Second Annual SHAPE Charlotte Business Idea Competition Final Presentations and Awards - Nov. 12

The 2013 SHAPE Charlotte Business Idea Competition concludes this Tuesday, November 12. Presented by the Charlotte Shapers hub of the World Economic Forum of Global Shapers, the evening will feature a networking reception followed by presentations from five finalists who were selected after going through a competitive process over the last several weeks.

SHAPE Charlotte is an innovative business model competition created for, and by, the next generation of leaders. The organization encourages entrepreneurship within people 35 years of age or younger "by empowering participants to act as agents of change through innovation and ultimately job creation." The finalists, all Charlotte-based startups, were selected based on their ability to demonstrate the viability, innovation, and impact of their business concept, and they are:

• FreshBrains - an online matchmaking platform that pairs student skill sets with local small businesses and nonprofits in need of web design services.

• FundNC - an online crowdfunding portal that helps facilitate and market new intrastate security offerings for North Carolina-based businesses.

• Gameplan - software that applies the results from a Holland Code Assessment (career cluster / personality quiz) tailored to high school students and formulates a "gameplan" for each student.

• PlateShare - a charitable micro-giving platform that creatively crowdsources donations from restaurant spending and redirects the money to hunger relief efforts.

• The Bridge, PR for Social Good - teaches organizations how to become better corporate citizens.

Tomorrow evening, one of the teams will be awarded the Judge's Prize worth $10,000, and one will win the Audience Choice Award worth $2,500.

The event is free and open to the public. An optional networking reception will be held 6-6:45 p.m. at Wake Forest University's Center City Campus (200 N. College St., Suite 150). And the main event will take place across the street at 7 p.m. at the One Bank of America Center Auditorium (150 N. College St.). RSVP is required; click here.

Mayor-Elect Patrick Cannon will present opening remarks, and Kirk Hawkins, news anchor at WCCB Charlotte, will host the event. The co-founder and CEO of Tykoon Nation, Mark Bruinooge, will deliver the keynote speech.

The SHAPE Charlotte Business Idea Competition started in 2012 and awarded more than $12,000 last year to Queen City Mobile Market and $2,500 to iMedicare.

Follow Charlotte Shapers on Twitter @CLTShapers, #SHAPECLT; on Facebook.com/CharlotteShapers, and at charlotteshapers.org.

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BarCamp Charlotte 8 Takes Place Saturday - Free

If you work in technology, for a startup, in the arts, media, investments, marketing, or computer fields--ranging from a freelancer to an entrepreneur, an executive to a college student, you're encouraged to attend BarCamp Charlotte 8 this Saturday, October 26. Seeing as how this list of professions and career fields runs the gamut, if you're not familiar with BarCamp Charlotte you should get the impression that it's open to just about anyone. So what is it?

As the local version of BarCamp, which began in 2005 in Palo Alto, California, BarCamp Charlotte is a community-organized democratic event that's filled with a day's worth of sessions in which the topics and ideas are pitched, voted on, and determined that morning (and again in the afternoon). That's why this type of event is often categorized as being an "un-conference." The topics typically deal with technology and innovation, and it should be a great way for you to network, build relationships, and maybe even come away with a new idea or two that you want to apply to your endeavors.

A BarCamp Charlotte event at its former home, Area 15. Credit: facebook.com/BarCampCharlotte

Since beginning eight years ago, BarCamps have taken place in more than 350 cities around the world. Charlotte got in on it in 2009 and has held seven events thus far, attracting more than 250 attendees. Area 15 in NoDa had served as the home to BarCamp Charlotte since its inception, but this year the un-conference has moved to a much larger venue, Pease Auditorium at Central Piedmont Community College.

BarCamp Charlotte 8 is free and open to the public. If you plan to attend, you're asked to register in advance. The event, which includes lunch, goes from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, followed by an after-party 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Kickstand Burgers-N-Bar.

Visit barcampclt.org for complete details. You can also follow the group on Twitter @BarCampCLT and the hashtag is #barcampCLT.

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Charlotte Is a Hot Market for Grocers... Do You Know About These Specialty Stores?

The grocery store/supermarket, er, market in Charlotte has been heating up over the past year. You've been keeping up with the news, right?

Publix is moving into the area with three new stores either planned or currently under construction--South End, Ballantyne, and Cornelius--and it's opening a Charlotte division headquarters. After years of locals wishing, Whole Foods finally opened its first store here last August, in SouthPark. Salisbury-based Food Lion, which operates 1,100 stores in 10 states, has been making all kinds of changes over the past year, trying to keep up with the competition. And our other locally-based supermarket chain, Harris Teeter, is the talk of the town (and business world) after news yesterday that it's being acquired by Kroger. And lastly, as it does to almost every retail sector, Walmart continues to be a major player with its grocery stores.

We all have to eat to live, but who would've thought the market would become so competitive? (#1stWorldProblems.) But amid all of the grand announcements being made and big-box grocery stores opening, there are a few smaller stores that have launched--first in Charlotte at that--over the past year that say a lot about our grocery shopping preferences and the city as a desirable market.

201central

Credit: facebook.com/201central

Opened: October 2012 (two locations)
The Appeal: Fine wines, domestic and imported beers, specialty foods; café seating area, in-store wine consultants; educational classes focused on wine, beer, and food pairings; a beer room, and a walk-in humidor.
Company: A division of Harris Teeter.
Address: 13108 Eastfield Rd., Huntersville, 704-875-2892, 5939; Weddington-Monroe Rd., Wesley Chapel, 704-821-2686, 201central.com.

The Baby Grocery Store

Credit: facebook.com/thebabygrocerystore

Opened: November 2012
The Appeal: Parents shopping for babies for items such as all-natural, organic, and non-GMO food products; diapers, wipes, and environmentally-friendly household items; staff available to answer questions about products and choices like making baby food, cloth diapering, and baby wearing.
Company: After operating a mall kiosk for a year, Charlotte entrepreneur Darren Gann opened the first brick and mortar location in Charlotte, with future plans to expand into other states.
Address: 10225 Park Rd., Charlotte, 704-543-8635, thebabygrocerystore.com.

Lettuce Carry

Credit: facebook.com/LettuceCarry

Opened: March 2012
The Appeal: Offers more than 15,000 items including fresh food (local and organic), household items, health and beauty supplies, tobacco, beer, and wine; delivered to your door at no additional charge in a refrigerated truck.
Company: Privately owned; delivers to most of the Charlotte region including all of Mecklenburg County, Concord, Mooresville, Gastonia, Fort Mill, Rock Hill, and Monroe.
Contact: 704-962-3019, lettucecarry.com.

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Ideas to Take Shape at TEDxCharlotte 2013

TEDxCharlotte will bring together innovative, creative, and thought-provoking people and ideas for the third year, Friday, February 15 at Silver Hammer Studios at NC Music Factory. Tickets for the all-day event are $50 and can be purchased at tedxclt2013.eventbrite.com.

For TEDxCharlotte 2013, themed "Unlimited: Ideas Take Shape," presenters and artists include:

• Patricia Shafer, philanthropist and founder of Mothering Across Continents
• Cassie Parsons, chef/owner of Grateful Growers and Harvest Moon Grille
• Dale Mullinex, executive director of Urban Ministry Center
• Molly Barker, founder of Girls on the Run
• Robin Emmons, founder of Sow Much Good
• Chad Henderson, brewmaster at NoDa Brewing Company
• Karla Williams, author, philanthropy expert, and principal of the Williams Group
• JD, Buck, and Jackson Lewis, founders of Twelve in Twelve Foundation
• Valaida Fullwood, author, and Charles Thomas, photographer, of Giving Back, A History of Black Philanthropy
• Jocelyn Ellis, singer/songwriter

Behind the scenes of TEDxCharlotte promo featuring Red Jesse and Jocelyn Ellis.
Photo by Deborah Triplett.

I'm familiar with more than half of these presenters/artists and their work, so I know they're some of the leading professionals, entrepreneurs, and creative thinkers in their fields. Plus, I attended TEDxCharlotte in 2011 and can attest to this being a well-organized event (I don't think there was a conference last year).

This year's event takes place on a Friday--9 a.m. to 4 p.m.--which means many of you would probably have to miss work to attend. Just tell your boss that it will be a career-enhancing and personal development seminar, of sorts, that you should be given the time away from work to go to. Also, this year, there was no application process to attend--simply purchase a ticket. An after-party will follow at VGBG Beer Hall & Garden, which is also at NC Music Factory.

For more details, visit tedxcharlotte.com.

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Bank of America Experimenting with Mobile-Wallet Technology in New Pilot Program

It's scary sometimes to think about how much we use our mobile phones. In fact, one day soon we should start calling them something else because the phone--in terms of actually talking on the device--is becoming less and less of what we use them for. In addition to all of the texting, web browsing, social networking, picture taking and uploading, video recording, etc. you use your smartphones for, the money is in, well, the money. I'm sure you use your phone to check your bank accounts and maybe even make payments or online purchases through the mobile web, but Bank of America is seeking to up the ante in the global market of mobile payments that's estimated to be more than $170 billion.

BofA has launched a pilot program that it's testing out only in Charlotte, in which a customer can pay at a store register by simply scanning an image with a smartphone. So, basically, instead of swiping your debit/credit card at a register (as if that's too difficult), you would have the clerk scan your phone, which you likely would be holding in your hand anyway (oh no, but that would mean you wouldn't be able to rudely talk on your phone while in the checkout line).

Bank of America has partnered with a Wellesley, Massachusetts-based startup company called Paydiant, which specializes in mobile-wallet technology. Only BofA employees are participating in the three-month trial period, and five Charlotte merchants/retailers are being used. You can read more about the pilot program in this Reuters article.

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Charlotte, Not to Be Confused with Charleston, 'Tech' Speaking

There are people who live in parts of this country, particularly the Midwest, West, or even far Northeast, who don't know much about southern states and cities because they've never visited the region. Some of those people are the ones who confuse Charlotte with Charleston. Sure, the first five letters of the cities' names are the same and they're both in the Carolinas, but, as you know, one is in North Carolina and the other is in South Carolina. And as landscapes, tourist attractions, and prevalent industries go, they couldn't be more different. To put it simply, Charlotte is more of a southern metropolitan city whose downtown boasts skyscrapers, condos, headquarters of large companies, and professional sports teams; Charleston is an historic coastal city with beaches, plantation-style homes, and revered for its food and arts festivals. I know I'm just summing up those cities very briefly and that they each have so much more to offer, but I've never thought the two cities had a whole lot in common.

Then I learned there's one thing Charleston has that I already knew Charlotte possesses: a burgeoning technology industry.

Fast Company published an article this week titled, "Introducing "Silicon Harbor": Charleston, SC, Home Of TwitPic And Amazon's CreateSpace," where it illustrates how and why Charleston is one of the top-10 fastest growing cities for software and Internet technology, despite being the 75th largest metro area in the U.S. "TwitPic and Amazon's CreateSpace count among the household names to emerge from Charleston. Additional prominent companies with footprints in the city include Blackbaud, Boeing, and Google," the article states.

It also goes on to describe some of the prominent tech startups and partnerships in Charleston. But you know what, Charlotte has many comparable entities:

• Whereas Charleston has the Charleston Digital Corridor to provide office space and support services, Charlotte has The Ben Craig Center and Packard Place.
• Charleston has notable tech companies and startups like PeopleMatter, BiblioLabs, and Benefitfocus, while Charlotte has DealCloud, Skookum Digital Works, Acrowire, and Appian, just to name a few from each city.
• While Charleston has Business Indigo to connect the tech community, Charlotte has the Charlotte Regional Technology Executives Council.
• And whereas Amazon acquired Charleston-based BookSurge and turned it into CreateSpace and kept the company there, last year Amazon also bought Charlotte-based voice-to-text technology company YAP Inc., but won't talk about it.

Now, there are a couple of things Charlotte can learn from Charleston in terms of growing its tech community. For starters, Charleston has given itself a cool name for the industry: "Silicon Harbor." Charlotte needs a moniker too. Any suggestions? How about "Silicon Bank"? Secondly, Charlotte needs to land a large technology company. Sure, Apple has built a new data center in Maiden, about 45 minutes northwest of Charlotte, and Google built a data center in Lenoir, but those are both large facilities mainly used to house servers. We need a large tech company in Charlotte, proper, where developers go to work every day. Charleston specifically uses state tax incentives and grant programs to target tech companies. But one area where Charlotte has an advantage, we have a lot more access to venture capital because of all of the current and former banking executives that live here and have started investment funds. Securing sources for capital is essential to startups' survival.

The Fast Company article talks about how software developers, engineers, and other techies are moving to Charleston because they're finding it to be a great place to live. That's the same case with Charlotte, as is illustrated in the video below on the tech community by the Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee, as part of their Carolina Stories series.

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Charlotte Startup Weekend May 4-6; National Inventors Month

Charlotte Startup Weekend is this weekend, May 4-6, and it's where you'll find techies, from software and hardware developers and designers to marketers, managers, graphic artists, and people who just love seeing ideas come together, huddled up over the course of 54 hours. Startup Weekend was founded in 2007 by a techie named Andrew Hyde in Boulder, Colorado; two years later it became a not-for-profit organization and relocated to Seattle. It's grown tremendously since its inception, now held in more than 120 cities, funded by the Kauffman Foundation in addition to support by companies like Google and Microsoft. This is Charlotte's fourth Startup Weekend, and participants say it's gotten bigger and better each year.

A team at work during last year's Charlotte Startup Weekend.

Led by local organizers and sponsors, Charlotte Startup Weekend is taking place again at Packard Place in Uptown, which is a hub for entrepreneurs and startups itself. The weekend kicks off with dinner and networking Friday at 5:30 p.m., and later that evening the pitches will start. Teams will form that night, and Saturday morning at 8 a.m. they'll get to work on their ideas. Sunday night, the teams will make their presentations. According to national organizers, about 80 percent of participants continue working with their team or startup after the weekend has ended, and 36 percent of them are still working together after three months..

Early bird registration has ended, but even now at the regular price of $99, the all-inclusive ticket is still a great deal. It covers seven meals, snacks, beers, and a T-shirt. For complete details, visit charlotte.startupweekend.org.

May is National Inventors Month
This is like a month filled with ingenuity and innovation. In recognition of National Inventors Month, Edison Nation, a Charlotte-based idea-to-shelf product development company, is leading a Twitter campaign by promoting the hashtags #IfICouldInvent and #InventorsMonth throughout May. And they're giving you the chance to win prizes. If you tweet "#IfICouldInvent... " and complete that statement with your own thought (for example: #IfICouldInvent a time machine I would go back to my sophomore year in college and ask that girl for her phone number), you could be among the tweets they select for prize giveaways. Follow @EdisonNation.

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