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

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 organization * Why diversity in startup spaces lags behind what we see in Triangle classrooms—and what The Seed List is doing about it * The summer internship program pairing students with startups, plus training and mentorship through a partnership with Leadership Triangle * Amanda's vision for keeping brilliant students in the Triangle after graduation * Her 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 [http://raleighdurhamstartup.co] to get involved.

Catie King is building Stradia Partners — and changing how the startup ecosystem connects founders

Triangle founder Catie King shares how she went from Head of Product at a private jet company to starting Stradia Partners — a workflow automation services firm helping companies escape spreadsheet hell. In this conversation, Catie reveals the unconventional founder discovery process she used before launching, why all her fears about running a services company were wrong, and what actually keeps her up at night 18 months in. You'll hear about the mentors who helped her navigate the early days, why she asked Tim to "talk her out of it" before starting, and her vision for what the Raleigh-Durham startup ecosystem needs most: integrators who connect founders with the abundance of resources that already exist in the Triangle. About Catie King: Catie is the founder of Stradia Partners, a managed services company specializing in workflow automation and no-code/low-code solutions. She previously served as Head of Product at Fly Exclusive through their IPO. She's also the co-captain of the Product & Design track at Raleigh-Durham Startup Week and an active contributor to the Triangle startup community. Build What Matters is the official podcast of Raleigh-Durham Startup Co. Subscribe wherever you listen and visit raleighdurhamstartup.co [http://raleighdurhamstartup.co] to get involved.

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 calls * Why government workers are innovators, not laggards—and how that shapes CivicReach's approach * The 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 visibility * Why 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.