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Friday Fix: BrightView Technologies, Squadies, STEM PLUG, and Summer Sanity
Posted Today tl;dr GrepBeat.com shares a lot of news about startups and technology. Every week, David Schwartz recaps the top stories, podcasts, and events in the Friday Fix, which is part of The GrepBeat Podcast. This week, they talked about Raleigh's Squadies, updates from BrightView Technologies, Triangle's STEM PLUG, and Charlotte's Summer Sanity. |
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Triangle Startup Advances STEM Education With Books And Robotics
Posted Yesterday tl;dr Rich Gilliam, who grew up in Philadelphia, started a company called STEM PLUG to help kids from urban communities explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). He created a book series called “STEM Solvers,” where each book follows different characters learning about STEM, and developed hands-on projects like building a hydraulic robot. Gilliam also works with schools and organizations to bring these educational tools to more kids, believing that connecting stories with STEM learning helps children feel more confident and engaged. |
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BrightView Technologies CEO Jennifer Aspell Talks Ospreys, Pickleball, and a $7M Series B
Posted Tuesday tl;dr BrightView Technologies, based in Durham, is a leader in engineered optics, creating advanced solutions for lighting and display applications in various fields like robotics and electronics. Since 2022, the company has expanded its technology, operations, and team, supported by a $7 million funding round, and their products are used by top tech companies worldwide. CEO Jennifer Aspell enjoys spending time at her beach house and playing pickleball, and she emphasizes the importance of agility, teamwork, and strategic growth for the company’s future. |
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Raleigh’s Squadies Helps Parents Find Clean Public Bathrooms On The Go
Posted Tuesday tl;dr Ryan Brown had a tough experience changing her child's diaper in a restaurant bathroom without a changing table, which inspired her to create an app called Squadies to help people find clean public restrooms. The app uses a special Trust Score to rate bathroom hygiene and accessibility, and it's being developed with input from business partners and focus groups. Squadies has already raised $1.5 million and plans to expand its services across multiple cities, aiming to improve public health and convenience. |
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Monday Mix: Breakfast Pitches, 1 Million Cups, and a Startup Ideas Seminar
Posted Monday tl;dr Start your week with the Monday Mix from The GrepBeat Podcast, which shares news and stories about tech in North Carolina. You can find events like "Kickball for a Cause" in Raleigh, "One Million Cups" in Wilmington, and a "Pitch Workshop" in Charlotte. If you want more events, check out the community calendar, and you can also listen to the podcast for updates every Monday! |
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Book Club Review: “Disrupted” by Dan Lyons
Posted August 8, 2025 tl;dr The GrepBeat Book Club met to discuss "Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble" by Dan Lyons, which is about his experiences working at a tech startup. Lyons humorously exposes the strange culture and challenges of the tech industry, including ageism and unclear company goals. The group found the book entertaining but somewhat familiar, given their own tech experiences, and they plan to read "Microserfs" by Douglas Coupland next. |
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Friday Fix: NeoPay, The Wall Printer, and GrepBeat Book Club
Posted August 8, 2025 tl;dr GrepBeat.com talks about startup and tech stories, and on Fridays, David Schwartz summarizes them in the "Friday Fix." This week's highlights include features on NeoPay from Chapel Hill, The Wall Printer from Wilmington, and a discussion on the book "My Misadventures in the Start-Up Bubble" by Dan Lyons. You can listen to the full summary on The GrepBeat Podcast to stay updated. |
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Wilmington-Based The Wall Printer Efficiently Prints Images on Walls
Posted August 7, 2025 tl;dr Paul Baron is an entrepreneur who started The Wall Printer, a company that sells machines capable of printing any image on different wall surfaces. These machines are popular because they're efficient and can quickly print high-quality images, making them a great business opportunity for people who want to rent them out. Since its founding in 2020, The Wall Printer has grown rapidly, selling hundreds of machines and earning recognition for its potential and success. |
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Chapel Hill’s NeoPay Cuts Transaction Fees for Small Businesses
Posted August 4, 2025 tl;dr NeoPay is a new app that helps small businesses by cutting credit card transaction fees in half and offering fun rewards to customers. It was created by George Peacock and his team at NeoMana Labs, inspired by the fast and cheap transactions of the Bitcoin Lightning Network. NeoPay will start at the University of North Carolina with plans to expand to other colleges, benefiting both local businesses and students who use the app. |
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Monday Mix: Test Flight Pitch Practice, Content Creators Meetup, and GrepBeat Book Club
Posted August 4, 2025 tl;dr Start your week with the Monday Mix from The GrepBeat Podcast, where you'll hear news and stories about North Carolina's tech community. This week's events include a pitch practice, a content creators meetup, and a book club in the Triangle, plus a special event in Wilmington. You can also find more events on their community calendar or subscribe to the podcast for updates every Monday. |
