‘The Headliners’ part 2: NEW Anniversary, Collider Lunch & Learns, NC TECH Tour + more across NC

Keeping track with our initiative to spotlight North Carolina startup and tech events, WRAL TechWire’s weekly “Headliners” column is now divided into two parts—inside and outside the Triangle.

Following is a list of May and June meetups, conferences, workshops, socials and networking events happening in Asheville, Charlotte, the Piedmont Triad, and other areas throughout North Carolina.

To find out what’s happening this month in the Triangle, check out this post.

Another post spotlights hot events coming up in July, accompanied by a separate preview of the Cryptolina conference. Recurring monthly meetups are also featured in a separate post.

These columns are an extension of our interactive calendar of tech and startup events. If you’d like to suggest an event to be added to the calendar, feel free to send me an email.

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May 28

Innovate Charlotte, an arm of the Charlotte Regional Fund for Entrepreneurship, is seeking applicants for its upcoming pilot program, which aims to serve entrepreneurs looking to bring their startups to the next level. Five companies will be admitted to the three-month mentorship program.

May 29, 12-1 p.m. @The Collider in Asheville

Learn all about Guerilla Usability studies at this workshop hosted by The Collider and led by Dave Michelson, an applied research software designer at UNC Asheville’s National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center.

May 29, 4-6:30 p.m. @Ironclad Brewery

NEW invites Wilmington’s entrepreneurial community to join for an evening of celebration to honor its third anniversary and its partnership with Bunker Labs. The event also includes a seminar led by three local experts—Scott Sorensen of The Compete Agency, Jenna Curry of Wilmington Today Magazine and Remedy Digital Agency, and Stephen Bon of Bon’s Eye Marketing.

May 30, 9-10 a.m. @RISC Networks (Asheville Social Hall)

Asheville’s entrepreneurial community meets weekly to hear presentations and support one another in continuing to grow. For this week’s event, 1 Million Cups Asheville will feature a panel on how to build brands through quality design.

May 30, 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. @Piedmont Triad Regional Council in Kernersville

Plug-In NC’s upcoming summit will update attendees with the latest electric vehicle activities across North Carolina. Guest speakers Proterra Sales Director Eric Reynolds and City of Greensboro Transportation Director Adam Fischer will share details on local electric bus programs.

May 30, 5:30-6:30 p.m. @The Creative Community Lab

Applications are live for Creative Startups Winston-Salem’s eight-week virtual business accelerator. Drop by this info session to hear an overview of the program and learn how to apply. The application deadline is June 3.

May 30, 6-8 p.m. @Hatch AVL

Entrepreneurs are invited to test and develop their pitch at this monthly event hosted by Hatch AVL. Presenters will receive helpful feedback from the audience, and the best-voted pitch will land a spot at 1 Million Cups Asheville.

May 31, 12-1 p.m. @Skookum Charlotte

Join an open tour of the Skookum office to get an introduction to the tech and ideas powering the community. The Skookum team will be available for any questions or comments participants may have. Lunch will be provided.

May 31, 12-1:30 p.m. @The Garage at Packard Place

This 90-minute lunch and learn will educate entrepreneurs on how to secure adequate capital to launch their businesses. Entrance is free-of-charge, and lunch will be provided.

May 31, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant in Winston-Salem

Held on a weekly basis, this Venture Café event series provides all sorts of programming for Piedmont Triad entrepreneurs and innovators. Every Thursday evening, the community gathers for networking, panel talks, workshops, presentations, product demos, interviews, and more.

May 31

Established in memory of the founding CEO of the NC TECH Association, the Betsy Y. Justus Founders Scholarship supports young women who are pursuing an academic and career path in technology and engineering. The scholarship is offered on an annual basis. Two selected students will receive $4,000 and a Lenovo computer.

June 1, 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. @Pfeiffer University, Charlotte

Charlotte jobseekers are paired with tech companies that are hiring for their specific skills and experience. COME TECH OUT collaborates with local organizations to achieve its goal of connecting top industries with top talent. Free entrance is offered to all jobseekers.

June 3

This eight-week online accelerator offers a comprehensive curriculum of training for creative startups. The program culminates in a five-day “Deep Dive” week, featuring introductions to 30 industry experts as mentors and investors, an interactive demo night and a final pitch competition with a $50,000 split prize.

June 5, 7:30-9:30 a.m. @Flywheel Coworking

Join this event for an early breakfast and live demos from three Triad startups—Botsplash, CrewPay and Haystack CRM.

June 5, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. @Embassy Suites Charlotte Uptown

Join this complementary event for peer networking, product updates and insightful sessions from both Teradata experts and customers. Full agenda here.

June 5, 6-7:15 p.m. @WHQR Gallery

Through a series of short presentations by local business leaders, this event will offer a snapshot of Cape Fear’s role in bringing tech and life sciences companies to the region.

June 6, 8:30-10 a.m.

Held on the first Wednesday of every month, 1 Million Cups Charlotte features a presentation from a local startup followed by a Q&A from the community. Free coffee is included.

June 6, 9-10 a.m. @Asheville Social Hall

Asheville’s entrepreneurial community meets weekly to hear presentations and support one another in continuing to grow. For this week’s event, 1 Million Cups Asheville will feature an open pitch session with 10 selected entrepreneurs.

June 6, 12-1 p.m. @Asheville Chamber of Commerce

At this training session, 1 Million Cups Organizer Emily Breedlove will show attendees how to prepare a compelling pitch.

June 6, 6-8 p.m. @Advent Coworking

At this event, Fluree Co-Founder and Co-CEO Brian Platz will introduce FlureeDB, a new database that enables developers to bring blockchain features into SaaS applications. The presentation and demo will be followed by a Q&A.

June 6-9 @Charlotte Convention Center

This three-day business event is tailored to both established business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Confirmed speakers include Mark Cuban, Don Peebles, Byron Allen, Troy Taylor, Janice Bryant Howroyd and more global innovation leaders.

June 7, 12-1 p.m. @The Collider

Ellie Johnston of Climate Interactive will detail a marketing case study on how the team spread its climate simulation to 77 countries in two years.

June 7, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant in Winston-Salem

Held on a weekly basis, this Venture Café event series provides all sorts of programming for Piedmont Triad entrepreneurs and innovators. Every Thursday evening, the community gathers for networking, panel talks, workshops, presentations, product demos, interviews, and more.

June 7, 6-7 p.m. @Venture Cafe

Triad entrepreneurs are invited to attend a seminar detailing how to use the Localstake NC crowdfunding platform as a funding source for their businesses. The discussion, held at Venture Cafe in Winston-Salem, will be led by Mark Easley of CrowdfundNC.com. Tickets are free.

June 11, 3-7:30 p.m.

In celebration of NC TECH Association’s 25th anniversary, the team is traveling from the mountains to the coast to meet up with members, connect with partners and host celebratory networking receptions. Join in Asheville on June 11 for a panel discussion about analytics and IoT, followed by a Brews and Bytes event at local breweries.

June 12, 3-7:30 p.m. @AvidXchange Inc.

In celebration of NC TECH Association’s 25th anniversary, the team is traveling from the mountains to the coast to meet up with members, connect with partners and host celebratory networking receptions. Join in Charlotte on June 12 for a panel discussion about analytics and IoT, followed by a Brews and Bytes event at local breweries.

June 13, 3-7:30 p.m. @Inmar

In celebration of NC TECH Association’s 25th anniversary, the team is traveling from the mountains to the coast to meet up with members, connect with partners and host celebratory networking receptions. Join in Winston-Salem on June 13 for an exclusive panel discussion, followed by a Brews and Bytes event at local breweries.

June 15, 12-2 p.m. @UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

In celebration of NC TECH Association’s 25th anniversary, the team is traveling from the mountains to the coast to meet up with members, connect with partners and host celebratory networking receptions. Join in Wilmington on June 15 for an exclusive panel discussion all about the business of blockchain. A complimentary light lunch will be included.

June 12, 5:30-7:30 p.m. @Flywheel Coworking

Idea Tap is an opportunity for local startups to present their products/services to an audience and receive feedback on how to refine their pitches. The format involves: a five-minute pitch, a five-minute Q&A and five minutes of audience feedback. This monthly event is always free.

June 13, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. @AvidXchange Inc. in Charlotte

The annual Fintech Generations event addresses topics surrounding the growth of the fintech ecosystem in the Southeast.

June 13, 9-10 a.m. @Asheville Social Hall

Asheville’s entrepreneurial community meets weekly to hear presentations and support one another in continuing to grow. For this week’s event, 1 Million Cups Asheville will feature local startup Burban.

June 14, 8-11 a.m. @The Garage at Packard Place

A handful of Queen City-based companies will headline June’s Charlotte PitchBreakfast, presenting their products and services for a total of five minutes, after which they will answer questions from the audience and a panel of experts. The goal of PitchBreakfast is to give startups a comfortable environment to test out pitches they can later present to investors.

June 14, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant in Winston-Salem

Held on a weekly basis, this Venture Café event series provides all sorts of programming for Piedmont Triad entrepreneurs and innovators. Every Thursday evening, the community gathers for networking, panel talks, workshops, presentations, product demos, interviews, and more.

June 16, 9:30-11:30 a.m. @Advent Coworking

This one-day educational event will show developers how to create Actions for Google Assistant.

June 19, 12-1:30 p.m. @Flywheel Coworking

Indeavor, a networking club offered to all Flywheel Coworking members, is an opportunity to get to know fellow entrepreneurs and swap helpful resources with one another. The lunches are held on the third Tuesday of every month at the the Center for Design Innovation in Winston-Salem.

June 20, 12 p.m.

Pfizer, Inc. and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center have partnered to offer a two-year program supporting the scientific and professional development of postdoctoral fellows interested in gene therapy careers.

June 20, 5:30-8 p.m. @Packard Place

On the third Wednesday of every month, the Queen City’s entrepreneurial community joins together for an evening of networking and connections over free beer and snacks.

June 20, 5:30-8 p.m. @The Collider

Join The Collider for an evening of learning about how extreme and slow-onset climate change-related events influence the global movement of people within and across boundaries.

June 21, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant in Winston-Salem

Held on a weekly basis, this Venture Café event series provides all sorts of programming for Piedmont Triad entrepreneurs and innovators. Every Thursday evening, the community gathers for networking, panel talks, workshops, presentations, product demos, interviews, and more.

June 25, 1-7 p.m. @Boro Station Conference Center (Tysons, VA)

RIoT, in partnership with M.C. Dean, is presenting a one-day workshop to educate the audience about the latest advancements in IoT. Topics to be covered include how blockchain applies to DoD, the evolution of cybersecurity, how IoT improves asset management, and more.

June 25-28 @UNC Charlotte Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC)

This symposium, hosted by UNC Charlotte’s Energy Production and Infrastructure Center, will showcase the latest research informing what’s in store for the future of the electric power grid.

June 27, 6-8 p.m. @Hatch AVL

Entrepreneurs are invited to test and develop their pitch at this monthly event hosted by Hatch AVL. Presenters will receive helpful feedback from the audience, and the best-voted pitch will land a spot at 1 Million Cups Asheville.

June 28, 12-1 p.m. @Skookum Charlotte

Join an open tour of the Skookum office to get an introduction to the tech and ideas powering the community. The Skookum team will be available for any questions or comments participants may have. Lunch will be provided.

June 28, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant in Winston-Salem

Held on a weekly basis, this Venture Café event series provides all sorts of programming for Piedmont Triad entrepreneurs and innovators. Every Thursday evening, the community gathers for networking, panel talks, workshops, presentations, product demos, interviews, and more.

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An Ohio man fishing in the surf pulls in a 6-foot shark off the NC Outer Banks

Troy Rachel from Ohio caught a 6-foot Hammerhead off Avon Monday, according to his bait supplier, Frank & Fran’s Fisherman’s Friend. (Twitter screenshot)

OUTER BANKS, NC (Mark Price/Charlotte Observer) – An Ohio man fishing in the surf at North Carolina’s Outer Banks found himself tugging in a 6-foot shark that more than outweighed him.

It was identified as a hammerhead, a type of shark that National Geographic calls a "consummate predator."

Troy Rachel of Toledo caught it Monday in Avon, north of Hatteras Island, using cut mullet as bait. His bait supplier, Frank & Fran’s Fisherman’s Friend, posted a photo of the catch on Facebook. It has since been shared nearly 2,300 times.

Some hammerheads can live up to 30 years, growing 20 feet long and up to 1,000 pounds, says National Geographic.

Experts say most hammerhead attacks involving humans are rare. “However, the great hammerhead’s enormous size and fierceness make it potentially dangerous,” says National Geographic.

Hammerhead sharks as long as 8 feet have been caught along the Outer Banks in the past decade.

The website North Carolina Coast Watch notes hammerheads have been affected by overfishing off the Carolinas and fishing is now managed by limits on fishing.

Rachel released his catch back into the ocean, reported Frank & Franks on Facebook.

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NC’s Top Educator Says He’s Not Attending Teacher Rally

CHARLOTTE, NC — As school districts across North Carolina plan closures May 16 — the day teachers from across the state are planning to march for improved education funding in Raleigh — the state’s top educator says he won’t be there and is against schools closing the day of the event.

The North Carolina teacher rally on May 16 is one of a string of similar protests around the U.S. In Arizona, for example, teachers held a historic six-day protest that ended when the state increased education spending by $100 million, which will give Arizona teachers — some of the lowest paid in the country — a 20 percent pay increase over the next two years. Teachers in West Virginia walked out of the classrooms for nine days, which prompted the state to give them a 5 percent raise.

"I absolutely support teachers, but I do not plan to attend a protest on a school day," North Carolina Superintendent Mark Johnson said on his Twitter account May 8. "We know it affects not only students, but also parents, hourly workers who work at our schools, and also other teachers who might not be taking part in that day," he said.

Teacher salaries have increased each of the past four years, and teachers will get another raise this year, he said, adding that "North Carolina is one of the top states for fastest rising teacher pay."

According to the National Education Association, North Carolina has the 44th lowest average salary for teachers in the U.S. with an average salary of $49,970.

SEE ALSO: After Arizona Teacher Posts Pay Stub, See How NC Teachers Rate

"These are local decisions made with the safety of students in mind, but I hope more school boards do not have to close schools that day," Johnson said. "Protesting is a right, but it can be just as effective during non-school hours."

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Dr. Clayton Wilcox announced last week that Queen City area schools would close that day after at least 2,000 teachers and staff said they wanted to the day off.

Mooresville Graded School District made the same call after about 42 percent of its instructional staff asked for leave that day.

"We expect the number to increase as the day of the rally gets closer, and we don’t have substitute-teacher capacity to cover all of the requests," Wilcox said, adding that he supported the teachers’ right to rally. "To our teachers, I say this: I share your concerns. I hear your voices calling for change and I know that you lift your voices not only for your own benefit but because you care about students, their futures and our community."

Photo via Shutterstock

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Forbes List Of Best Employers: 10 NC Companies Make 2018 Grade

America’s best employer for 2018 is a company that employs thousands of Americans but is headquartered in France, according to Forbes’ annual rankings of the best employers in the country. The rankings of America’s best large employers placed tire manufacturer Michelin at the top of the list while the grocery chain Trader Joe’s took the No. 2 spot and Google came in at No. 3.

Forbes’ rankings were released on Tuesday and include 500 companies that have more than 5,000 employees. On the list are 10 companies that are based in North Carolina. The highest ranked North Carolina company on the list is Duke University (No. 18), which is headquartered in Durham.

Here are all the North Carolina companies that made the list:

Duke University (No. 18), Durham, North Carolina Ingersoll Rand (No. 41), Davidson, North Carolina New Hanover Regional Medical Center (No. 47), Wilmington, North Carolina Duke Energy (No. 106), Charlotte, North Carolina Set and Service Resources (No. 248), Raleigh, North Carolina PRA Health Sciences (No. 264), Raleigh, North Carolina VF (No. 265), Greensboro, North Carolina PPD (No. 354), Wilmington, North Carolina Nucor (No. 419), Charlotte, North Carolina Snyder’s-Lance (No. 434), Charlotte, North Carolina

Forbes partnered with market research company Statista to compile the list. Statista surveyed 30,000 people, asking respondents to rate how likely they’d be to recommend their employer to others, Forbes explains. Respondents were also asked to nominate organizations outside of their own, according to Forbes.

Michelin climbed 33 spots on the list to claim the top ranking for 2018 and is the only non-American company on the list. Forbes says that the company offers a "purpose-driven career" and advancement opportunities that enable employees to have long careers within the organization.

Photo via Shutterstock

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NC mountains and foothills brace for possible flooding as rainfall continues

(Steve Ohnesorge | WBTV)

BOONE, NC (WBTV) –

As predicted, a steady rain fell in the North Carolina foothills and mountains Monday afternoon.

Creeks and streams were up a little, but not out of their banks as of late in the afternoon. Officials, though, were watching carefully just in case.

Six months ago, a quick burst of heavy rain caused major flooding in Boone. People living in those areas now say they will be watching what happens with the weather very carefully over the next 24 hours. Some heavy rain is expected, and a Flood Watch has been issued.

In Caldwell County, Collettesville Assistant Fire and Rescue Chief Alan Walsh says all the flood gear is ready, including a boat. He is hoping none of it will be needed, “Because that would mean someone is in trouble, and we don’t want anyone in trouble.”

Crews will be on standby until the danger passes.

Copyright 2018 WBTV. All rights reserved.

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