Frustrated with Chapel Hill’s lack of entrepreneurial opportunities, a UNC alumnus is working to give students a shot at success in the business world.
Julian Wooten started Social Venture Chapel Hill, a business networking organization, in an effort to connect UNC students with local entrepreneurs.
Social Venture hosted its kickoff event Thursday at Top of the Hill Restaurant and Brewery with 125 attendees.
“I wanted to create a Chapel Hill-based platform where people can connect with one another,” Wooten said.
“I wanted to find a way that students can be introduced to innovation and entrepreneurship.”
Wooten said he developed the idea for Social Venture after having difficulty connecting with members of Chapel Hill’s business community.
When Wooten developed STENCIL, a software for tracking student progress, as a student in UNC’s Eshelman School of Pharmacy, he had to travel across the state to promote it because Chapel Hill didn’t offer the same resources as other communities.
“We wanted to fill that void because we think there is a lot of good innovative spirit here — but no outlet for it,” said Thomas Bryant, business coordinator for Social Venture.
Bryant said student involvement is critical to the success of the organization.