On Thursday night, GrepBeat hosted its second annual “Rising Stars” event, once again at the 21c Museum Hotel in Downtown Durham (which is so close to the GrepBeat HQ the dinosaur on our mural can nearly stretch out and chomp it). We welcomed a very festive crowd of ecosystem folks who braved the thin rumor of winter weather to attend the event, not only from the Triangle but from Wilmington, Charlotte, and elsewhere across the state.
As we discussed both in the lead-up and at the event itself, we created “Rising Stars” to fill a gap in ecosystem programming and celebrate the people who do so much to support startups and founders behind the scenes. These are the relationship builders, program directors, professional service providers and the like who prop up tech startup communities around North Carolina and don’t always get recognized for the effort.
We received something in the neighborhood of 70 nominations for this second-ever class of “Rising Stars.” Those nominations were then passed along to our panel of esteemed judges:
- Krista Covey — CEO of First Flight Venture Center
- Juan Garzón — Executive Director at Innovate Charlotte
- Haley Huie — Director at NC State Entrepreneurship Clinic
- Heather McWhorter — Director at UNCW Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
- Rachael Newberry — Program Director at RIoT / NC IDEA
Before we get to the Rising Stars, it must be noted that we would not have been able to put on this new event without two things in particular: engagement from the community and support from our sponsors. We at Team GrepBeat would like to extend our gratitude toward everyone who nominated a potential Rising Star, as well as our event sponsors: Curious Ant and NC IDEA Engage.
*After you’ve read through these, please enjoy a whole collection of awesome photos from the evening courtesy of Corey Truesdale*
And now, I present our 2026 Rising Stars!
⭐️ Venus Liles (Founder, Liles Law)
(Just Some) Rising Star Qualities:
- Supports startup founders with the accessible, comprehensive legal services they need to launch and grow with stability and peace of mind.
- Relentlessly present and relentlessly positive at any and all events supporting founders.
- Stated mission to “get founder ideas out into the world.”
⭐️ Caleb Thornton (Founder, Seed2Table)
(Just Some) Rising Star Qualities:
- Fosters founder-investor relationships that go beyond deals and assessments and ultimately amount to real, supportive bonds.
- Regularly organizes events with an aim to forge (and help others forge) fresh partnerships.
- Tall; facilitates investments.
⭐️ Kenyetta Hall (Principal Consultant, The Katalyst HQ)
(Just Some) Rising Star Qualities:
- Per a nominator, “The definition of a Swiss Army knife across tech and startups.”
- Helps founders turn strategic product thinking into tangible growth.
- Casually moonlights as a professor, teaching students how to develop brands and think like entrepreneurs.
- Collected the award fresh off a beach in Colombia (objectively badass).
⭐️ Sonali Sanjay (Associate, Primordial Ventures)
(Just Some) Rising Star Qualities:
- Supports founders with sharp business insight, candid feedback, and a genuine desire to help them succeed.
- Serves well beyond her official professional capacity, as an echo NC board member, Core Volunteer for RDSW, and NC IDEA Micro grant reviewer.
- Universally viewed as a warm and welcoming presence by everyone from Triangle founders to the Fish People of Seattle.
⭐️ Scott Davis (Wilmington Hub Director, NCInnovation)
(Just Some) Rising Star Qualities:
- Connects Wilmington-area founders with the resources, funding, and guidance they need.
- Supports innovators with a well of experience across investment analysis, education, and consulting.
- Has dived into his Wilmington role with immediate dedication to helping the coastal ecosystem grow.
⭐️ Isabella Dearr (Event Manager, Raleigh Founded)
(Just Some) Rising Star Qualities:
- Described by peers as the “creative force” behind Raleigh Founded’s most meaningful initiatives (Pitch Please, Kickball for a Cause, and more).
- Brought The Possibility Festival to Raleigh
- Makes incredible art, including the gigantic mech-dino mural adorning GrepBeat HQ, which is not an automatic ticket to Rising Stardom but is awesome.
⭐️ Jenny Tacka (Co-Founder, gWen)
(Just Some) Rising Star Qualities:
- Brand strategist going out of her way to serve as a “wingwoman” for startups in multiple capacities.
- Through gWen, provides space for female entrepreneurs to support one another and grow together.
- Beyond her work with gWen, works as a fractional CMO and the Founder of Brands x Humans.
⭐️ Elizabeth Brigham (Executive Director, The Hurt Hub)
(Just Some) Rising Star Qualities:
- Works in a variety of roles toward exposing young people to entrepreneurship opportunities.
- Advises startup founders with marketing, product management, and strategic thinking.
- Has seemingly held just about every conceivable role across the entrepreneurship spectrum (with some work with Disney Parks thrown in!).
⭐️ Emil Runge (Director, Launch Chapel Hill)
(Just Some) Rising Star Qualities:
- Leads and/or supports various programs providing mentorship and resources to both student-led ventures and startups statewide.
- Constantly collaborating with others in the community on how to improve support for entrepreneurs.
- Infectiously enthusiastic in his aim to ensure the whole community wins together.
- Gave me an enormous hug upon receiving his award.
⭐️ Preet Mankad (Startup Programs Lead, CED)
(Just Some) Rising Star Qualities:
- Has self-woven (a real thing) into the fabric of the ecosystem through various prior roles in community management.
- Supports countless founders in her shaping and leadership of programs like the GRO Incubator and events like Venture Connect
- Unrivaled in the sincerity with which she cares for and supports the founders she works with.
