Entrepreneurship@NCSSM
Colopy Entrepreneurship Program
If you look at the LinkedIn pages of successful North Carolina entrepreneurs, you will often see NCSSM listed in their background. As we look at improving the future of North Carolina, investing in the entrepreneurial education of these students is one of the highest return investments that I can imagine. - Joe Colopy, Founding Sponsor
The Highlight Reel
Carson Jackson: Research Translation
NCSSM students had the opportunity to hear from Carson Jackson, co-founder of DuraVax Inc., during a Lunch & Learn session focused on biotech entrepreneurship. Carson, an Honors Scholar at UNCW, shared his journey from student researcher to startup founder, detailing how his team secured a $274,991 NSF Small Business Technology Transfer grant to develop novel mRNA vaccine stabilization technology.
With 23 students in attendance, the discussion highlighted the challenges of funding early-stage biotech ventures, the transition from academia to entrepreneurship, and the power of near-peer mentorship in shaping emerging innovators. Carson’s insights provided a firsthand look at balancing research, commercialization, and startup growth—all while still in college.
Thank you to Carson for an engaging and inspiring session!
J-Term Spotlight: Turning Ideas Into Impact
In just 8 days, NCSSM students transformed ambitious ideas into real-world nonprofit proposals, tackling issues from food insecurity to maternal health. With guidance from industry experts, they gained invaluable insights on scaling impact, managing budgets, and staying focused on the mission.
Entrepreneurship Fair
Student entrepreneurs in Chad Keister’s HU 4000 Entrepreneurship course recently held an Entrepreneurship Fair on the NCSSM-Durham campus. The event, dubbed Innovate. Create. Disrupt.
E-Ship at NCSSM
Since NCSSM’s founding more than four decades ago, curiosity and creativity have underpinned a spirit of entrepreneurial discovery that has marked the school as among the very best public high schools in the country...
Cultivating the Entrepreneurial Mindset
Aryan Goyal, an NCSSM residential student from Charlotte, and Marco Wellener, an online student from Pinehurst, teamed up to develop a business idea to help increase the efficiency of auto repair shops.