Having called the beach town of Carolina Beach home for nine years, tech entrepreneur Scott Thomas noticed that there was a need for connecting vendors and customers in the area—especially during the sleepier winter offseason.
The realization inspired Thomas to build EventureMap, a digital tool featuring interactive maps that show local events, deals, and vendors in the Carolina coastal area.
“As I’ve been curating, I’ve been finding that there’s a lot more going on than I realized, and it’s hard to keep track of it,” Thomas said. “That’s why I’ve been trying to make these observations; it’s hard for any one person to keep track of it and to stay on top of it without assistance.”
EventureMap bloomed out of Thomas’s previous project, Shuttle Works, which aimed to simplify the confusion of transportation in Carolina Beach with an interactive map that updated in real time with vehicle locations, route options and estimated arrival times. As he worked on Shuttle Works, Thomas began to hear feedback from vendors who were more interested in vendor promotion and mapping.
Thomas said that his ultimate vision for EventureMap is for it to become a tool for vendors and consumers alike, creating a neighborhood ecosystem that benefits everyone in the community. He said that Eventure creates a more curated, local experience than comparable services, combining event promotion with the interactive mapping feature.
Building EventureMap
With over 30 years of experience in product development, Thomas harnessed AI to help bring his vision to life. Using Claude Code, Thomas vibe-coded his first pass of EventureMap in a single weekend in October 2025.
Hosted on Amazon Web Services, the program uses Google Maps API and AI-based capabilities that automatically search for local events nearby by analyzing sites like Eventbrite and Ticketmaster, as well as relevant social media posts. It combines the location of an event with its timing, allowing users to easily pinpoint an event tailored to their interests or needs.
Currently, EventureMap does not have paying customers, but has multiple avenues of potential revenue, including a paid subscription tier for curators and fees for add-on tools like trackable QR codes, AI-located deals and digital wallet passes. The product also pairs well with Shuttle Works, which has paid customers across the Carolinas who will do additional vendor promotion work over the summer.
Additionally, Thomas plans to form partnerships with local tourism and event departments, like the Downtown Wilmington business alliance and the Chamber of Commerce. He also aims to build the concept out beyond the immediate area in the future.
Thomas said that he has found support in local programs that support entrepreneurial projects, like the UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Cape Fear Community College Small Business Program.
Looking to the future, Thomas said that the upcoming months, as spring moves into summer, will be a time for growth as tourism to the beach kicks into gear. He hopes to attract more curators in different areas around North Carolina and, more generally, focus on expanding marketing exposure as the project matures.
QUICK BITS
Startup: EventureMap
Founder: Scott Thomas
Founded: 2025
Team size: 1 (and a team of AI devs)
Location: Carolina Beach
Website: eventuremap.com
Funding: Bootstrapped
Overall, Thomas wants to channel his love for the place that he calls home into a project with a positive impact. Some of the highlights of his journey with EventureMap have been deeply rooted in North Carolina, from presenting at the annual Wilson Whirligig Fest to collaborating with the Island Arts Council to map more than 60 art installments all around Pleasure Island.
“I think that’s what’s interesting or exciting about it is to try to put something together that can hopefully enhance the experience of visitors, that can help try and bring business to our vendors who a lot of times struggle in the offseason, and look for ways to try to bring more people to them and help them survive the slow seasons,” Thomas said. “And just to try to have even more community.”
