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The Coastal Entrepreneur Awards

The Coastal Entrepreneur Awards (CEA) celebrate innovation, growth and leadership among businesses in southeastern North Carolina. Organized by the Greater Wilmington Business Journal in partnership with UNCW’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the awards recognize outstanding companies across a range of industries — including biotechnology, technology, retail, nonprofit and more. The event takes place every year in May. 

Each year, winners are selected in multiple categories, and one is named the Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year for their exceptional impact and potential. The goal of the event is to highlight entrepreneurial success stories and support the region’s growing business community.

Winners

Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year: Koolbridge Energy

Event page:

Category winners:

  • Biotechnology: 
  • Emerging Company: 
  • Health Care: 
  • Internet-Related Business: 
  • Manufacturing & Distribution: 
  • Minority/Woman-Owned Business: 
  • Nonprofit: 
  • Nonprofit: 
  • Professional Services: 
  • Retail & Hospitality: 
  • Technology: 

Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year: Frontier Scientific Solutions

Event page:

Category winners:

  • Biotech:
  • Biotech:
  • Emerging Company:
  • Emerging Company:
  • Manufacturing & Distribution:
  • Minority/Women-Owned:
  • Nonprofit:
  • Professional Services:
  • Retail & Hospitality:
  • Technology:
  • Technology:

Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year: Predicate HPG (Predicate)

  • Event page:

Category winners:

  • Biotechnology:
  • Emerging Company:
  • Health Care:
  • Internet Related:
  • Manufacturing & Distribution:
  • Minority‑Owned Business:
  • Nonprofit:
  • Retail & Hospitality:
  • Retail & Hospitality:
  • Professional Services:
  • Technology:

Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year: The Wall Printer

  • Event page:

Category winners:

  • Film:
  • Manufacturing & Distribution:
  • Minority‑Owned Business:
  • Minority-Owned Business:
  • Nonprofit:
  • Hospitality:
  • Hospitality:
  • Professional Services:
  • Real Estate:
  • Technology:
  • Services:

Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year: Apiture

  • Event page:

Category winners:

  • Biotechnology:
  • Emerging Company:
  • Film:
  • Health Care:
  • Health Care:
  • Manufacturing & Distribution:
  • Minority‑Owned Business:
  • Nonprofit:
  • Retail & Hospitality:
  • Professional Services:
    Technology:

Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year:  Topsail Steamer

  • Event page: .

Category winners:

  • Biotechnology:
  • Emerging Company:
  • Film:
  • Health Care:
  • Internet‑Related:
  • Manufacturing & Distribution:
  • Minority‑Owned Business:
  • Nonprofit:
  • Retail & Hospitality:
  • Professional Services:
  • Technology:

Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year: Isosceles Pharmaceuticals Inc.

  • Event page:

Category winners:

  • Biotechnology: Isosceles Pharmaceuticals Inc.
  • Nonprofit:
  • Internet‑Related:
  • Professional Services:
  • Technology: Epiphany Software Corp
  • Emerging Company: WorkTok
  • Health Care:
  • COVID Innovation:
  • Film:
  • Manufacturing & Distribution:
  • Retail & Hospitality:

Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year: Connected Investors

  • Event page:

Category winners:

  • Biotechnology:
  • Emerging Company:
  • Health Care:
  • Internet‑Related Business:
  • Internet‑Related Business:
  • Manufacturing & Distribution:
  • Nonprofit:
  • Retail & Hospitality:
  • Professional Services:
  • Technology:

To celebrate the 10th year of the Coastal Entrepreneur Awards, the 2018 event honored top winners from the previous decade rather than naming traditional categories or overall winners.

Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year:

  • Event page:

Special Honoree:

  • Entrepreneur of the Decade: Chip Mahan, CEO of Live Oak Bank

Top 10 Honorees from the First 10 Years:

  • Distribution:
  • Retail and Hospitality:
  • Energy:
  • Health Care:
  • Nonprofit:
  • Technology:
  • Manufacturing:
  • Professional Services: N2 Publishing
  • Biotechnology:
  • Internet Related:

Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year: PlayerSpace

  • Event page:

Category winners:

  • Biotechnology:
  • Film:
  • Health Care:
  • Internet-Related Business:
  • Manufacturing & Distribution:
  • Nonprofit:
  • Retail & Hospitality:
  • Retail & Hospitality:
  • Professional Services:
  • Technology:

Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year: Beau's Coffee

Category winners:

  • ​Biotechnology - Atlantic Biotechnology
  • Emerging Company -
  • Emerging Company -
  • Health Care -
  • Internet-Related Business - Likeli
  • Manufacturing & Distribution -
  • Nonprofit -
  • Professional Services - Edu-Tell
  • Retail & Hospitality - Beau’s Coffee
  • Technology -
Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year:  Mimijumi
  • Event page:

Category winners:

  • Technology:
  • Professional Services:
  • Emerging Company: Elite Innovations
  • Film: Filmwerks International
  • Internet-Related Business:
  • Internet-Related Business: Performance Culture
  • Nonprofit:
  • Manufacturing & Distribution:
  • Health Care:
  • Biotechnology:
Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year: Next Glass
  • Event page:

Category winners:

  • Nonprofit:
  • Nonprofit:
  • Emerging Company:
  • Retail:
  • Internet-Related Company:
  • Manufacturing & Distribution:
  • Biotechnology:
  • Technology:
  • Health Care:
  • Services:
Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year: Pink-Trash
  • Event page:

Category winners:

  • Pink Trash (Coastal Ladies Carting dba)
  • GO2 LLC
  • Modoc Research Services
  • Monarcares

Event page:

Category winners:

  • Carolina Farmin'
  • Dry Corp LLC
  • Glycotech Inc.
  • Pomp Event Furnishings
  • Progress Earth

Event page:

Category winners:

  • Cape Fear Rainwater Harvesting Inc.
  • Custom Fit Meals
  • Efficient Energy America Inc.
  • Frank Deals
  • Glide Bikes Inc.
Event page:

Category winners:

  • Digieffects
  • Holt Oil Co.
  • LoadMatch Logistics (now )
  • Rogo
Event page:

Category winners:

  • GeniSys Networks
  • Opterex (now
  • OrthoKinetic Technologies
  • Sapona Green Building Center
  • Tera Disc (now )
  • Virtual Law Office Technology