American Underground

You're invited to the FCAT Fellowship Demo Day on December 11! The FCAT Fellowship at American Underground serves early stage startup founders leveraging emerging technologies to solve real-world challenges. Join us as these trailblazing founders pitch their startups to an audience of investors, founders, mentors, and supporters. Wednesday, December 11 - 2:30pm: Pitches at the Carolina Theater - 4:00pm: Reception at the Durham Hotel RVSP here: https://lu.ma/yab6303u

Congrats to AU member — and FCAT Fellow — Runbin Dong and Scale Social AI for this great feature in Triangle Business Journal.

October was jam-packed with fun events and new accomplishments; we can't start November without recapping October! - We officially kicked off the FCAT Fellowship with the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology®(FCAT), featuring a cohort of 15 talented and innovative founders 🎉 - We held our final Lunch & Learn of 2024 with an impactful conversation on how to combat 4th quarter burnout and seasonal depression, featuring the amazing Kamala Uzzell, PhD, LCMHCS, LPC, Erikka D. Taylor, MD, MPH, DFAACAP, and Doug Kaufman, PhD 🧠 - We joined forces with the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce for a rooftop Durham Young Professionals Pop-Up event discussing using AI in entrepreneurship 🌇 - Of course, we kept the fun vibes going with an AU Member Brunch, Member Mixers, a field trip to Boxcar Arcade, and a few Halloween costumes 🎃😂

🎉 Introducing our new "Underground Conversations" Series! We're spotlighting the faces behind the desks, the incredible work they do, and what brought them to our coworking community 🎉 Meet Michael Halpert … He was looking for a new gig in 2017 and got on the American Underground newsletter list. Five years later, AU member Katie Rudy invited him to a Member Happy Hour in 2023. And the rest is history… “AU is super welcoming. I think of the people here as my coworkers. As a solo in my business it’s really nice to have coworkers and people to share ideas with and have lunch with” said Halpert. Earlier this year, Mike pitched his startup, Ver, at a Durham Community Incubator pitch night. 75% of the folks who showed up to cheer him on were from AU. Mike is the Founder at Ver Coaching, using VR to train athletes on the mental game. He joined American Underground in September of 2023. To him, AU is a reflection of Durham. The vibes, the programming, and the support are unmatched. He’s had new friends send grant applications his way, point him to programs and resources, and check in on things over lunch. The moral of the story is ... all it takes is just one event 😂😁 check out some of our upcoming community events here: https://lnkd.in/eeFjHGmi

Join us!

🥪 We’re excited to invite you to a Lunch & Learn Panel Discussion, “Beating Burnout: Thriving Through 4th Quarter & Seasonal Blues” on Wednesday, October 23rd from 12:00-1:00 PM with lunch provided! 🌟 Join us as we tackle the realities of 4th quarter burnout and the seasonal mental challenges that often accompany the colder months. You’ll hear from both mental health professionals and founders who will share actionable steps and practical tools to help you stay mentally healthy and strong closing out the year! 👥 Panelists Erikka Daniene Taylor — Psychiatrist & Partner, Catalyst Therapeutic Services Doug Kaufman, PhD- CEO & Founder, Belongly 🎤 Moderated by Kamala Uzzell, PhD, LCMHCS, LPC- Founder/ Psychotherapist/Consultant, SOLAY Counseling & Consulting 📆 Wednesday, October 23rd 12:00-1:00pm  📩: https://lu.ma/i4zwlmse 📍 American Underground: 201 W Main St, Durham, NC 27701, USA

American Underground field trip to Fidelity with the FCAT Fellows!

Yes, Yes, Yes!!! We did it #FCAT 🙌 Launching the #Fellowship program in the US with our amazing partners American Underground has been an aspiration of mine for some time 🇺🇸 I have made it my personal mission to engage impactful #founders at the start of their journey with the aim to disrupt & unravel tomorrow’s challenges. This would not be possible without the great support of Fidelity Center for Applied Technology®(FCAT) leadership and the amazing colleagues that we get to work with 🫡 Founders: we are here to learn with you, grow with you, and solve with you. Join us in North Carolina when we’re there, watch out for new launches in other states throughout 2025, and reach out to Fidelity Investments associates to ask how we can help 🚀 @fidelityassociate #FCAT #impact #founders #startups #ecosystem Thom Ruhe NC IDEA Joe Colopy 🦕 GrepBeat Scot Wingo Triangle Tweener Fund Kelly Rowell CED (Council for Entrepreneurial Development) Jay Bigelow Tom Snyder Talib Graves-Manns Haley Huie Jamie N Jones Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship NC State Innovation and Entrepreneurship 2ndF Derek Rhodes John Landers Bull City Venture Partners Jason Caplain First Flight Venture Center Krista Covey NCInnovation J. Bennet Waters Brooks Raiford North Carolina Technology Association (NC TECH) Jud Bowman Scott Levitan Leslie Lillard Walden Tony Parham Jamie Barras Erich Umar Richard Murphy Seth Brooks Justin Frye Kristen Craft Michael Sherry

This year's College Night in partnership with Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship was nothing short of amazing! Students from UNC, NC State, Duke, and Central poured into the Bullpen for a night of networking with startup professionals, making connections across campuses, and finding inspiration for their entrepreneurial journeys. Students also got to enjoy a fun mix of activities, including a hands-on mocktail-making class, capture memories at a photo booth courtesy of Destiny Alexander, eat tasty food, listen to great music, and receive professional headshots to elevate their LinkedIn profiles! We're all about bringing brilliant minds together, and this event definitely sparked new ideas and connections. Thank you to Josh Cohen, Anna Jacobs, and our friends at Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship for your partnership in helping us plan another successful event!

We’re excited to announce the inaugural U.S. cohort for the FCAT Fellowship — a select group of tech-driven startup leaders poised to drive innovation and transform how we work and live. The #FCAT team looks forward to kicking off initial programming in collaboration with American Underground next month and helping participants advance their vision as they receive access to cutting-edge resources, expert mentorship, and a supportive community of likeminded innovators. Meet the founders: https://lnkd.in/gT-7AZpb