Build What Matters: The RDSCo Podcast

Raleigh-Durham Startup Co.

The official podcast of Raleigh-Durham Startup Co.

Episodes

  1. Apr 16

    Amanda Stockwell is building the bridge between Triangle students and startups

    Amanda Stockwell is solving a critical gap in the Raleigh-Durham startup ecosystem: connecting talented Triangle students to early-stage companies that need them. As founder of The Seed List, a nonprofit dedicated to creating equitable access to startup opportunities, Amanda is building the bridge between university talent and the innovation economy right here in the Research Triangle. In this episode, you'll hear about: How a simple "can you help me hire a student?" conversation turned into a full nonprofit organizationWhy diversity in startup spaces lags behind what we see in Triangle classrooms—and what The Seed List is doing about itThe summer internship program pairing students with startups, plus training and mentorship through a partnership with Leadership TriangleAmanda's vision for keeping brilliant students in the Triangle after graduationHer take on what our ecosystem needs: better resource coordination and intentional collaboration (and why she and Tim have debated this)Why Raleigh-Durham Startup Week is the "concentrated area of really smart, motivated people" you need to meet About Amanda: Amanda Stockwell brings 10+ years of UX consulting experience, teaches at Duke's Design and Technology Innovation Program, and has created 17 courses on LinkedIn Learning. She's also the networking co-captain for Raleigh-Durham Startup Week and a connector who believes the Triangle's collaborative spirit is our superpower. Build What Matters is the official podcast of Raleigh-Durham Startup Co. Subscribe wherever you listen and visit raleighdurhamstartup.co to get involved.

    Amanda Stockwell is building the bridge between Triangle students and startups
  2. Apr 6

    Chip Kennedy is building AI for government — and changing how we think about civic innovation

    On this episode of Build What Matters, host Tim Scales sits down with Chip Kennedy, founder of CivicReach, a Raleigh-based startup using voice AI to solve communication problems across the social safety net. Chip shares how his family nonprofit work led to building cutting-edge technology for government agencies, why Triangle startups in civic tech have unique advantages, and what this ecosystem needs to grow faster. What you'll hear: How CivicReach uses AI to help government agencies and nonprofits field hundreds of thousands of callsWhy government workers are innovators, not laggards—and how that shapes CivicReach's approachThe strength of the Triangle's civic tech ecosystem (hint: both Anthropic and OpenAI's heads of government sales are based here)What's missing: angel investing culture, better founder-mentor matching, and ecosystem visibilityWhy Raleigh-Durham Startup Week creates energy that major tech conferences can't replicate About Chip Kennedy: Chip is the founder of CivicReach, a Durham-based startup using AI to modernize communication for social service agencies. A career technologist and social entrepreneur, Chip also co-organizes Triangle Tech Night and runs a family nonprofit in Boston serving families experiencing homelessness. Build What Matters is the official podcast of Raleigh-Durham Startup Co. Subscribe wherever you listen and visit raleighdurhamstartup.co to get involved.

    Chip Kennedy is building AI for government — and changing how we think about civic innovation

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The official podcast of Raleigh-Durham Startup Co.