Local-Ventures' mission is to sustainably develop the Triangle community through local business-to-business (B2B) relationships. The company's website features Triangle-area B2B vendors, helping small businesses discover and purchase from quality local vendors.

How it Started

The company was founded by Ann Johnston, a Triangle region native and enthusiast. After 4 years of operating a Durham-based company, she realized that the firm's desire to buy from local vendors didn't always pan out. The Triangle has thousands of exceptional B2B vendors -- but sometimes they were discovered too late, after a purchasing decision was made. Other times,  it was easier to source with a national vendor than spend time vetting a local one.

Ann also knew that her firm wasn't staying up-to-date on new business solutions as they became available.

This bothered her. She chatted with other small business owners, and it bothered them, too.

So she founded Local-Ventures to: 1) make quality local sourcing easier for small business and 2) help small businesses discover innovative new business solutions.

How it Evolved

In 2012, Ann, entered a venture competition at UNC with the newly formed idea of Local-Ventures. It was a hit and she walked away with a blue ribbon and funding to start the company. Alex Alvarez, Technical Lead, came on board a few months later and the Local-Ventures team was born. Since then, Margrethe Williams has joined the company, and the team has been hard at work developing their website and getting out in the Triangle community to connect with local businesses and entrepreneurs.

And for the rest of the story, you'll have to stay tuned...The company will be launching their online service in early 2013.

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