Innovate Carolina

Alyssa Crane, a first-generation student from Wilson, is starting her first semester at UNC-Chapel Hill with hopes of learning and growing her business. She turned her passion for art into entrepreneurship, selling paintings and jewelry, and developing her venture after selling her first piece in 2020. Learn more here: https://ow.ly/tgyk50SZBgr #uncstartups #innovationmatters

Fresh off their Forbes 30 Under 30 achievement, Niki and Ritika Shamdasani sat down with Innovate Carolina to discuss how they blend traditional and modern South Asian fashion for their brand, Sani. How did a personal challenge spark the creation of this unique brand? What is next for this dynamic duo as they shape the future of fashion? Learn more here: https://ow.ly/azcc50SYKTn #uncstartups #innovationmatters

A study co-authored by Dr. Vibhor Krishna at the UNC School of Medicine shows that focused ultrasound treatment significantly reduces tremors in patients with essential tremor. This incisionless procedure has given patients like professional guitarist Frank George and avid golfer Sally Richey the ability to return to their passions, with effects that can be life-changing. Future research aims to extend this treatment to Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders. Learn more here: https://ow.ly/GzPK50SXWP5 #innovationmatters

A recent study highlights a wearable patch with microneedles that can deliver drugs on-demand for neurodegenerative disorders. Funded by a UNC pilot grant, the patch can be wirelessly controlled for precise drug release, offering a promising approach to treatment. Learn more here: https://ow.ly/Yyjp50SX8q4 #innovationmatters

Boro Beverage, a Launch Chapel Hill alum and UNC-affiliated startup that crafts and bottles fermented drinks like kombucha using local agricultural inspiration is once again up for a national award. Video Credit: Spectrum News 1/Kyleigh Panetta Learn more here: https://ow.ly/2si450SWeZg #uncstartups #innovationmatters

Did you know? UNC-Chapel Hill is a hub for innovation, with 644 active startups founded by faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Our Carolina community drives change across industries, turning ideas into impactful ventures. Learn more here: https://ow.ly/VYKh50SV2p4 #uncstartups #innovationmatters

After a year of success with her hair care business, entrepreneur Charlotte Louis felt something was missing—happiness. Embracing mindfulness and self-development, she founded SenterME in April 2022, a Raleigh-based resource for women's emotional wellness. Expanding from coaching to tech, SenterME launched an app for women professionals in February 2024 and recently won $1,000 in the RIoT Accelerator XVII Pitch Competition. Learn more here: https://ow.ly/tuTc50SSiHv #uncstartups #innovationmatters

Turning waste into wonder: Matthew Parrott and Chris Luft have been innovating as Premirr Plastics, for seven years, transforming items like old jeans into valuable products like car seatbelts. Parrott and Luft received a $50,000 grant from Innovate Carolina’s KickStart Venture Services program, an initiative that gives research-fueled startups the boost they need to turn their ideas into tangible businesses. Their work focuses on breaking down and reusing polyethylene terephthalate, aka PET, in everyday items, reshaping the sustainably of the polyester industry. They recently merged with Syre and aim to revolutionize textile-to-textile production for a cleaner future. Learn more here: https://ow.ly/wWvV50SRxY7 #uncstartups #innovationmatters

The Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State is the perfect home for the NIH-funded Unified Medical Ultrasound Technology Development (UNMUTED) predoctoral training program that equips future biomedical engineers with the entrepreneurship skills needed to transform healthcare. A common reason startups fail is because founders never determine if there is a customer for the technology they’ve created. Recent UNMUTED fellows participated in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps (I-Corps), an immersive program focused on training participants to perform customer discovery, with the goal of commercializing research projects to broaden their societal and economic benefits. Fellows completed the training through Innovate Carolina’s KickStart Venture Services that provides entrepreneurial and commercialization resources to research-based startups and the UNC-Chapel Hill community. Learn more here: https://ow.ly/lNqR50SQhty #innovationmatters