23,500
square feet co-founded and operated
CASE STUDY · ECOSYSTEM
Co-building Tabbris, a Charlotte innovation hub.
Space, programming and mentorship for Charlotte founders.
I co-founded a 23,500 square foot innovation hub in Charlotte. Offices, conference rooms, hot seats, a recording studio, and a 9,000 square foot event floor. I ran its programming, events and mentorship.
The space needed regular events and useful introductions, not just desks.
The problem
A regular place for founders, capital and engineers.
I wanted founders, investors and engineers to have a regular place to meet and work together. Tabbris combined workspace with events and mentorship.
My responsibilities included the calendar, founder introductions, workshops, panels and pitch events.
I co-founded the hub and ran the programming.
The footprint
The space and the programming.
Square footage
38% of the hub built for people to gather
Offices, conference rooms, hot seats, and a recording studio filled the rest.
Community activity
3,000+ members in the Startup Grind chapter
Every event was a reason for the next introduction to happen.
9,000
sq ft of dedicated event space
50+
startups housed and supported
100+
events and workshops programmed
3,000+
community members, Startup Grind chapter
What I built
Events, mentorship and the university connection.
The calendar
100+ events
Workshops, panels, socials, and demo nights on a steady cadence. Founders learned when the doors were open, and they planned their week around it.
The hot seats
Mentorship
Structured time on the hot seat where founders got picked apart by operators who had done it. No spectator advice. Real feedback, in the room.
The stage
Pitch contests
Competitions that forced founders to sharpen the story and stand in front of a real audience. Practice reps for the day the check was on the line.
The pipeline
Academic advisory
A bridge to the university that fed talent and fresh ideas into the room. I guest lectured at the UNC Charlotte Belk College to keep that channel warm.
Startup Grind CharlotteChapter Director
FundingPostHost
UNC Charlotte, Belk CollegeGuest Lecturer
The recognition
Charlotte Inno named it.
Charlotte Inno recognized the work with its On Fire Community Builder award.
- Charlotte Inno On Fire · Community Builder award
- Recognized for the ecosystem, not a single company
- Events, programming and founder mentorship
The point
The work combined a shared founding role with events, mentorship and a UNC Charlotte connection. The program figures describe the hub's activity, not a claim that every introduction produced funding or revenue.
I co-built the space. I ran the program that brought people into it.