The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation is making a solid investment in the future of the Cape Fear region with a $100,000 gift to the University of North Carolina Wilmington Entrepreneurship Center. The gift will presented at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 26 in the UNC Wilmington Computer Information Systems building.
The UNCW Entrepreneurship Center was launched in 2009 to be a catalyst for entrepreneurial growth in Southeastern North Carolina. The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation's gift will provide $25,000 per year for four years to support the Center's goals of linking emerging and high-growth ventures, entrepreneurs and support organizations to stimulate economic growth, jobs and innovation. The Center's quarterly speaker series, through which top business leaders share their knowledge with local entrepreneurs, will be named for Wachovia in honor of the gift.
"The new Wachovia Entrepreneurial Speaker Series will be the feature of our annual Entrepreneurship Week activities. This gift will help us continue to provide critical support to our community, students, faculty and staff," said UNCW Cameron School of Business Dean Larry Clark.
Over the past year, the Center has bridged the gap between more than 200 entrepreneurs, students and faculty. Center programs include a quarterly speaker series where top business leaders share their knowledge, a mentoring program for young emerging entrepreneurs and students, a Rocket Pitch event where entrepreneurs "speed date" potential investors, and entrepreneurial advancement opportunities.
The growth of entrepreneurship is vital to the success of our region. According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses generate 60 to 80 percent of new jobs annually.
"UNCW is truly grateful to Wachovia for this gift," said UNCW Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo. "Replenishing jobs and strengthening our economy is of the utmost importance as we recover from the recession."
The Center aims to continue to expand its programs as a key element of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Cape Fear Future Project, which focuses on further developing the region's economy, especially in the areas of innovation and technology.
Chamber executive committee chairman and Wachovia Wilmington market president Randy Tomsic said, "UNCW has been instrumental in helping the Cape Fear Future Project move forward. Wachovia and UNCW share a passion for building our area economy. It made perfect sense for us to partner in making Wilmington a place where people want to bring their businesses."
The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation grant will help the Center enhance the Cape Fear region with new initiatives including Camp Entrepreneur, an intensive summer camp for high school students, a documentary on local entrepreneurship, new training seminars and more. The UNCW Entrepreneurship Center is part of the Cameron School of Business Swain Center for Business and Economic Services. For more information, visit http://uncwec.org/.
The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation is a private foundation that provides grants to eligible 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations to support education, community development, health/human services, arts/culture, civic engagement and the environment. The mission of the Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation is to build strong and vibrant communities, improve the quality of life and make a positive difference.
Interviews are available with Cameron School of Business Dean Larry Clark and others by request.
Media Contact:
Joy Davis, Marketing and Communications, 910.916.8603 or davisjc@uncw.edu
