this one.