Wilmington’s Cucalorus has developed an international reputation as an event that celebrates filmmakers, but this year’s film festival also cast a spotlight on local entrepreneurs through its Connect conference, which hosted a series of panels, workshops and events.
Organizers said the Connect conference, which drew to a close Nov. 16, was a natural fit with the mission of the film festival.
“Filmmakers are nothing if not entrepreneurial,” said Margee Herring, Connect conference organizer. “There’s a nice cohesiveness when bringing together filmmakers and entrepreneurs.”
The conference did this through the 10 x 10 event, where 10 entrepreneurs were paired with 10 filmmakers to make short films about their business. The Connect conference ended with the screening of these films, giving these up-and-coming local startup businesses the opportunity to gain exposure and showcasing the variety of new business ideas emerging in the area.
“We needed something in Wilmington that showcases entrepreneurs and startups; that can connect people with financing and inspire people who are leading the global movement in entrepreneurship and technology,” said Dan Brawley, executive director of the Cucalorus Film Festival.
One business promoted through the event was Petrics, which will introduce a specialized pet bowl that can limit the amount a pet eats by recognizing the animal through the technology in its collar. The company has already received an investment from another local business, Ironclad Brewery in downtown Wilmington.
“Over the past couple of years the pet industry has seen an influx of interest and demand from pet owners for smart technologies to track and monitor their pet’s health,” Petrics founder Edward Hall stated in a press release. “Pet technology is a brand new segment that is still relatively untapped in the pet market and expected to grow at alarming rates.”
Another entrepreneurial venture, Elite Innovations, helps other businesses develop and promote their products, such as the dentistry products at Otero Dentistry, which were featured in the film. A couple of local businesses are entering into the emerging subscription box market, where subscribers receive products mailed to them on a periodic basis.
One of those is Monster Box, which mails nutritional supplements on a monthly basis. Another is Candy Compass, which delivers international candy with information about the country of origin. The founder, 14-year-old Aiden Shepard, is perhaps one of the area’s youngest entrepreneurs.
“Kids love it because it’s candy and parents love it because it is educational,” Shepard said.
The films also featured Mushpa Y Mensa, a mobile arts truck that sells T-shirts, jewelry, pillows and other hand-crafted items. Performance Culture is a web-based service that tracks the workplace culture of different companies, giving employees the ability to evaluate their next potential boss.
The University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship was a primary sponsor of Connect conference and many of the filmmakers in the 10 x 10 event were students. TekMountain, the startup incubator operated alongside of corporate management firm CastleBranch, was another sponsor.
The Connect conference also featured several panels on entrepreneurship, including the Women In TechNovation panel that highlighted women in the region who have started technology-focused businesses. They discussed their experiences with their own start-up companies.
“The perception is that women are not qualified enough, for one reason or another, in stem technology or to run any company at an executive level” said Julie Thomas, CEO of DocsInk, a mobile healthcare software company based in Wrightsville Beach. “I found myself apologizing and trying to fit in and conform. I would say don’t conform and concentrate on all those differences. I would have gone a lot further a lot faster had I not tried to be someone I’m not.”
The panelists focused on how women can embrace technology and the opportunities before them in an industry that has traditionally attracted more men into the workforce.
“My grandmother knew something about chemistry, about being in a man’s world,” said Lizzy Hazeltine, venture associate at The Startup Factory, which invests in early-stage software, internet, and mobile companies. “Her advice to me that she had to give herself at that time was, ‘If you’re not falling down, you’re not running fast enough.’ If I’m not messing up, then I know I’m not taking any risks.”
Intern Krys Estes contributed to this report.
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