Inspiring Innovators, Elevating North Carolina Emerging Businesses: CED receives $100,000 Regions Foundation grant benefiting GRO Incubator
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – January 29, 2026 – The Center for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) today announced a transformative $100,000 grant from the Regions Foundation, a nonprofit primarily funded by Regions Bank, to enhance CED’s GRO Incubator, one of the Triangle’s leading programs for early-stage tech and biotech startups.
“For more than 40 years, CED has been the breeding ground for some of the Triangle’s most successful companies,” said Alex Bloom, CED’s CEO. “This grant from the Regions Foundation is great validation of the work we have done, and an investment to expand that into the future” noted Bloom.
The Regions Foundation, which has awarded more than 30 million dollars in grants to nonprofits since 2018, focuses on supporting economic and community development initiatives; education and workforce readiness programs; and financial wellness across the bank’s 15-state footprint. The $100,000 CED grant represents the Regions Foundation’s first investment in the Triangle region.
“Launching a business requires thoughtful research, strategic planning and considerable courage,” said Marta Self, Executive Director of the Regions Foundation. “Through its GRO Incubator, CED is connecting entrepreneurs with valuable resources like experienced mentors, educational workshops and access to capital. Startup founders and operators emerge from this program with all of these helpful tools, plus greater self-confidence as they scale their companies.”
The Regions Bank Foundation investment marks an exciting milestone in CED’s continued momentum and will enable a more competitive, resource-rich experience for emerging founders in North Carolina.
This grant unlocks a new era for the 12-week GRO Incubator, which will launch its eleventh cohort this spring. For the first time, GRO will award cash prizes totaling $50,000 across the year to winning companies. In addition to 12 weeks of tailored coaching, all participating startups will receive an expanded suite of Google perks worth over $30,000 per company. These enhancements position GRO as a uniquely high-value incubator within the Triangle’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“Reducing friction in the early days of a company journey is critical. We’re excited about the next season of our GRO Incubator, and grateful to the Regions Bank Foundation for making it possible for us to expand the capital and resources available to our founders. These funds will truly enhance GRO’s impact across the Triangle innovation ecosystem” says Preet Mankad, Startup Programs Lead at CED.
Programming Details
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN for the spring cohort of CED’s GRO Incubator, and close on February 23, 2026. The program begins March 31, 2026 and will culminate in a Demo Day open to the public.
For more information about the program, visit the CED GRO website.
More Information
About CED (The Center for Entrepreneurial Development)
The Center for Entrepreneurial Development was formed in 1984 by a group of business leaders wanting to empower the successful creation and growth of entrepreneurial companies in the North Carolina region. CED acts as the connective center for all of this to happen. Through high-touch support, education, access to capital, and crucial connections, CED brings entrepreneurs together with the optimal resources needed to turn a new company into a success story. For more information, go to www.cednc.org.
About The Regions Foundation
The Alabama-based Regions Foundation supports community investments that positively impact communities served by Regions Bank. The Foundation engages in a grantmaking program focused on priorities including economic and community development; education and workforce readiness; and financial wellness. The Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation funded primarily through contributions from Regions Bank.
Media Contacts
FOR CED:
Katelin Wheeler
Senior Marketing Lead
Center for Entrepreneurial Development
kwheeler@cednc.org
For Regions Bank and the Regions Foundation:
Kim Borges
Vice President, Market PR Specialist
Regions Bank
Kim.Borges@regions.com
