Empowering Entrepreneurs with
Insight, Integrity, and Impact
1
Our Philosophy
Entrepreneurship is a way of thinking that embraces creativity, resilience, and problem solving in every pursuit
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Our Mission
We cultivate the spirit of entrepreneurship that changes lives and communities.
3
What We Do
Educate, inspire, and empower individuals to think and act like entrepreneurs , whether they’re launching a venture, leading a team, or shaping ideas within an organization.
Our team
Gary Palin
Gary Palin is a seasoned entrepreneur, educator, and strategic advisor with over four decades of combined leadership experience in both the entrepreneurial and academic sectors. He has built a distinguished career at the intersection of venture creation, executive education, and entrepreneurial ecosystem development.
Palin launched the Entrepreneurship Education Initiative at NC State University in 1993, where he served as Executive Director for 15 years and was a core faculty member of the College of Management for 17 years. Under his leadership, the program gained national recognition for its innovative approach to entrepreneurial education. He later served as Executive Director of the Doherty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Elon University, driving a remarkable 1,200% increase in student enrollment between 2008 and 2012. He currently serves as a faculty member in Entrepreneurship at the University of Southern Maine.
His areas of expertise include new venture development, social entrepreneurship, corporate innovation, and growth strategy. He has designed and delivered executive education programs in business planning, technology commercialization, and venture scaling, and has advised startups and Fortune 500 companies alike including Texas Instruments, FMC Corporation, and Thomas Register.
Palin has held several prominent leadership roles in the global entrepreneurship community. He was a founding member of the MIT Global Startup Workshop Board of Advisors, founder of the Social Entrepreneurship and Education Consortium, and founder of the Entrepreneurship and Education Network. He has been a contributor to organizations such as the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers, and Academy of Management.
A recognized thought leader in the field, Palin was named one of the Top 25 Global Thought Leaders in Entrepreneurship Education by Enterprise Educators UK. His accolades also include the Excellence in Entrepreneurship Education Award from the Acton Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence, the University of Southern Maine 2020 Faculty Senate Excellence in Teaching Award, and the 2025 Faculty Senate Service Award.
He has mentored thousands of students and alumni worldwide, including guiding a student to first place at the MIT Global Startup Workshop elevator pitch competition in Seoul, Korea, and coaching others to sweep the top three awards at the Next Generation Entrepreneur Forum hosted by the International University of Monaco.
Previously, he served as Director of NC State’s Small Business Technology and Development Center, where he supported hundreds of business launches, expansions, and acquisitions. Today, he continues to advise a portfolio of high growth startups as a trusted board member and strategic advisor.
Ryan Budden
Ryan Budden is a serial entrepreneur and technology leader with a strong track record of building companies that merge operational execution with innovative software solutions. After graduating from college, Ryan co-founded an early geofencing startup that was ultimately acquired by a major hotel brand—marking the first of many ventures at the intersection of emerging tech and real-world application.
He went on to serve as CEO of a social host liability platform and later as CTO of a healthcare startup focused on patient engagement, where he helped secure over $1.5 million in funding and led the development of HIPAA-compliant infrastructure to enhance provider-patient interactions.
Over the course of his career, Ryan has launched and advised more than ten companies, including consulting for a music education startup pioneering AI-powered methods for learning instruments remotely, and a cutting-edge telemedicine company rethinking patient care and digital health records.
Today, he runs a boutique consultancy that helps startups navigate HIPAA compliance, systems architecture, and operational scale. He also operates a construction company that applies software-driven systems and tech-industry best practices to modernize project management, field operations, and customer experience in residential and commercial building.