History

Timeline

1984:

CED is established by a team of 24 business leaders, entrepreneurs and academicians to capitalize on the technological and educational strengths of the Triangle; CED sponsors the first “Southeast Financing Conference for Emerging Growth Companies” to showcase entrepreneurial companies to potential investors; CED initiates monthly education and networking program for entrepreneurs; CED publishes first newsletter and establishes first office at 200 Park Drive in RTP; Board of Directors hires first employee, executive director Tom Gunning.

1985:

CED membership surpasses 200; Entrepreneurial councils are established in Asheville, Charlotte and the Triad; CED holds first conference on Entrepreneurship; CED publishes first membership directory; Triangle makes Money magazine’s list of top 10 U.S. Growth Areas.

1986:

CED hires first full-time director, Monica Doss.

1987:

CED receives 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status as an educational organization; CED holds first annual awards banquet; CED “Authors” Qualified Business Investment Tax Credit; Inc. magazine lists Triangle as #7 on list of “hot areas”; BTI establishes Young Entrepreneur Award in cooperation with CED.

1988:

CED hires second full-time employee to handle finances and administration, Kelly Gates.

1989:

Membership grows to more than 400 companies with 75% entrepreneurs or potential entrepreneurs.

1990:

CED forms Biotechnology Roundtable and Software Developers Roundtable; Publishes first Entrepreneurs Guide to Starting and Growing a Business in the Research Triangle.

1991:

CED offers first new member orientations; CED holds first annual golf tournament and sponsors half-day software conference.

1992:

Inc. magazine lists Triangle as one of the Best Places in America to Own a Business; CED and the NC Biotechnology Center sponsor first Biotechnology conference; CED sponsors first Triangle Software Industry conference.

1993:

CED is named N.C. Supporter of Entrepreneurship and is selected as one of three national finalists; CED is inducted into Entrepreneur of the Year Institute; Fortune magazine ranks Triangle as #1 Best City for Business; Entrepreneur magazine ranks Triangle in Top 20 Hot Spots to Start a Business.

1994:

CED’s 10th anniversary; CED forms International Roundtable; National Business Employment Weekly ranks Triangle #4 Best U.S. Market for New Graduates.

1995:

The National Consortium of Entrepreneurial Centers selects CED as a founding member; CED creates the Triangle Capital Formation Steering Committee to analyze the Triangle’s venture capital position; CED initiates FastTrac® TechVenture™ training course for prospective entrepreneurs; and launches a Young Entrepreneur Competition; CED hires fifth full-time employee; Forbes ASAP magazine ranks Triangle #8 Best Place for Smart Companies.

1996:

CED creates the Research Triangle Entrepreneurial Advisory Board; CED launches Future Focus capital campaign and Pilots Future Entrepreneurs program in Orange County middle school; CED launches a Web site; Wall Street Journal ranks Triangle #1 Hottest Place for Job Growth in the Southeast.

1997:

CED reaches Future Focus capital goal of $2.5 million to fund five-year, entrepreneurial development plan for Triangle; Initiates STREAK Venture Forum; First Publishes Research Triangle Venture Update; Entrepreneur magazine ranks Triangle #3 Midsize City.

1998:

CED opens Research Triangle Entrepreneurship Center in Research Triangle; CED sponsors its 15th Annual Venture Conference; CED initiates Entrepreneurial Scholars internship program and launches Executive Series.

1999:

Executive Director Monica Doss receives 1999 National Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award-Supporter of Entrepreneurship; CED celebrates 15 years and membership reaches 3000; CED initiates Entrepreneurial Stock Endowment Program; 400th company completes FastTrac® TechVenture™ course.

2000:

CED brings Southeast Bio Investor Conference to the Triangle; Endowment reaches 100th pledge; 100th company presents in the STREAK program; Entrepreneur magazine ranks Raleigh/Durham #3 Best Place in the Nation for Entrepreneurship; Money magazine ranks Raleigh/Durham #1 Place to Live in the Southeast; Wired magazine ranks Raleigh #3 High Tech Hotspot; Success magazine names the Research Triangle an Entrepreneurial Hotbed.

2001:

CED launches Capital Connections; CED membership reaches 5,000, representing 1200 companies, entrepreneurs and institutions.

2002:

CED's Innovation to Impact capital campaign exceeds its $3 million goal by raising over $4 million for the five-year initiative; Employment Review Magazine rates the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill metro area as America's best place to live and work; Brookings Institute names Research Triangle the #4 best place for new biotechnology companies.

2003:

CED celebrates 20th annual Venture Conference in April 2003; Collaborates with NCBIO and other organizations in successfully extending the state’s Qualified Business Venture (QBV) Tax Credit; North Carolina breaks into top ten nationally in venture capital investments for the first time (and rises to #3 nationally in life science investments).

2004:

CED celebrates its 20th anniversary and attracts former presidential candidate and Senator Robert Dole and DNA pioneer Lee Hood to speak at Venture and Biotech spring events; CED launches successful Engage program series.

2005:

CED launches Entrepreneurs Only Workshop™ series; Venture 2005 held in Pinehurst, NC; NC IDEA and CED form strategic alliance to make North Carolina a national leader in entrepreneurship; CED merges with Wilmington’s Coastal Entrepreneurial Council (CEC) – resulting in a “CED-Coastal” divisional office.

2006:

CED moves its headquarters to expanded Research Triangle location; NC State College of Management brings its part-time MBA program to CED’s newly expanded Entrepreneurship Center; CED hosts its Biotech 2006 conference in Winston-Salem with more than 800 attendees; CED expands presence in greater Wilmington region and celebrates one-year anniversary of CED-Coastal.

2007:

CED introduces Venture Series, a two-part program to provide knowledge and resources to early stage entrepreneurs; Research Triangle Regional Partnership (RTRP) and CED partner to promote North Carolina's innovation economy to leading investors in Boston; CED receives the “Non-Profit Excellence Award” at the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Small Business Excellence Awards; CED launches the Job Board.

2008:

CED introduces StartUps 24-7 (www.startups247.com), an on demand resource for entrepreneurs; CED introduces two new conferences, Globalization and MedTech; CED’s Venture conference celebrates its 25th anniversary; Longtime CED president, Monica Doss, retires after 22 years of dedicated service; Joan Siefert Rose steps in as new CED leader.