Insights

DURHAM, NC, March 27, 2018 – The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) today announced that Hunter Young has joined the team as Connections to Capital Manager. CED’s Connections to Capital is a highly curated, targeted and strategic investor-entrepreneur matching service. Director of Entrepreneurship Jay Bigelow has been running the service. By bringing Hunter on board, the two will work together to connect North Carolina entrepreneurs with investors from across the country.

CED’s Connections to Capital service officially launched in 2015 with Jay focused on relationships with the entrepreneurs and another team member focused on investor relations. In order to do the matchmaking, both had to be involved. In the new structure of the service, Jay and Hunter will be fostering relationships with both entrepreneurs and investors.

“In order for the service to grow and remain effective, we both need to be able to serve each side of the equation: the investors and the entrepreneurs,” said Jay. “The service is most impactful via relationship building versus transactional introductions.”

Hunter Young brings diverse finance and investment experience to CED. He was an investment banker with Barclays in New York executing M&A and capital markets transactions for companies including Serta, Newell Rubbermaid, and Berkshire Hathaway. Upon moving to North Carolina, he was Vice President & Director of Portfolio Relations at Hargett Hunter Capital Partners in Raleigh focused on investment in early stage chain restaurants.

“This opportunity with CED is a way for me to use my experience and skill set to support entrepreneurs with big ideas by helping them raise capital,” said Hunter. “In previous roles, I have worked with founders to evaluate business plans, understand capital needs, and figure out if companies are fundable. I look forward to applying that experience in getting to know the entrepreneurs and building relationships with investors.”

CED tracks over 1,800 NC entrepreneurial companies and fosters direct connections with over 250 investors across the U.S. The Connections to Capital team makes an average of 4 introductions each week. To date, seven NC companies have raised a collective $57 million with help from investor introductions made by CED.

“So far I have been most impressed with the interest from investors outside of the region. Since starting a few weeks ago, I have connected with investors from Florida to New York who want to stay updated on the entrepreneurial activity here. It’s a strong sign that interest in our region is robust and growing,” said Hunter.

“Hunter and I have trips planned to meet with investors in Atlanta and Boston. Meanwhile, Hunter is starting a young entrepreneurship group here to facilitate networking among CEOs and help us get to know the companies even better,” said Jay. “Hunter has experience building and managing a fund, but he also knows how to evaluate companies and engage with them. He is a critical addition to the growth of the Connections to Capital service.”

To learn more about CED and the Connections to Capital service, visit: /connections-to-capital

For data on funding for entrepreneurial companies in North Carolina, view CED’s Innovators Report: /innovatorsreport/

About CED

Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) connects entrepreneurial companies with high-value resources to accelerate business growth. CED services and programs (including Connections to Capital, Venture Mentoring, and signature conferences) empower member companies to go further faster. Partners of CED are fueling tomorrow’s success stories by investing in today’s ecosystem. Read more at /