startups

Eship Center Eric Happel Fireside Chat
May 27, 2026

Fireside Chat: UNC Entrepreneurship Center — Eric Happel

Each month Launch Chapel Hill and the UNC Entrepreneurship Center host fireside chats with a different theme. These chats showcase a broad range of entrepreneurs at various stages of their venture evolution. Featured entrepreneurs will discuss their journey: the good, the bad and the ugly. The first of the spring series will be on January 27 and will feature Eric Happel, who works on Nike's Global Partners Management and Strategy team. Join us as Eric describes his decision to leave Nike for a startup, his experience building a startup and then his return to Nike with his newfound knowledge and skills.

Niki & Ritika Shamdasani
May 27, 2026

Fireside Chat: UNC Entrepreneurship Center — Candid Conversations with Niki & Ritika Shamdasani, Founders of Sani

In the Entrepreneurship Center's second chat, they feature the superstar-sister-founder-team: Niki and Ritika Shamdasani of Sani, a South Asian-inspired fashion brand. The sisters launched Sani in 2017 to create the outfits and shopping experience they always wished they could find for cultural clothing. That mission has led to a first-of-its-kind partnership with Rent the Runway, features in Business Insider, NBC and Good Morning America, and a loyal following of 70,000 on TikTok.

Carpe
May 27, 2026

Fireside Chat: UNC Entrepreneurship Center — David Spratte and Kasper Kubica, Founders of Carpe

These conversations seek to showcase a broad range of entrepreneurs who are making an impact in their field, as well as introduce and connect these people to the Launch Chapel Hill and Triangle community. Our first chat highlights Duke-UNC superstar team, Kasper Kubica and David Spratte, co-founders of Carpe -- the first all-over body sweat management brand known for its category-leading hand and foot antiperspirants.

Kenan Insights Is There A Small Business Funding Gap Greg Brown

Is There a Small Business Funding Gap?

Small businesses are an undeniable engine of growth for the United States, comprising 99 percent of all U.S. firms and driving nearly half our total economic activity. Yet small business owners across the country lack sufficient capital to succeed, grow and scale. The Kenan Institute has conducted a new analysis on the role of the Small Business Administration’s SBIC program in providing capital to the often-overlooked small businesses operating outside of metropolitan centers, as well as those owned by women and underrepresented minorities. Greg Brown, executive director at the Kenan Institute and professor of finance at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, discusses the findings in this video.