partners make an annual investment to sustain CED’s impact
CED operates as a two-sided marketplace and is funded through the investments of its partners. With these investments, we are able to provide support to over 200 companies annually by hosting educational workshops, facilitating a robust mentoring program and providing one-on-one consulting directly to each company. And guess what? We engage our network of partners to achieve it all!
As a CED partner, you not only help to sustain CED, but you drive our mission forward — connecting entrepreneurial companies with the resources that will accelerate their growth. We put your expertise to work supporting companies that are growing and scaling in our region.

understanding the difference between partnership levels
Being a partner has its perks. Depending on the level of investment you choose, you will have the opportunity to share quality content through our communication channels, attend specialized events and programs, and gain access to CED’s Venture Connect Summit.
As a Strategic Partner, you will have the opportunity to share quality content through our communication channels, attend specialized events and programs, gain access to CED’s Venture Connect Summit and have the opportunity to cultivate meaningful business relationships through CED’s network.
Strategic Partners receive all premium benefits, plus:
- Two Executive profiles are featured on CED’s online directory with links to bios
- Two seats on the CED Advisory Board
- Opportunity to sponsor network meetups and other CED events
- Four tickets to the Venture Connect Summit
- Provide partner updates as featured content in CED’s Newsletter, sent bi-monthly
- Option to participate in CED’s pitch scrubs
- Submit guest blog posts for consideration
- Access to four network meetups
- Access to four partner workshops
CED’s Strategic Partners invest $7,000 annually.
The Executive Partnership is designed to provide our partners with the ability to directly impact the entrepreneurial companies in our network with mutually beneficial engagement. Through skilled volunteerism and value-added educational workshops, emerging companies in the CED network will benefit from our corporate partners’ expertise. Additionally, this partnership can provide our corporate partners with exposure to entrepreneurial ideas that can help solve their own product or management problems, provide exposure to entrepreneurial culture, have the opportunity to be a beta customer for one of our startups, and identify new ways of operating. The Executive Level Annual Partnership can help your company to develop meaningful and impactful relationships with local start-ups.
Additional partnership perks include:
- Four Executive profiles featured on CED’s online directory with links to bios
- Four seats on the CED Advisory Board
- Opportunity to sponsor network meetups and other CED events
- Six tickets to the Venture Connect Summit
- Provide partner updates as featured content in CED’s Newsletter, sent bi-monthly
- Option to participate in CED’s pitch scrubs
- Submit guest blog posts for consideration
- Access to four exclusive briefings with featured entrepreneurial partner companies
- Access to four network meetups
- Access to four partner workshops
CED’s Executive Partners invest $10,000 annually.
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#StrategicPartner
CED is the time-tested resource for start-ups, founders, and entrepreneurs in North Carolina looking to turn their vision into a business. By offering resources, coaching, and tools, and by connecting startups with investors, CED fosters the Triangle’s successful start-up ecosystem. In my years of serving on the board of CED and as a Strategic Partner, I’ve had the privilege to see CED’s impact firsthand.”
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#StrategicPartner
CED is an extraordinary asset to the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through their network and events, CED provides invaluable resources for companies to succeed and for our community to thrive.”
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#PremiumPartner
Navigating the challenging startup terrain can be treacherous for new entrepreneurs, but CED provides fantastic support to help guide startup organizations from idea to investment. We’re proud to partner with them to foster an environment of innovation and progress here in the Triangle.”
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#StrategicPartner
I have had the good fortune of working with CED in two roles: previously with a VC-backed startup company showcasing at CED Tech Ventures, and now as a Strategic Partner representing RTI International and our global presence. In both cases, CED has enabled us to partner at an intimate level with the business, entrepreneur and investor community in the Triangle and beyond. From its flagship events, to educational workshops, to networking opportunities, CED continues to lead the way in raising up our entrepreneurial ecosystem in North Carolina.”
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#StrategicPartner
CED strives to unite their members and their partners in a way that feels natural to all parties. Everyone is willing to be open about their needs and objectives. Our partnership with CED allows us the opportunity to communicate how we can help with those objectives and provide guidance for their success.”

is Partnership right for you?
We want to get to know you a little before you make that decision. Please reach out to learn more about CED, learn more about being a CED Partner, and how we can help you become a valuable resource in the Entrepreneurial Community, today.
Meet our partners

Adam Wanee

Alicia Parr

Allen Cobb

Amish Patel

Andrea Fleming

Anita Watkins

Annalise Perry

Bagchi Law

Balentine

Bank of America Private Bank

BDO

Bernard Goodrich

Bernard Robinson & Company

Bridge Bank

Casey Granack

Chad Love

Chiesi USA, INC.

CIBC Innovation Banking

Clark Nexsen

Clarkston Consulting

CliftonLarsonAllen

Cofounders Capital

Collaborative Drug Discovery Inc

Cooley LLP

David Bell

David Kirk

David Morris

Davis Moore Capital

Dean Dorton Allen Ford, PLLC

Deloitte LLP

DesignHammer

Dualboot Partners

Duke Energy Carolinas

Elimmer

Emily Finklestein

EOS Worldwide

Extensis HR

EY

Financial Directions Group

Fox Rothschild LLP

Gavin Day

Gig East Exchange

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)

Glen Chaplan

Go-od Consulting

Goodrich Consulting Group


Grant Chaney

Greg Capps

Hadley Iliff

Hatteras Venture Partners

Hub International

Hughes Pittman & Gupton LLP

Hutchison PLLC

IBM

Jenkins Wilson Taylor & Hunt, P.A.

John Fogg

Jonathon Weisenfeld

Jordan Stowe

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JWM Group

LabCorp

Lauren Romer

Lenovo

Live Oak Bank

Longfellow Real Estate Partners

Lucas Beal

Manning Fulton & Skinner, P.A.

Marlana Bunn

Marshall Gerstein & Borun LLP

McGriff Insurance Services

Merz North America

Michael Crooke

Michael, Best & Friedrich

Museum of Life and Science

NC State Office of Research and Innovation

NC Tech

NC Tech

North State Consulting

Pacific Western Bank

Pappas Capital

Parexel International

Pat Scherper

Performentor

Peter Franconi

Pfizer CentreOne Contract Manufacturing

PNC Bank

Polsinelli

Poyner Spruill

PwC

Raleigh Founded

RBC Bank (Georgia), N.A

RBC Wealth Management

Rex Health Ventures

Rick Matthews

River Cities Capital Funds (RCCF)

Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A.

Ronnie Eubanks

RSM US LLP

RTI International

Ryan Cosola

Ryan Starkes

Savills

SJF Ventures

Smith Anderson

Spoonflower

Sukesh Pai

T3 Advisors, LLC

Tim Wilson

Tom Allen

UNC Office of Technology Commercialization

Vaco, LLC

Vinay Tannan

Vocable Communications

Wade Associates

WakeMed Hospitals

Wealth Management

Wells Fargo

Williams Mullen

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati P.C.

Worldwide Clinical Trials
