NC Tweener Talks

What happens when a seasoned entrepreneur spots a gap in the market and decides to take a risk on something entirely new? For Jason Widen, it’s led him from founding Raleigh Founded, a cornerstone of the Triangle’s startup ecosystem, to creating Blue Co. – a flexible warehouse solution designed for service-based businesses. In this episode, Jason shares his journey of building community-driven bus...

Chris Heivly’s journey through the tech world is one for the books, literally - thanks to his deep-rooted love of maps. From his early days studying geography and computer mapping to shaping the future of internet navigation with MapQuest, Chris shares an inspiring story of innovation, risk, and community-building. In this episode, we explore Chris’s entrepreneurial journey, discussing everything...

If you ask someone what’s at the heart of a successful engineering team, the answer might involve tools, talent, or tech. But Hersh Tapadia, CEO and co-founder of Allstacks, believes it all starts with one thing: measurable productivity. While we all know engineering teams face unique challenges, Allstacks is tackling the toughest one—how to measure and improve engineering productivity at scale. I...

If you ask anyone about the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Triangle, one name that keeps coming up is Dr. Tom Miller. Known as the champion of engineering entrepreneurship at NC State, Tom has been pivotal in shaping the region’s startup culture for over 40 years. From his early days in eastern North Carolina to founding the Engineering Entrepreneurs Program, his influence is felt across generat...

Who will be crowned champion of Tweener Madness and take home the $25K investment from the Triangle Tweener Fund? The championship features two radically different approaches to innovation:   ZW (Robert Fu) – An AI-powered platform helping manufacturers optimize production and R&D in complex industries.   InviteJet (Brian Watson & Paul Davis) – A calendar-based marketing solution helping b...

Who’s Advancing from the Fabulous Four - CivicReach or InviteJet? Welcome back to Triangle Tweener Madness , the high-stakes startup tournament where eight companies go head-to-head for a $25,000 investment from the Triangle Tweener Fund! We’re down to the Fabulous Four, and this week’s semifinal is a clash between a calendar-powered marketing platform and a voice AI company transforming local gov...

What if the most powerful tool for success as an entrepreneur isn’t the latest strategy or tech hack—but the way you perceive and process every challenge you face? In this episode of Triangle Tweener Talks , guest host Rebecca Ross sits down with Katherine Krupka, a leadership strategist and executive coach, to dive into the powerful connection between leadership, perception, and decision-making....

Who’s Advancing from the Fabulous Four - Moxie or ZW? Welcome back to Triangle Tweener Madness, where four startups remain in the race for a $25K investment from the Triangle Tweener Fund! In this week’s matchup, we’ve got two very different companies: one’s building AI to protect the integrity of academic research, and the other’s helping manufacturers optimize glass and ceramics production with...

Welcome back to Triangle Tweener Madness , where 8 startups go head-to-head for a $25K investment from the Triangle Tweener Fund!  This week, it’s a battle between a logistics platform built for scrappy e-commerce sellers and a surprising new marketing tool using your calendar. Only one can move on to the next round. Let’s meet the contenders. The Contenders 🔹 Deliveri (Jason Brown) – A full-serv...

Guest host Rebecca Ross sits down with Phil Dixon, CEO of the Oxford Brain Institute and expert on neuroscience in leadership. With years of experience working with top companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook, Phil is bringing his insights to Raleigh Durham Startup Week as a keynote speaker. You’ll hear Phil discuss: Why understanding brain science is crucial for entrepreneurs How emotional thr...

Welcome back to Triangle Tweener Madness , where 8 startups go head-to-head for a $25K investment from the Triangle Tweener Fund! This week, it’s a clash of categories—govtech vs. asset tech—as two AI-powered platforms pitch their visions for transforming outdated systems. One startup is helping local governments serve residents more efficiently. The other is helping estate sale pros and collector...

Bootstrapped vertical SaaS software company, Inn-Flow, raised $45m from Mainsail.  In this exclusive interview we hear from CEO and co-founder John Erhart the history of Inn-Flow, how they got the deal done and what this means going foraward. ------ Triangle Tweener Talks is sponsored by: Atomic Object: https://atomicobject.com/

Who’s Moving On in the Battle of EdTech? Welcome back to Triangle Tweener Madness , where 8 startups go head-to-head for a $25K investment from the Triangle Tweener Fund! This week, two edtech startups take the stage in a battle of AI-driven learning solutions—but only one will move on to the next round. The Contenders 🔹 Moxie (Jessica Parker) – An AI-powered research writing platform that helps...

Welcome to the first-ever Triangle Tweener Madness, where 8 startups compete for a $25K investment from the Triangle Tweener Fund!  We kick off the competition with two promising startups going head-to-head: John Starke from MyMatR and Robert Fu from ZW LLC. With a distinguished selection committee featuring David Jones (Bull City Venture Partners), Anil Chawla (Entrepreneur and Angel Investor), a...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund. Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize. About Tweener Madness: https://www.tweenermadness.com --- T...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund. Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize. Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people mak...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund. Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize. Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people mak...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund. Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize. Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people mak...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund. Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize. Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people mak...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund. Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize. Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people mak...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund. Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize. Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people mak...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund. Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize. Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people mak...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund. Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize. Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people mak...

In this special edition of Triangle Tweener Talks , we’re breaking some big news: Walk West has acquired Earfluence! Jason Gillikin, founder of Earfluence (which produces this podcast), and Greg Boone, the incoming CEO of Walk West, join host Scot Wingo to discuss the details of the deal, what it means for the future of both companies, and how this acquisition will reshape the digital marketing an...

In this episode, Keebler founder, Isaac Park, shares some great best practices for how to get a seed raise done in the current environment. ------ Triangle Tweener Talks is sponsored by: Atomic Object: https://atomicobject.com/