WILMA Spring Issue 2025 by Greater Wilmington Business Journal / WILMA magazine

THE INFLUENCE ISSUE

Bubbling Up

Fermenting FedUp

Foods’ origins

The Doctor Is In Constance Foreman on health outreach

Making Waves

Talking ocean pollution with Bonnie Monteleone

Pool Influence

Olympian Kathleen Baker brings support for a new aquatic center of

bloom boom

28 bright ideas chef's honors step the f up in the business herb is the word

For the issue’s cover, Madeline Gray photographed Kathleen Baker at UNCW’s pool. Baker, who medaled at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, now lives locally and is part of a team working to open an aquatic center in northern New Hanover County.

drawing up plans

Leadership + Lifestyle since 2003

PUBLISHER Rob Kaiser

PRESIDENT Robert Preville

EDITOR Vicky Janowski

VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES & MARKETING

Angela Conicelli

SENIOR MARKETING CONSULTANTS

Maggi Apel

Craig Snow

MARKETING CONSULTANTS

Alexis Alphin

Jillian Hon

Jake Quilla

DIGITAL MARKETING COORDINATOR

Jessie Vincoli

EVENTS DIRECTOR Jamie Merrill

EVENTS & MEDIA COORDINATOR

Alecia Hall

ART DIRECTOR - EDITORIAL Suzi Drake

ART DIRECTOR - MARKETING Tara Weymouth

MEDIA COORDINATOR Julia Jones

OFFICE MANAGER David Taylor

FASHION STYLIST Drewe Smith

CONTRIBUTORS

Tim Bass, Nina Bays, Stephanie Bowens, Meghan Corbett, Lily Crowder, David Frederiksen, Samantha Kupiainen, Laura Moore, Barbara L. Nelson, Moment Palmer, Katelynn Watkins

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Daria Amato, Madeline Gray, Aris Harding, Terah Hoobler, Malcolm Little, Kate Supa

DIRECTOR OF FEAST WILMINGTON

Jessica Maurer

@ WILMAmag / WILMAmag.com

FOUNDER Joy Allen

For a one-year subscription, please send $26.00 (check) to: WILMA, 101 N. 3rd St., Suite 400, Wilmington, NC, 28401or call 910-343-8600 x201

Mini Golf Party!

With NFL Pittsburgh Steeler Alex Highsmith

Sunday, April 6th, 2025 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Jungle Rapids 5320

RESERVE TICKETS HERE!

Friday, April 4th from 6 – 9 pm at the

NINA BAYS is creative director for the Los Angeles Business Journal and style intro writer for WILMA magazine. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, she was previously co-editor/art director of WILMA and art director for the Greater Wilmington Business Journal and is happy to still be part of the WILMA team, even while on the opposite coast. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Bryan, and their two cats, Max and Bucky. Bays wrote about the latest spring trends in elevated florals (page 46) and primary brights (page 53).

MADELINE GRAY is a freelance documentary photographer based in Wilmington. With a master’s degree in photojournalism, her work is regularly featured in local and national publications. She enjoys spending time in places that are off the beaten track and collaborating to share the diverse stories found there. Gray photographed the cover and feature story on Olympian Kathleen Baker (page 42), Edge of Urge founder Jessie Willaims (page 57),Triple F Farm (page 80), and Wilmington’s Social District (page 11). madelinegrayphoto.com and @madelinepgray on Instagram

BARBARA L. NELSON has a diverse background in storytelling and journalism. She began her career by reporting for local newspapers in California, Louisiana, and New York. Later, she became the editor of a real estate trade magazine in New York City. Currently, she works as a digital content creator, having developed engaging content for an international hotel and travel membership, a travel agency, a Caribbean resort company, and various other businesses. Nelson talked with the founders of FedUp Foods on page 71 blncontentstrategy.com

MOMENT PALMER is a native Wilmingtonian who returned to the area after growing up in Charlotte and living in Raleigh and Washington, D.C. She’s written for multiple publications with The Charlotte Observer including home|design, SouthPark Magazine, and Carolina Bride. In her leisure time, she enjoys spending time with her cats, crafting, cooking, and gardening. Palmer checked in with Olivero co-executive chef Lauren Krall Ivey about nabbing a James Beard nomination this year on page 36

DREWE SMITH and KATE SUPA own a creative studio – Drewe and Kate Branding Co. – that helps companies elevate their brand and digital presence through photography, brand styling, logo design, and website creation. The duo styled and photographed the issue’s floral style shoot (page 46) and trends report (page 53) as well as herbalist Emily Kuchlbauer (page 39). dreweandkate.com

To submit your entry please scan the QR code above.

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contacted via email.

Fest DashHealth & Wilma

IHELLO, AGAIN

t’s March, three months into 2025. At times it seems like this new year has dragged in slow motion, and other weeks it’s flow by in warp speed.

For example, it’s hard to believe it’s only a couple of months since we announced a brand-new identity for WILMA’s leadership program. It feels like she’s been around for years.

In January, we announced the WILMA Leadership name as well as its updated look and branding thanks to editorial art director Suzi Drake. And while we still have some slip ups around the office, for the most part we’ve retired the Women to Watch name (except for our annual awards, which still proudly carries the label).

But this was more than just a New Year’s resolution.

The reboot comes during the 10th anniversary of WILMA launching its women’s leadership initiative. In 2015, the magazine expanded beyond its traditional media roles and delved into creating leadership programming and connections in person.

Starting in June of 2015, along with co-director Maggi Apel who also has been there from the jump, we offered up different ways for area women to become involved: mentoring matches, board of director training, an annual leadership conference.

We weren’t sure how it would all work or if it

would work.

But we’re a decade in and still expanding, so safe to say it was a good bet. The programs have grown as has our team at WILMA who help bring them to life. Jamie Merrill and Alec Hall, from our events department, now also play a daily role in making all these parts move.

The flagship program, the nine-month WILMA Leadership Institute, started with just eight class members in 2015. Today, the annual class includes forty-eight women. Read more about the Institute and its alumnae on page 34.

Overall, in the past decade, more than 4,000 women have participated in some Women to Watch – I mean WILMA Leadership – program, and we hope that number continues to grow, and the needle continues to move.

Normally we turn the focus outward on you all and cover amazing women in the community. (And this issue is certainly no exception, from Olympians to James Beard nominees to environmental stewards.)

So, thanks for letting us indulge in a little self-reflection on this one and in our anniversary lookbacks throughout this year.

And thanks to the thousands of women before and those still to come who have shared their leadership goals, advice, time, resources, support, and more to help build this idea to where it is now.

Vicky Janowski, WILMA editor editor@wilmingtonbiz.com

BROOKLYN ARTS GETS SOCIAL

ONE

DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD TESTED OUT LETTING PATRONS WALK AROUND WITH DRINKS, AND IT TURNS OUT, A LOT OF PEOPLE ENJOY SIPPING AND STROLLING.

The Brooklyn Arts District piloted a social district on three Saturdays in February during which adults could visit participating eateries, bars, and breweries between noon and 5 p.m. and take drinks to go to walk around outside in the designated area.

An estimated 8,0009,000 people showed up over the Saturdays, says Brooklyn Café coowner TARA ENGLISH, who along with SCOTT WAGNER, of Goat & Compass, represented The Brooklyn Arts District Collective in going to city officials to ask for the social district trial run.

A state law in 2021 allowed for the districts.

“Every participating establishment saw record-breaking sales and provided a much-needed leg up during this winter season,” English says.

“There will be another city council meeting where we request a permanent social district.”

photo by MADELINE GRAY

CREW AWARDS

CAPE FEAR CREW HOLDS ITS SEVENTH ANNUAL AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE ON MARCH 13 AT THE ALOFT WILMINGTON AT COASTLINE CENTER.

While the awards recognize projects in the area’s commercial real estate sector such as categories for best design and community enhancement, the group also honors local women whose work touches the industry in different ways.

Finalists this year in the awards’ Influential Woman in Commercial Real

Estate category are:

LYNN HARRIS, of Berkshire Hathaway Premier Coastal Properties; TERRY ESPY, of Momentum Companies Inc.; and FAISON GIBSON, of Murchison, Taylor & Gibson PLLC.

The winner will be announced at the March 13 awards.

At the event, KAREN WIDMAYER, of KW Communications, will receive the Beth Quinn Excellence Award Winner. Info and full list of finalists: cape-fear.crewnetwork. org/get-involved/awards

photo

c/o

CAPE FEAR CREW

photo

c/o WILSON CENTER

TAKING CENTER STAGE

STAND-UP COMEDIAN LEANNE MORGAN STOPS IN WILMINGTON THIS SUMMER FOR HER “JUST GETTING STARTED” TOUR AND PLANS TO BRING CAMERAS WITH HER FOR AN UPCOMING NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL.

Cape Fear Community College’s Wilson Center announced the show earlier this year, with four performances planned June 19-21. The June 21 afternoon and evening shows will be taped for Netflix.

AZALEA FESTIVAL

WHAT: The seventh-eighth annual North Carolina Azalea Festival

WHEN: April 2-6

EVENTS: Battleship North Carolina fireworks party, street fair, downtown parade, garden party, tours, headliner concerts, and more

INFO: ncazaleafestival.org

It will be the first filming for the streaming service at the Wilson Center, which opened in 2015.

Morgan’s first Netflix comedy special, “I’m Every Woman,” debuted in 2023. Morgan, who has been named to Variety's Top 10 Comics to Watch, also popped up earlier this year in the Amazon Prime feature film You’re Cordially Invited. For info on the Wilmington show, go to wilsoncentertickets.com.

GIRL POWER

ESTIMATED AND PROJECTED NUMBER OF GIRLS (THROUGH SEVENTEEN YEARS OLD) IN NEW HANOVER COUNTY TECH TALENT

North Carolina is the leading state for PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN WORKING IN THE TECH INDUSTRY but still lags male counterparts in the state. NC TECH OCCUPATIONS NC POPULATION

Source: North Carolina State of Technology Industry Report

25,398 2039

21,837 2025

POSH WHALE

UPSCALE CHILDREN’S CONSIGNMENT SALE

LOCATION: Elks Lodge, 5102 Oleander Drive

MORE INFO: poshwhalesale.com or Instagram @ poshwhalesale

Located in the beautiful, wooded city of Leland, NC, our 55 and older apartment community features 1- and 2-bedroom floor plans with upscale amenities so you can live the lifestyle you love.

Chef-Inspired Kitchens

Granite Countertops

In-unit Washer and Dryer

Oversized Closets

Private Balconies

Salt Water Resort-Style Pool

Manicured Courtyards

24 Hour Fitness Club

Yard Games/Activity Lawn

Creative Arts Center

Concierge Service

Pickle Ball Court

Dog Park & Pet Spa

Theatre Room

Community Garden

MAJOR UNCW GIFT

LOCAL ATTORNEY LINDA SAYED AND HER HUSBAND YOUSRY SAYED, FOUNDER OF QUALITY CHEMICAL LABORATORIES, RECENTLY PLEDGED TO GIVE UNCW $25 MILLION – THE SINGLE LARGEST DONATION IN THE SCHOOL’S HISTORY.

The donation, announced in early February, will be used to advance medical education.

The University of North Carolina Wilmington will use $20 million of it over the next five years toward programs in medical education, clinical care, research, and health care accessibility. The other $5 million will support teacher preparation, including scholarships for people transitioning to teaching careers.

“Our journey began here at UNCW,” said Linda Sayed (shown above), who graduated from the school in 1978 and received her master’s there in 1985. “It is our hope that the programs and opportunities created and supported by this gift will benefit generations to come.”

The couple also previously committed $5 million in 2017 to UNCW for pharmaceutical sciences and chemistry programs.

photo c/o UNCW

LET'S MEET... FUTURE RESIDENTS BILL AND JAN YAGER

WE COULDN'T BELIEVE OUR LUCK

when we discovered Porters Neck Village! My curiosity was sparked when a new resident mentioned it while I was getting my nails done. Intrigued, we scheduled a visit—and what a surprise it was! We found a peaceful oasis, a welcoming community that felt just right.

We love the intimate size of PNV because it fosters genuine connections and friendships. The energy here is incredible— residents are truly happy and engaged. From social gatherings to fitness opportunities, the variety of activities is impressive. Each visit only strengthened our feeling that this was the perfect place for us.

During our first visit, we mentioned how important it was to find a truly pet-friendly community. That’s when we were introduced to Samson, the lovable office dog who

comes to work every day with Susanne Delgrosso, the Director of Administrative Services. We learned that Samson had originally been part of the Canines for Services program before finding his forever home here at PNV. The moment I saw him, I couldn't believe it—I recognized him instantly. As it turns out, Samson is the brother of our very own dog, Alvin, whom we had adopted years ago! Talk about meant to be!

Beyond the wonderful pet-friendly atmosphere, we love that PNV even has its own dedicated dog park, Central Bark—a perfect place for Alvin to run, play, and

socialize. Add in the scenic walking trails, and it’s clear this is a place where pets are just as welcome as their owners!

The warmth of the staff has made a lasting impression on us. They are welcoming, helpful, and truly invested in the community. The dining experience is outstanding, not just because of the delicious food but also because of the wonderful team that serves it.

As we plan for the future, we know that having the right support system in place is essential. PNV offers the services we may need to comfortably age in place. But beyond the practical benefits, it’s the people who make this community special. Every resident we’ve met radiates enthusiasm for their life here—they genuinely love it. And now, we can’t wait to join them!

VISIT US ANYTIME AT: PORTERS NECK VILLAGE 1200 PORTERS NECK ROAD WILMINGTON, NC 28411 1-866-806-6213.

ON THE AGENDA

Advice and connections from local leaders + the latest on the WILMA Leadership initiative

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WILMA LEADERSHIP UPDATES

p.23

WILMA LEADERSHIP SPONSORS

p.24

LEADERSHIP ADVICE FROM STEFANIE ADAMS

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PLUGGING IN: BUSINESS RESOURCES

p. 28

PLUGGING IN: GLORIA MONROE’S ENTREPRENEURIAL ASSIST

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LAURA MILLER ON CAREER BLUEPRINTS

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A DECADE OF WILMA LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

UPDATES

RECAP:

The latest on the WILMA Leadership Initiative and its mission to empower women to lead with confidence and purpose

• ANNIVERSARY UPDATE: In case you missed it, we started the new year with a new look and new name for WILMA’s leadership programs. A decade since its launch, WILMA’s Women to Watch initiative is now WILMA Leadership, with our eyes looking ahead to continue to help area women meet their goals.

• LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE: The 2024 Leadership Institute graduated in December (class members shown above) . The class went through leadership skills training, peer advisory discussions, and connections with area executives. Over a hundred applications were submitted to participate in this year’s class, and those who were selected will begin meeting in April. Stayed tuned for an announcement soon about this year’s group.

• MENTORING: This year’s group of WILMA mentors and mentees have been meeting one-on-one each month to work on the women’s professional goals.

• IN THE LOOP: Keep up to date with these and other Leadership Initiative programs as well as application announcements by going to WILMAmag.com or signing up for the WILMA Leadership email at WILMAmag.com/email-newsletter.

EXPLORE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO GET INVOLVED

UP NEXT:

How to connect with WILMA’s leadership programs

• WOMEN TO WATCH AWARDS: Applications for this year’s awards open in April in the categories of Arts, Business, Education, Health, Nonprofit/Volunteer, Public Sector, Rising Star, and the inaugural WILMA Icon Award. Info: W2WAward.com

• GET ON BOARD: The next board training session, held in conjunction with UNCW’s Quality Enhancement for Nonprofit Organizations (QENO), takes place 9-10:30 a.m. April 29 at UNCW’s Truist Hall. Info and to preregister: WILMAmag.com/leadership/get-on-board

• LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE: The 2025 WILMA’s Leadership Institute class kicks off in April with a day-long orientation at Beau Rivage. Info: WILMAInstitute.com

• LEADERSHIP ACCELERATOR: WILMA’s annual leadership conference returns to the Wilmington Convention Center on July 24. Info: WILMAAccelerator.com

LEADERSHIP ACCELERATOR

Stefanie Adams on embracing the F word

Why are we so freaking scared of the F word? I love the F word.

Not the one you’re thinking (although I am from Philly, so I love that one, too). The other F word: failure.

As a woman attempting to balance bad ass executive corporate vibes with social media mom perfectionism, while assuring I get enough rest, exercise, quality time with my spouse, and valuable interactions with friends also trying to “have it all,” I get why the F word is the bane of our existence. It sends shivers down our spines and has us second-guessing our every move. Yet, the reality is, with this balancing act women face, failure is inevitable. So, why not flip the script and lean into it? Don’t just fail, fail SPECTACULARLY!

You’ve probably spent a good portion of your life perfecting the art of avoiding failure. We’re conditioned to chase perfection, but what if I told you that embracing failure could actually lead you to greater success?

Years ago, I had a life changing conversation with the president of a company I worked for. I was building out training modules for front-line leaders, and I requested his input on concepts to assure I was in line with the organization’s culture and focus. He ended our discussion with, “Stefanie, I want leaders to fail, because if they failed, it shows they tried.”

BOOM.

Simple, yet brilliant. Too often, we’re so terrified about the F word, we don’t even bother to challenge ourselves or try something new. And what happens if we don’t try? We get stuck, we stimy growth, we don’t change, we miss out on greatness!

Let’s unpack this, shall we? Perfectionism is a sneaky little monster. It creeps in, promising us if we just polish our work to a blinding shine, we’ll be rewarded. But here’s the kicker: Perfectionism often paralyzes us. We become so afraid of doing things wrong that we opt for doing nothing at all. Yes, I said it. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. It happens to all of us, even me, the woman whose company acronym, WNY, literally stands for “why not you!”

Recently I had an opportunity to submit an article to a reputable leadership journal; my fear of failure almost caused me to withdraw from consideration. My son’s response? “Mom,

if they reject it, use it for something else. Put it on your website or start another book.” (Sidenote: I have no idea what I did to deserve such an insightful and amazing kid, but man, I am grateful!)

I pushed through and sent my first draft. I got through the first round, and regardless of whether it’s published or not, at least I gave myself a chance to get in the game. I’m proud of that.

How many times have you hesitated to share an idea in a meeting, fearing it wasn’t good enough? How many times have you put off launching an innovative project because you wanted to tweak it just a little more? Spoiler alert: The world is waiting for your brilliance not your perfection!

Let’s reframe failure, shall we?

Instead of viewing it as a dark cloud looming ominously over our heads, let’s see it as a badge of honor. Every time you fail, you’re one step closer to success. Seriously! Failure is like that friend who tells you the truth when no one else will. “Your font is too small on those PowerPoint slides,” or “Maybe don’t wear those shoes with that outfit.”

It’s uncomfortable but necessary. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stumbled in my journey as a business owner. I’ve launched ideas that flopped hard and made decisions that left my bank account looking a little too sparse for comfort, but each misstep taught me invaluable lessons. I learned to pivot, adapt, and flex.

Here’s the thing: Life outside of our comfort zone is where the magic happens. But we’re not just talking about a little discomfort here; let’s get cozy with it. Let’s snuggle up to the idea that mistakes are not the end of the world but rather steppingstones to growth.

When I first started my leadership training business, I was terrified to put myself out there. I’m a lot, and I like pom poms. What if people didn’t get my style? What if decision-makers didn’t take me seriously, and no one hired me? But I did it anyway.

Since then, I’ve spoken at large events, presented tons of leadership workshops, I even started posting LinkedIn videos, trying to raise the vibe with dance and cheer (fun fact – those videos are my most interacted with content and landed me a highly coveted opening conference keynote speaking slot!)

Sure, there were awkward moments – the first time I went live on Instagram was a hot mess (please don’t look that video

up), but each experience taught me to laugh at myself and embrace the unpredictability of life.

As women leaders, we have the power to redefine what failure means, not just for ourselves but for those around us. Let’s create culture where taking risks is celebrated, where we can share epic fails without fear of judgment. Imagine a workplace where team members high-five each other for trying something new, even if it didn’t go as planned. Let’s cheer for the screwups and then reflect on and celebrate the learnings. Encourage your colleagues to step outside their comfort zones. Host brainstorming sessions where no idea is a “bad” idea. And remember, vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness. In my experience, sharing my “oh no you didn’t” moments created stronger bonds and inspired someone to try; share your own experiences with failure, and you’ll do the same for those around you.

So, let’s talk resilience. It’s not just about bouncing back from failure; it’s bouncing forward. Each stumble gives us the opportunity to rise, dust ourselves off, and strut with newfound confidence. Our failures become our greatest teachers, shaping us into the leaders we aspire to be.

As we navigate careers, parenting, and interests, let’s give ourselves permission to fail. Be brave, take risks, and get comfortable being uncomfortable. After all, the only true failure is the failure to try. So, the next time you find yourself shying away from the F word, remember failure is a chapter in your success story.

Embrace it, learn from it, and, most importantly, laugh about it!

Here’s to all of us – let’s raise our glasses (or coffee mugs) to failure, our quirky friend who keeps us humble and hungry for growth. Cheers! W

Stefanie Adams is a leadership consultant, keynote speaker, former elected official, WILMA Leadership Institute alum, and author of “CheerLEADERship: Strategies to Build and Support Human Centric Workplaces for the Future.” Adams serves as chief empowerment officer of WNY People Development (wnypeopledevelopment.com).

PLUGGING IN BUSINESS RESOURCES

Each issue, WILMA includes a Plugging In directory to help you connect locally. This time, we’re focusing on local entrepreneur groups that business owners and future business owners can tap into for help. Keep an eye out for future lists about volunteering opportunities and networking groups. Let us know about your organization by emailing editor@wilmingtonbiz.com.

UNCW CIE

UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) identifies and nurtures fast-growth, highimpact business ventures from the campus and the community. In collaboration with other business and economic development organizations, the CIE supports growth in the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing student, faculty, and community entrepreneurs with education, networking opportunities, flexible workspace options, experienced mentors and advisers, and connections to resources. CIE events are open to members and the general public.

INFO: CIE@uncw.edu

SMALL BUSINESS CENTERS

Small Business Centers provide local, experienced counselors as advisers for new and existing businesses. Available on an as-needed basis, this confidential service acts as a sounding board for new ideas and/or concerns that business owners might have. The center’s staff helps business owners find solutions to challenging business questions, and there is no charge for this service. Small Business Centers offer a wide variety of seminars and workshops to help small businesses become successful.

INFO: Brunswick Community College Small Business Center: brunswickcc.edu/smallbusiness-center | Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center: cfcc.edu/sbc

SCORE CAPE FEAR

REGION

SCORE’s local chapter is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses across Southeastern North Carolina launch, grow, and achieve their goals through education and mentorship. SCORE Cape Fear Region mentors new and existing small businesses by providing confidential advice, consultation, and education from experienced business experts who volunteer their time and expertise. Services are delivered through in-person and electronic counseling and

free or inexpensive workshops and provide complementary business tools, webinars, templates, and tips online at SCORE.org. SCORE is sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration and is supported by local donations. INFO: wilmingtonscore.org

SBTDC The Small Business Technology Development Center is a business advisory resource for growing and developing businesses. Its professional advisers provide services statewide from offices hosted by campuses of the University of North Carolina system. The local office is affiliated with UNCW and serves Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, Onslow, Pender, and New Hanover counties (read more on page 28)

INFO: sbtdc.org/offices/uncw

CHANNEL

POWERED BY LIVE OAK BANK

Channel is a business resource center, powered by Live Oak Bank, designed to strengthen the regional economy by increasing diversity in business ownership throughout the Wilmington region. Learning programs and community support systems are offered in Class A coworking space, with access to technical advisers, professional services, and networking opportunities at no cost. INFO: liveoakbank.com/channel

GENESIS BLOCK

Genesis Block is a professional services company founded with a mission to build the entrepreneur class and advance prosperity in communities block by block. Genesis Block operates three brands to advance entrepreneurship and economic development. Block Eatz is a food hall incubator for local chefs to train and serve a local audience. Genesis Block Academy provides entrepreneur skills training and workshop support. Genesis Bridge is a supplier diversity platform targeting increasing revenue for minority firms. INFO: genesisblockilm.com

DOWN TO BUSINESS: Gloria Monroe shares her goals for the SBTDC and serving the local small business community

by SAMANTHA KUPIAINEN | photo by TERAH HOOBLER

In 2016, GLORIA MONROE retired from IBM Corporation after being with the company for more than a decade. Soon after, she found herself helping others with business goals in her new home of Wilmington.

At IBM, she served in two roles over her career: program manager and innovation center manager. Some of her highlights with the company include launching IBM East Africa Innovation Center in Nairobi, Kenya, to increase the company’s presence in business and academic communities in East Africa and developing and implementing programs for more than 9,000 faculty at 3,400 universities worldwide.

When Monroe retired, she initially stayed home for a few months and intended to enjoy her retirement. That was until an enticing job opportunity came her way that she couldn’t refuse.

“Someone mentioned an opening for a general business counselor at the small business center at UNCW, and I thought, ‘OK, I can do that for a year or so, and then go back to retirement,’” recalls Monroe.

“That was eight years ago. I started working at the center and became very, very impressed with the mission of the center, what we do in Southeastern North Carolina, and the contributions we make. My one year has extended into eight.”

Today, Monroe serves as UNCW regional center director at the Small Business and Technology Development Center.

Monroe started at the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBDTC) at the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 2017 as a general business counselor. SBTDC is affiliated with the university and serves the Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, Onslow, Pender, and New Hanover counties. Its services include helping small and mid-sized businesses make better, more informed decisions; access sources of capital and financing; evaluate and improve

financial performance; explore new market opportunities; and improve leadership skills and employee performance.

In her role as general business counselor, Monroe was responsible for business counseling, strategy development, research, and training for business owners and those planning to start new businesses.

In June 2023, Monroe transitioned to the role of interim director of the SBTDC and was later named the center’s permanent director in May. As the director, Monroe is responsible for supervising and recruiting personnel, managing operations and strategic planning, as well as student engagement and community outreach.

Each day, the center looks different for Monroe, but what’s consistent is having new clients and entrepreneurs register with the SBTDC and seek support for their businesses.

According to a 2021 study by the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the state has more than 964,000 small businesses and 1.7 million small business employees in the state.

“We have a group of counselors who support both new clients as well as existing ones and provide overall business advisory services to them,” Monroe says. “They’re all personalized and confidential, nocharge services for the businesses, really to help them be successful. I like to tell businesses or anyone that comes into us that we’re their tax dollars at work. We assist them, and there’s no charge for what we deliver to them to really help them make their businesses better.”

Monroe and her staff work with a variety of businesses, including those that are thinking about starting a business to “ones that have been in existence for years and years and years.”

North Carolina saw nearly 172,000 new businesses created in 2023, compared to the roughly 100,000 new businesses created in 2019, according to the North Carolina Secretary of State’s Office.

“We have many clients who’ve been with us for a long time and others who come to us for assistance in getting their businesses started so it's a variety,” Monroe says. “No two days are the same. We have a

variety of businesses, and industries, all basically wanting to do the same thing – be successful in what they’re doing.”

As the director, Monroe has four goals for the center, her employees, and the businesses it serves.

“That’s a staffing and talent recruiting challenge that I keep for myself,” she says. “I really want to make sure that we have top-notch resources in our center, providing guidance to businesses that come to us for help.”

Monroe also aims to be a place where clients make their businesses better.

“In addition to a focus to making sure we have the best people, we want the best people helping our clients to make the best decision in their business and grow their business and make them more productive,” Monroe says.

Because the center is affiliated with UNCW and its business school, Monroe aims to connect closely with the overall objectives of the business school and support the university in its mission to provide outstanding student experiences and have a positive impact on society.

“We do that through both having student interns in our office and also student projects,” Monroe says. “We have a real focus on making student projects win-win situations.”

Along with that, Monroe aims to have her student interns graduate with as much experience as they can.

“We try to support that mission, and we have ongoing student projects all the time where teams of students working with their professors are supporting a project in real client situations,” she says.

As Monroe finishes out her eighth year at the center, she’s focusing on continued customer satisfaction and exceeding the needs of everyone who comes to the center for small business assistance.

“We will be there to assist wherever we can,” Monroe says. “I’d really like to continue to strengthen our presence in the community. We look forward to having more businesses come to us and ask for our resources. Many times people come to us and say, ‘You’re the best-kept secret in town.’” W

HAVE YOU RECENTLY

visited mom, dad, or any other of your adult loved ones over the holidays, only to realize that things are not the same as when you saw them last? Or have you seen subtle changes and you’re suddenly realizing that additional help is needed, and quickly? On the other hand, maybe your loved one is struggling to remember things. Maybe they have had a health decline and struggle with coordination of their care. As we are aware, or will realize as we ourselves age, Mom and Dad may sometimes keep the difficulties of aging to themselves, because they take much pride in being able to care for themselves. They may dread someone else helping them with the activities that they once were able to manage on their own. Our older adults may feel threatened by the thought of losing their independence, but what if we told you that Elderhaus PACE is here to help your loved ones maintain independence to the highest degree possible with supportive services?

PACE IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF CARE

Elderhaus is a non-profit

VISIT US FOR THE CARE YOU NEED, STAY IN THE HOME YOU LOVE!

PACE organization located in Wilmington, NC, that serves residents of New Hanover and Eastern Brunswick counties. Elderhaus is a member of the EveryAge family, a Newton, NCbased, non-profit ministry offering senior housing and services.

We all want the best care for our aging loved one, but getting that care can be frustrating If you have an aging loved one, you know what it’s like to drive your loved one from appointment to appointment: to manage all of their medications: to deal with doctors who don’t talk to one another; and you struggle with leaving your loved one at home, alone and without the supervision, company and interaction they want and need.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Thousands of families across America have found a different and better kind of care for their aging loved ones-PACE. And what PACE families have experienced is a program that provides and coordinates all the types of care your loved one needs, so you don’t have to place them in a nursing home.

PACE care includes medical and

personal care, rehabilitation, social interaction, medications, transportation and more., all in one place so your loved one can remain living at home.

PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) is a Medicare and Medicaid program. You can also pay for PACE privately if you do not have Medicare or Medicaid.

WHO CAN JOIN PACE?

• You’re 55 or older.

• You live in a PACE organization’s service area.

• Your state certifies that you need a nursing home-level of care.

• You would be able to live safely in the community with the help of PACE services.

Information provided by MEDICARE.GOV/PACE

LYNDA BARROW AND ALYSHA WILKINS, ELDERHAUS PACE, MARKETING & ENROLLMENT COORDINATORS. TOGETHER THEY HAVE OVER 25 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE IN LONG TERM CARE, INCLUDING SENIOR HOUSING, ASSISTED LIVING AND SKILLED NURSING CARE.

1380 N COLLEGE ROAD, 28405

PHONE: 910-343-8209

By Design: LAURA MILLER ON BUILDING HER FOOTPRINT

LAURA MILLER has spent her career in architecture with LS3P – and its predecessor company in Wilmington – working on some of the most distinctive buildings in the area.

Miller, who earned her architecture degree from Kent State University, moved to Wilmington after graduation to work for Boney Architects, which is now LS3P.

“I’m starting my twenty-fifth year at LS3P in 2025,” says Miller, who now is office leader for the firm’s Wilmington location. “I am very fortunate to be at a firm that has supported my professional growth from intern to project architect, project manager, studio leader, operations and finance manager, and now office leader.”

What is involved in your role at LS3P?

“As the office leader, my responsibilities include ensuring that we are delivering high-quality design to our clients, developing and maintaining relationships within our community, sustaining revenue and profitability, collaborating with my counterparts in our other offices, and

RECOMMENDATION

ultimately creating an office culture that reflects LS3P’s mission, vision, and values. I am also a project manager and am actively involved in a number of projects at any given time.”

Can you tell us about your background and career?

“As a young child, I would spend hours in my father’s workshop with him, nailing together pieces of wood left over from his projects to create small projects of my own. Then in middle school, my parents were planning to build a house, and I developed a fascination with floor plans and imagining myself in all of the different rooms.

That early love of building things and the ability to picture buildings in my mind led me to architecture.”

What local projects have you worked on as an architect?

“My very first projects were renovations and additions to North Brunswick High School, South Brunswick High School, and West Brunswick High School. Since then, I have been involved in projects spanning multiple market sectors including UNCW Discovery Hall, New Hanover County Government Center, Project Grace, Carolina Bay, Wilmington Convention Center, CFCC Union Station, Live Oak Bank Building 1, GLOW Academy, GFO Office, IKA Works, Wilmington Police

Headquarters, multiple commercial projects at Autumn Hall and Riverlights, and dozens of office and retail upfits.”

What non-work things have you been involved with since moving here?

“I currently serve on the board of the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. In the past, I served on the Wilmington Planning Commission and WDI Board of Directors and was president of AIA Wilmington and AIA North Carolina.

I try to limit my non-work commitments to serving on one board or committee at a time so that I can focus my efforts productively and also maintain time to spend with my family. As a mom of two active teenagers, I am acutely aware of how precious time is and am purposeful in how I spend that time.”

How would you describe your leadership style?

“My leadership style is relational. I believe that mutual trust and respect within a team leads to people enjoying what they do and ultimately creating the best result. There will be obstacles in every project, but having a strong team relationship based on respect helps the team work together toward the common goal instead of trying to place blame.” W

SOMEONE TO KNOW

Sara Warmuth, chief facilities officer for New Hanover County

PROJECT PORTFOLIO INCLUDES Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington

BOOK

Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull

photo by MALCOLM LITTLE

ALUM Then & Now

ROBBIN N. WILLIAMS (class of 2015-16, inaugural class)

Title then: Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, GE Hitachi Nuclear

Title now: Global controls sales operations leader, GE Vernova Gas Power

What’s something that’s stayed with you since graduating: “The whole WILMA experience was so impactful – I remember my cohort so vividly, all the laughter, tears, and the learning. But, also, WILMA’s network has been a game changer It’s so vast, and I’ve been able to connect with and learn from fabulous women in so many different fields.”

JESSICA LOEPER (class of 2018)

Title then: Communications and outreach coordinator, New Hanover County

Title now: Assistant county manager, New Hanover County

Current community positions: Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity board secretary

What stuck with you during the program: “I went through the program at a pivotal time in my career, and it gave me important leadership resources, added confidence, and a group of women who became my cheerleaders with advice, support, and encouragement.”

Class of 2016

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn and grow in this program. The leadership from WILMA as well as the strong women in my class have enriched my life both professionally and personally.”

– Jackie Jordan Welker

Class of 2024

The WILMA Leadership Institute provided me not only an opportunity to grow my professional career and network but helped me gain a support group of other women leaders in the greater Wilmington community.”

– Samantha Cleary

A Decade of LEARNING

The WILMA Leadership Institute is a nine-month program that provides female leaders a unique opportunity to learn from top leaders in the region, visit a range of local companies, and serve as each other’s peer mentors.

The first cohort in 2015 was made up of eight women from a variety of fields who absorbed training and advice from local experts as well as each other.

The annual Institute grew over the years, with the most recent group of forty-eight women graduating in December. Through the Institute’s growth, the spirit of learning and collaborating has continued.

The next class starts in April, and applications for 2026’s program open in December. Info: WILMAInstitute.com

I gained an amazing support group within my peer team.

The speakers at each monthly gathering were trailblazers in their industries. I graduated from this program with a new sense of self-value and confidence.”

– Caroline Gann

Being part of the program and being able to sit amongst top executives and a room full of successful women, uplifting one another, has me feeling liberated, and like I can accomplish whatever it is I set my mind to.”

– Alysha Wilkins

JUSTINE REEL

(class of 2018)

Title then: Associate dean of research and innovation, UNCW College of Health and Human Services

Title now: Interim associate provost for research and innovation and professor, UNCW

Other roles: Editor-in-chief, Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology

What stuck with you during the program: “The need to take scary risks in order to grow as a leader and build confidence. I applied for, was selected, and have served in three high-level interim leadership roles in five years!”

LOGAN THOMPSON

(class of 2020)

Title then: Director of philanthropy, CFCC

Title now: Loan closing specialist, Live Oak Bank Current community positions: Voyage board member

What’s something that’s stayed with you since graduating: “The most important thing about being part of the WILMA Leadership Institute is that I now have a built-in support system. Wilmington is a growing city, but the connections you make are absolutely integral to your career. …That deeper sense of camaraderie and community cannot be duplicated elsewhere.”

to the

Olivero’s executive chefs celebrate a prestigious James Beard nomination Compliments Chef

by MOMENT PALMER | photos by DARIA AMATO

livero’s co-executive chef LAUREN KRALL IVEY and founder/owner SUNNY GERHART have been named semifinalists for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef of the Southeast Award.

OAs co-executive chefs, the duo is among twenty other semifinalists from the region, which includes North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

This year’s finalists will be announced on April 2, and winners will be announced at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on June 16 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Krall Ivey is no stranger to the James Beard Awards. Her culinary skills were highlighted when she cooked the VIP dinner at the 2022 ceremonies in Chicago. Gerhart is also familiar with the foundation’s awards. He was a semifinalist the same year for Best Chef: Southeast for St. Roch Fine Oysters + Bar in Raleigh.

“We’re both super excited and honored to be on the list since we’re a relatively new establishment and have only been here for a little over a year,” Krall Ivey says about Olivero. “Bringing some more notoriety to Wilmington’s culinary scene is really important to us, so having some recognition feels really good.”

Olivero, at the corner of South Third and Castle streets, opened in late 2023 with a menu of Spanish- and Italian-inspired dishes.

Krall Ivey’s culinary journey put plenty of talented chefs in

Lauren Krall Ivey, Sunny Gerhart, standing in black, and the kitchen team at Olivero

her path, and those chefs – namely women – have mentored her from the salad station to sous chef.

For the past decade, she’s honed her culinary skills under the tutelage of several nominees and winners of the James Beard Awards. JENNIFER JASINSKI, a chef and restaurateur in Denver, was nominated or has been a semifinalist for the Best Chefs category four times and won the award for Best Chef of the Southwest in 2013.

The restaurant Krall Ivey worked at in Raleigh – Death & Taxes – was nominated for Best New Restaurant in 2016. Award-winning chef and proprietor ASHLEY CHRISTENSEN, who also owns Poole’s Diner has been a semifinalist or nominated nearly a dozen times. In 2014, she won Best Chef: Southeast and Outstanding Chef in 2019.

While working for Christensen at Poole’s – which Krall Ivey calls her first “real kitchen job” – she met Gerhart, her current co-chef and co-owner of Olivero, while she was brand new and still really “green.”

“I think I was really lucky to start at Poole’s with Ashely and Sunny and a lot of really passionate people. It helped me move quickly and learn a lot real fast. It was definitely a very ‘sink or swim environment’,” she says.

Like a lot of chefs, Krall Ivey didn’t have dreams of attending a famed European culinary institute. In fact, she didn’t even start out in the food service industry. But after going to college for environmental science, becoming a teacher, and even working in an office as a skin care consultant, she decided it was time to figure out what she really wanted to do for her career and embrace her true passion.

In her late twenties, she took a leap of faith and went to culinary school in Boulder, Colorado. “When I was twenty-seven, kind of late in my life to start, I was like you know what? I really want to go to culinary school,” Krall Ivey says. “All I do is think about cooking or cook for people or read about cooking.”

She credits her family as one of her earliest inspirations since food was always a big part of all their holidays and events, which were centered around cooking and food.

These days, you’ll find her cooking cuisines including Tex-Mex, traditional Mexican techniques – such as moles, braises, and she’s trying her hand at tortillas – and lots of homemade pastas, which are one of the specialties on Olivero’s menu.

Krall Ivey’s career journey has taken her from Boulder to Raleigh to San Francisco and now to Wilmington – with stints returning to Raleigh and back to Boulder in between – but after being bi-coastal, she thinks her future personal and professional plans will be in the Port City for the foreseeable future.

“We’re exploring some ideas around Wilmington. … I don’t think Olivero will be the last stop for Sunny or me,” she says. “We really like the Castle Street area and this neighborhood, and I think it’s super important building up this side of Wilmington and Castle Street in particular.” W

Drink Health to your Spring Relief Tea

This tea blend is good for post-winter nourishment and pollen season support, Emily Kuchlbauer says. “Ingredients like tulsi, elderflower, mullein, and licorice are particularly beneficial for pollen season while herbs like nettle, plantain, and dandelion provide a rich nutrient boost,” she says.

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp dried nettles

1 tsp dried plantain leaf

1 tsp dried tulsi

1 tsp dried dandelion leaf

1 tsp dried mullein leaf

½ tsp dried elderflower

½ tsp dried peppermint

¼ tsp dried licorice root

DIRECTIONS This recipe follows a ratio-based measurement. While teaspoons are listed for easy reference, you can scale up or down while keeping the same proportions.

2 parts nettles

1 part each of plantain leaf, tulsi, dandelion leaf, and mullein leaf

½ part each of elderflower and peppermint

¼ part licorice root

Mix the dried herbs together. Store in an airtight container. Use 1 teaspoon of the blend per 8 ounces of boiling water. Steep for 5-10 minutes, then sip up to 2-3 cups per day throughout the spring season.

photo by DREWE AND KATE BRANDING CO.

We’ve come off the peak flu months – and this one was a doozy – but health and wellness is still on plenty of people’s minds.

“Most people come to me for support with foundational health concerns like digestion, sleep, acne/eczema, stress, fatigue, and overall wellbeing,” says EMILY KUCHLBAUER, aWilmington-based herbalist and founder of Sunday Herbal. She does one-on-one tea consultations to

create custom blends and is expanding later this year into in-depth herbal and flower essence consultations.

“In 2025, I am also looking forward to expanding my line of small-batch herbal products like digestive bitters, tinctures, and salves, as well as continuing to teach pop up workshops,” she says.

Kuchlbauer started Sunday Herbal last year as a way to support her twoyear advanced herbalism program at the Terra Sylva School of Botanical Medicine

Caution: Avoid this tea if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking prescription medications. Consult your doctor if you have high blood pressure sensitive to sodium, take diuretics, have congestive heart failure, or take MAO inhibitors.

in Marshall, North Carolina. “To me,” she says, “Sunday Herbal as a name is a reminder that simple, everyday remedies can make a big difference in our well-being.”

Kuchlbauer shares her tea recipe for a springtime health boost. She points out for the recipe, as a disclaimer, these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. W

Gold Getter

Olympic medalist Kathleen Baker's latest swimming goals

by MEGHAN CORBETT | photos by MADELINE GRAY

Learning to swim is one of the most important skills to master, especially living in a coastal area with easy access to large bodies of water.

As the No. 1 cause of death for children under the age of four and the second-leading cause of death for children ages five to fourteen, being skilled in the water is vital to the health and well-being of everyone.

While Wilmington and the surrounding areas have many programs and opportunities to gain this foundational skill, there is always the need for more, which is why a donation by Olsen Farm was set aside for the Wilmington Aquatic Center (WAC) and ACCESS of Wilmington’s inclusive recreation center. Organizers, who will need to secure funding and support for the 135-acre project, hope to open in 2028 in the northern part of New Hanover County.

And serving as WAC’s spokesperson is Wrightsville Beach resident KATHLEEN BAKER, an Olympic gold and silver medalist in the 2016 Olympics and four-time world record hold-

er for the 100-meter backstroke and medley.

She was inducted into the North Carolina Swimming Hall of Fame in 2024.

And now she’s channeling her experience in the swimming world to help build support for the aquatic building, which is planned to include indoor and outdoor 50-meter Olympic-sized pools.

“Swimming for me started with a genuine obsession with the water that has never stopped, even into adulthood,” Baker says. “I started swimming sort of on a technicality; I desperately wanted to go off the diving board at our community pool, but my mom’s rule was that I had to swim the length of the pool first. I swam across that pool and never looked back.

“Two days later, I was on the summer league team, and a few years after that, I was on a club team,” she recalls. “On my year-round club, I found that I loved competing, I enjoyed the thrill of racing, and I found that it was easy to push myself doing something I loved so much.”

Originally from Winston-Salem, Baker moved to Charlotte at the age of fourteen to focus on her training.

Her love of swimming led Baker to the highest level of competition.

“Competing in the Olympics was truly a dream come true,

“ Swimming for me started with a genuine obsession with the water that has never stopped, even into adulthood.

“

and in a way, felt like my life’s work was completed,” says Baker, who qualified for the Olympics in Rio while she was a student at the University of California, Berkeley.

“I cannot emphasize the monumental nature of essentially achieving your life’s work at nineteen years old,” she says. “After the Olympics, I went on to win several world championships, set several American records, broke the world record for the 100 backstroke, and was top three in the world for all of my events in 2020 before the Olympics were postponed a year.”

Settling in the Wilmington area was sort of like coming home for Baker.

“I’m from Winston-Salem, but I spent the last seven years in California training and competing,” she says. “My husband, Sean, was in the Marine Corps and was stationed in Camp Lejeune after being in San Diego, and I followed shortly after. Moving here felt like coming home in a way – I love being near the ocean, and Wrightsville Beach has such a great small-town feel while still being active and vibrant. Now that Sean is out of the military, we’ve made Wrightsville Beach our home, and we can’t imagine leaving.”

In her new home base, Baker’s background also is fueling a personal business project.

“I’m launching my own swimwear line this summer, Locals Swim Co., and I couldn’t be more excited to share it with the community,” says Baker, who says she’s been working on the brand for a year. “It’s something I’m truly passionate about. As someone who has spent my whole life in swimsuits, I wanted to create stylish, high-quality suits that truly last.”

And she says getting involved in the WAC was an easy decision.

For us, it’s human-centered conversation starters, a fun atmosphere where you can be yourself, local desserts, drinks, party vibes & a supportive community of women celebrating women!

“I got involved with the project over the summer after learning about the vision behind it,” Baker says. “I quickly realized how serious and well-planned this initiative is, and I felt passionate about supporting something that not only aligns with my love for swimming but is also a major need in our community. Access to a high-quality aquatic facility can be life-changing – not just for competitive swimmers, but for kids learning water safety, adults looking to stay active, and the entire Wilmington community, as well.”

In her role now, she is helping spread awareness about the project and its impact on the community.

“My goal is to educate people on why this facility is so important and how it can benefit swimmers of all ages and skill levels,” she says. “I’m also involved in the planning process to ensure the pool is competition ready.”

The aquatic center, according to organizers, will be open to the public year-round and for swimmers “of all ages, abilities, incomes, and backgrounds to enjoy water safely,” according to the project’s website.

“Having spent my life in and around pools, I know firsthand what makes a facility great for training, racing, and community use,” Baker says. “It’s exciting to be part of a project that will provide opportunities for young swimmers, improve water safety, and create a space where people can enjoy the water in so many ways. This is something Wilmington truly needs, and I’m honored to play a role in bringing it to life.” W

pushers petal

Florals for spring may not be a revelation, but if you ask yourself WWSD (What Would Schiaparelli Do) it certainly can be.

Known for her surrealist take on fashion, Elsa Schiaparelli made her name with witty, avant-garde designs inspired by nature (think insects, botanicals, the body). Collaborating with artists such as Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau, she created apparel-as-art with innovative designs like the Lobster Dress, the Shoe Hat, and the rosette-covered Evening Coat (all worth a Google).

So, WWSD this spring to turn the usual into the unusual? Two words: texture and scale. Sculptural, three-dimensional blooms or intricately embroidered blossoms will serve flower power. If prints are more in your zone, look for patterns that don’t read as florals at first glance – either small, tightly-clustered buds or larger-than-life blooms – that give a sense of abstraction.

photos & styling by DREWE AND KATE BRANDING CO.

intro by NINA BAYS

Leo Lin Cleo sleeveless MIDI DRESS in scarlet, Sol y Luna EARRINGS by Sylvia Toledano, and gold cuff BRACELET (all available at S. Worsley)

Paz Fringe Dress in yellow and white by Destree, Sol y Luna EARRINGS by Sylvia Toledano, Lantern Cuff BRACELET by Sylvia Toledano, and Coral Floral CLUTCH by Tiana Designs (all available at S. Worsley)

Aje Mirrors embroidered SHIRT and MINI SKIRT in ivory, Miso Platform STRAP SANDAL in beige raffia by Larroudé, and Poppy Row HOOP EARRINGS by Sylvia Benson (all available at S. Worsley)

Sequin Dot Abbie TOP and SKIRT by Cinq à Sept, and Medium Calypso EARRINGS in Paradise Iridescent by Demarson (all available at S. Worsley)

MODEL: Caroline Baer

FLORALS: Blossom Bay (blossombaydesign.com)

WARDROBE: S. Worsley, 5815 Oleander Drive, Unit 135

Primary Goals

by Nina Bays

Though Pantone named Mocha Mousse its Color of the Year, many designers are giving the quiet luxury trend a muchneeded energy boost this spring with tried and true red, yellow, and blue.

Worn as a monochromatic statement or even color blocked, now is the time for your closet to embrace these primary palettes and make confident color choices. Does the thought of head-to-toe siren red trigger your apparel anxiety? Experiment with pairing your more subdued hues with some bold and bright ones. Even if it's just your manicure, a dash of vibrant color can go a long way. W

styling and photos by Drewe and Kate Branding Co.

Hunter Bell Bay SKIRT in poppy stripe, availalbe at S. Worsley

Wind Down SHORTS, available at Vestique

Clare V. CLUTCH in dandelion, availalbe at S. Worsley

Gola Elan Classic SNEAKER in yellow calendula, available at Anthropologie

Seas by Merewif NAIL POLISH in Santiago, available at Edge of Urge

Solei half-sleeve TOP and Solei SKIRT, available at Blended

Folkstone Collegiate Pullover, available at Folkstone Slow Bar

Amy Abang’s Story of Healing

RETAIL RESILIENCE

by DAVID FREDERIKSEN | photos by MADELINE GRAY

W

hile some stores come and go in downtown Wilmington, others have remained part of the area’s central business district (CBD) for decades, continuing to serve customers through hurricanes, recessions, and a global pandemic.

The CBD is located between the Cape Fear River and Third Street to the east, and Red Cross Street and Ann Street to the north and south.

The following are the stories of two downtown CBD retailers that remained fixtures despite what challenges came their way.

This July, Edge of Urge (EOU), a staple of Wilmington’s downtown retail scene, turns twenty-three years old, and founder JESSIE WILLIAMS couldn’t be more elated, if not a little apprehensive.

Downtown boutique owners weather ups and downs

“It’ll be exactly half my life that I’ve given to it,” says the Greensboro native and School of the Art Institute of Chicago alum. “Isn’t that crazy?”

Maybe not, some Port City shoppers and others might argue, given Williams’ artistic and entrepreneurial talents – and instinct for survival – that she’s used to render EOU at 18 Market Street a longstanding and popular destination to find unique gifts.

But EOU’s staying power wasn’t always guaranteed.

“I originally opened the store in the Old Wilmington City Market,” she says, referring to the historic one-story brick and stucco building between Front and Water streets. “It was a 400-squarefoot space. It was a storage room. Guy who owned it said, ‘If you want it, you can have it,’ and I said, ‘I’ll take it.’”

Up to that point, Williams’ wares had mainly been handmade knitted items that she tried selling in the Windy City.

“I had a cute little vintage suitcase, and I made some appointments and walked around my favorite stores and tried to sell

Edge of Urge opened in downtown Wilmington in 2002.

them, and they were like, ‘Um, no, we don’t sell handmade things,’” she says. “‘We need everything to look the same. Can you make them the exact same?’ And I was like, ‘Um, not really. Nor do I want to.’”

This lukewarm response – and her mother’s idea to open a store in Wilmington – eventually heated things up for EOU, with Williams moving her woven wears south to the Tarheel state, to that 400-square-foot space she’d rented.

“Everything I had was handmade,” Williams says. “My first day open was the Fourth of July, and we made $1,000. I was like, ‘Wow!’”

Custom dresses and swimsuits soon followed, among other items, and so did the celebrities. One Tree Hill’s Hilarie Burton, Sophia Bush, and Bethany Joy Lenz were frequent customers.

More factors than just limited square footage and uncertain product markets threatened EOU’s long-term existence, including funding.

Getting a bank to give Edge of Urge a loan was a struggle.

“I felt I was never good enough … they would say, ‘Your sales are high,’ then they’d tell me I needed to jump through this hoop,’ and I’d be like, ‘OK, fine, I’ll jump through that hoop,’” Williams says. “And then it was always something else, and I didn’t get my first loan until 2017. It was straight-up bootstraps.”

During the Great Recession in 2008, “I had to reinvent the whole thing,” Williams says.

A wide variety of merchandise at different price points, among other things, kept the wolf from the door, she says.

More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic could have resulted in a terminal diagnosis for any business.

“We had this idea to make $25 mystery boxes,” she says. “You would order it online for someone, along with a special message, and then we’d curate a special package with all these different items, gift wrap it and send it. That honestly saved Edge of Urge during the pandemic.”

Nimbleness, says Williams, is one factor that’s helped keep EOU’s doors open.

“To be able to make changes quickly and to be able to evolve is important,” she says. “We do it by watching and listening to our customers. A sense of humor has always played a role, too.”

Flexibility also was key for Island Passage, another boutique with a longtime presence in downtown Wilmington.

The recession was more of a challenge than during the pandemic disruptions for the store at 4 Market Street, says BETH OGDEN, who co-owns Island Passage with ALISON DRAKE.

“But we adapt to the challenges that our economy brings us and continue to provide what our customer needs and can afford,” Ogden says.

The downtown location – there are other Island Passage stores at Lumina Station and on Bald Head Island – opened in the 1990s. They bought the stores in 2014 from Island Passage’s former owner PLUNKETT DODGE.

“It has been great seeing all the growth downtown – so many new businesses, hotels, apartment buildings,” Drake says. “The growth has brought its own challenges, at times construction that feels like it will never end, but it is all worth it as it has definitely brought more people downtown.” W

Store owner Jessie Williams says adaptability has been key in staying open over the decades.

Point

View of

From business to health to science, these women have found different perspectives and ways of doing things in their chosen fields.

Though varied in their spaces – the beverage industry, health care, and environmental awareness– one thing they have in common is a drive to bring new ideas to their work.

by BARBARA L. NELSON & LILY CROWDER

A NEW KIND OF BREW

What began as a shared passion for wholesome, homemade food and beverages between SARAH MULLINS and JEANNINE BUSCHER has evolved into FedUp Foods, now the largest private-label manufacturer of fermented beverages in North America, including kombucha.

In 2008, Mullins and Buscher met at their children’s homeschool coop in Asheville, unaware that their common interest would lead to the creation of FedUp Foods. Today, it operates three manufacturing facilities – including its newest location in Wilmington – producing kombucha, various pre- and probiotic sodas, tepache, and functional cold brew coffee, all aimed at inspiring healthier choices.

“Jeannine and I connected immediately over our shared love for fermentation and the belief that food should do more than fill you up. It should fuel you, heal you, and connect you to something bigger,” Mullins recalls. “We started brewing kombucha together in her kitchen, not with a business plan in mind, but with a simple desire to create something real and alive.”

FedUp Foods is committed to providing delicious, high-quality functional beverages while investing in the planet’s regeneration and using business as a force for positive social impact.

“People want beverages that taste great, support their well-being, and are made with integrity,” Buscher says.

By 2010, they opened their first commercial kombucha brewery on a 180-acre farm in the south Appalachian Mountains. In 2017, they relocated their brewery operations to a 30,000-square-foot facility in Marshall, North Carolina, and shifted their focus to private-label kombucha.

“As demand grew beyond friends, neighbors, and the local community, we realized we had the opportunity to do something bigger: to bring

traditionally fermented, nutrient-dense beverages to more people while staying true to our values,” Buscher says. “That belief carried us through every challenge, from hand-bottling our first batches to building what is now FedUp Foods.”

Driven by continued growth, FedUp Foods opened a second 60,000-square-foot facility in Erwin, Tennessee, in 2022. Last year, they further solidified their leadership in the fermented functional beverage industry by opening and growing a third facility, this time in Wilmington on Greenfield Street. Now, with forty team members. This

latest strategic expansion, benefiting from proximity to ports and rail, sets the stage for further expansion.

“We’re up and running and fully operational in Wilmington, producing both fermented beverages and cold brew coffee,” Mullins says. “It’s been incredible to see the team come together to bring this facility to life. … We’re grateful for the warm embrace we’ve felt from the Wilmington community and look forward to continuing to grow alongside it.”

Mullins and Buscher continuously explore new ways to innovate while staying true to their strengths. This year, FedUp Foods is focused on incremental innovations –refining and expanding its offerings while protecting its core product lines.

“When we started, we weren’t thinking about scale – we were thinking about people,” Mullins says. “Sharing something we loved, supporting our families, and creating a space where people could feel good about what they were drinking.” W

We started brewing kombucha together in (Buscher’s) kitchen, not with a business plan in mind, but with a simple desire to create something real and alive.

SARAH MULLINS FedUp Foods co-founder

MEETING ART WITH SCIENCE

photos by TERAH HOOBLER

BONNIE MONTELEONE first saw the ocean when she was five years old on a family trip. Watching the waves crack, she felt a calling. She understood, though unsure how at the time, that she wanted to protect this vast, sacred part of the world.

Once moving to North Carolina later in life, Monteleone began working in the chemistry department’s office at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Inspired by the scientists around her, she began her master’s in liberal studies, which offered scientific writing courses. During school, she was introduced to scholarly articles cataloging the deep-seated issue of microplastics in the ocean. Moved to learn more, she connected with a researcher, CHARLES MOORE, who invited her to serve as crew on an upcoming trip.

After spending thirty days on a sailboat collecting microplastics with Moore, Monteleone found her answer to the “How?” question she had posed as a child standing in front of the sea.

Soon after, in 2011, she defended her master’s thesis on microplastic pollution. Afterward, a student approached her and asked, “What are you going to do with the

plastic you collected?”

Monteleone, not having a prepared answer, replied, “I’m going to make it into art.” As a woman of her word, she did just that. Monteleone submitted a proposal to the UNCW Boseman Gallery shortly after her thesis defense and was greenlit to complete her first piece – a reimagination of “The Great Wave” by Hokusai using found plastic material from her fieldwork. Soon after, more galleries began calling, and Monteleone, with a

van to transport her work, given to her by her mother, drove around the country showing her art exhibit, “What Goes Around Comes Around.”

The traveling collection has now been shown in fifty locations nationally, with two more scheduled this spring. The piece is more than an artistic feast for the eyes; it is a call to action.

Seeking more ways to tackle the microplastic crisis, in 2012, she collected samples from the South Pacific as part of the film

project A Plastic Ocean This work led to cofounding the Wilmingtonbased nonprofit, Plastic Ocean Project (POP), with PAUL LORENZO later that year.

With Monteleone as co-founder and executive director, POP has been responsible for countless area cleanups and research projects, and built a staff of full-time and part-time employees, as well as interns and volunteers.

Details about area cleanups and events such as the nonprofit’s upcoming For the Ocean Gala at the Wilmington Convention Center on March 15 can be found on the group’s website (plasticoceanproject.org).

“My biggest achievement is that I know the cause of Plastic Ocean Project will continue to be served once I am no longer a part of it,” Monteleone says of the team she has built. “I have helped create something that will outlive me, that will continue improving the environment well into the future.” W

My biggest achievement is that I know the cause of Plastic Ocean Project will continue to be served once I am no longer a part of it.

“ “

BONNIE MONTELEONE Plastic Ocean Project co-founder

A BROAD LOOK AT HEALTH

photo by DARIA AMATO

Health and wellness happen outside of annual checkups. That’s what physician CONSTANCE FOREMAN thinks, and that’s how she’s approached her work with patients in her medical career.

As a doctor with Novant Health, Forman treats patients in the clinical setting. But she also has looked for opportunities in the community to bring health and wellness to peoples’ forefronts outside of their regular appointments.

Foreman, who earned her master’s degree in medical science from Hampton University, went to medical school at Eastern Virginia Medical School. She entered the U.S. Navy Reserve during her second year of residency, became a lieutenant, and was commissioned as a Navy Reserve Medical Corps officer before moving to North Carolina to practice.

A board-certified family medicine physician, Foreman started her Wilmington business, Beyond Clinic Walls Wellness, in 2021, initially as an outlet during the pandemic.

“The world was changing rapidly, but also I felt that people needed

UPCOMING HEALTH TALKS

ACCELERATE ACTION TO BETTER YOUR HEALTH

NEW HANOVER COUNTY COMMISSION FOR WOMEN

Forman is one of the panelists for this lunch event that focuses on women’s health. Other panelists include registered dietician Lindy Ford and functional medicine PA Zoie Phillips.

11:30 A.M., MARCH 7 | THALIAN HALL BALLROOM | 310 CHESTNUT ST. INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/NHCLuncheon

2025 HEALTH SUMMIT: LABORING FOR JUSTICE, DELIVERING CHANGE

YWCA AND UNCW CHHS

T he annual health summit focuses on disparities in maternal health and discussions on solutions. Speakers include Ebony Marcelle, director of midwifery at Community of Hope.

8:30 A.M.-2 P.M., APRIL 10 | UNCW WARWICK CENTER INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/2025healthsummit

the voice of trustworthy medical professionals to help guide their decisions,” she says. “Currently I’m building the foundation for what I hope will become part of my retirement plan. Beyond Clinic Walls Wellness is focused on custom health education experiences for groups to learn more about lifestyle medicine

and how their choices can both negatively and positively impact their overall health.”

The focus, Foreman says, is on people developing self-awareness and confidence in healthy living.

Through that lens, Foreman also speaks on health education and health and wellness. She

develops programming for groups with a focus on lifestyle medicine – or lifestyle changes to prevent and treat chronic illnesses.

“Oftentimes people see doctors as dictators of sorts that are in place to tell us what to do,” Foreman says. “In the past, this might have worked, but I believe it is best to have a collaborative approach with patients and clients and instead see myself as a coach facilitating healthy behaviors.”

She points to how elite athletes operate as an example of this model.

“The athlete is the one executing the action and showing physical prowess, but they are coached and cultivated by their coaches,” she says. “They do a lot at practice, but they also have to live a life conducive to excelling at their craft. That is how healthy living is: The transformation starts at the doctor’s office, but most of the work happens at home.” W

“

I believe it is best to have a collaborative approach with patients and clients and instead see myself as a coach facilitating healthy behaviors.

“

CONSTANCE FOREMEN MD founder, Beyond Clinic Walls Wellness

by STEPHANIE BOWENS | photo by ARIS HARDING

Decades of leadership roles help shape local care Health Care Innovator

B

ARBARA BIEHNER

can credit her love for tennis – she captained her college team at Emory University – for sparking a career in health care that has spanned more than four decades.

“In college, I played with a lot of business leaders, while promoting the program, and met some physicians who were talking about health care administration,” she says. “I was interviewing for jobs, and one physician convinced me to meet the CEO of the hospital in Atlanta. About 90 minutes into the interview, I realized I was hooked.” Biehner has made her mark through

several senior leadership roles in health care administration, providing leadership at hospitals and health care systems in various states. Now, in addition to teaching at the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s School of Health and Applied Human Services, she is the board chair of ACCESS (Accessible Coastal Carolina Events, Sports, and Services Inc.) of Wilmington, and, as of January, chair of the Novant Health Coastal Board of Managers.

Biehner has been active on the board for Novant and was instrumental in leading discussions and recommendations on the sale of New Hanover Regional Medical Center to Novant Health. She says expanding

access to care is a top priority.

“Novant has invested a lot of time, resources, and money into our region, and we are trying to catch up to the growth in our region,” she says. “I do hope to work on establishing a pool of future board members to reflect our community.”

With ACCESS of Wilmington, Biehner says she is excited about working with the newly formed Wilmington Aquatic Center at the proposed Olsen Farm Recreation Village (read more about the project on page 42).

Biehner, who began her career as an assistant administrator following a master’s degree in health administration from Georgia State University, progressed

to senior vice president and CEO positions across several states, from Pennsylvania to Kansas to Arkansas and many more. She achieved notable successes in helping operate various hospitals and health care systems, developing vital programs and services, and meeting patients’ health needs.

Biehner ascended to health care leadership roles in the early ’80s.

“Back then there weren’t many women in hospital leadership except nuns who ran their Catholic hospitals; so, it was a challenge from the beginning to be a female leader,” she says. “I’d be yelled at because someone wouldn’t realize I was the CEO and thought I was a nurse, and they were like, ‘How dare you tell me that I need to do this?”

Biehner developed her leadership prowess through her experiences and learned how to successfully make an impact.

“I was willing to take on bigger challenges and do things people had never done,” she says. “If someone says we can’t do something, my thought is why not? Let’s see what we can do. I like to envision things better and find ways to make things better.”

After almost 30 years in health care, Biehner moved to Wilmington in 2005, attracted by her desire to return to the East Coast and relatives and friends in the area. Not ready to retire, Biehner began volunteering on local boards and stepping into new roles, which, aside from Novant and ACCESS, have included teaching roles at UNCW, serving as the executive in residence and director of external programs at UNCW’s Cameron School of Business, and serving as director of operations for Coastal Carolinas Health Alliance.

As a clinical assistant professor, Biehner teaches health care systems and managing human capital courses in UNCW’s Master of Healthcare Administration program and serves as the practicum coordinator. She also teaches advanced finance and economics in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program.

Biehner says she is hopeful about the future of health care leadership. “The nice thing is that the ones we are teaching now are going to run things differently than we did in the past,” she says. “We didn’t have AI, or as many resources available to us. I think that’s going to make a difference. Being able to think outside of the box is really important. But you’ve got to keep your eye on the prize, and that is the patient or client.” W

ART VILLAGE | ARTIST STUDIOS | GALLERY SPACE | EVENT VENUE

Home on the Farm

by KATELYNN WATKINS | photos by MADELINE GRAY

Imagine a bucolic haven complete with a chicken coop that provides fresh eggs every day and a greenhouse teeming with herbs and vegetables. There are wide, open spaces to roam at one’s leisure, a gazebo, and a private sandy beach kissing a two-and-a-halfacre pond for moments of quiet reflection and cozy accommodations in the form of a few grain bins turned rustic Airbnb getaway.

All of this can be found in Rocky Point, just 13 miles outside of Wilmington’s city limits.

“It’s honestly my go-to place to just relax,” says DEBBIE FOWLER, one of the owners of Triple F Farm.

But as passionate as she is about the Fowler family farm, it isn’t all that’s on her plate. She has been a registered nurse for about thirty years, and she works in sales with BioMatrix LLC, facilitating processes for transplant organs up and down the East Coast. Given how much she has to travel for this work, it’s safe to say that she’s learned a lot about what makes for an ideal place to stay when one finds themselves in unfamiliar territory.

“Certain little touches mean so much and make people feel special,” she says. “That’s what I think we really wanted when we decided to do this.”

The funny thing is that renovating what used to be a working farm with row crops wasn’t originally supposed to create an Airbnb listing. That idea started with her youngest daughter, REGAN FOWLER, and took off thanks to Debbie’s love of entertaining. In the true tradition of a family business, her eldest daughter, SAMANTHA, lent her expertise and started the property’s website and blog before going on to study nursing like her mother in upstate New York.

Located twelve minutes away from the family home, the farmhouse getaway really began to take shape with the help of some friends, who brought the grain bins for the Fowlers to renovate up to code. Aside from the assistance from a professional framer who helped them work with the rounded walls, Debbie and her husband KENNY, of Kenny Fowler Heating & Air, spent the next year and a half doing the rest of the work when their regular day jobs allowed. The whiskey room, for example, features pieces of an older chicken house, and Debbie

Fowler strategically burned the aged boards on the ceilings herself despite August’s summer heat.

“Nothing was planned,” she says. “We just … went along.”

Their very first guest stayed with them a year ago, on January 29, 2024, after Debbie Fowler tested the house out for about five days to make sure everything was up to par.

“We’ve met the most wonderful people,” she says. “They’ve come from Wrightsville Beach and all the way to Washington State.”

While guests can interact with the chickens, ducks, and rabbits, there are also some less conventional neighbors living on the property: retired show Texas Longhorns. The Fowlers got their bovine friends from Flying S Ranch, and while they started out with three brothers, they’ve also recently acquired another bull and a pregnant female who is due in March or April.

To some, Debbie Fowler’s affinity for the animals might seem like it comes from out of left field, but she’s had a soft spot for the gentle giants for as long as she can remember. As a kid in South Florida, her parents often took her to visit a farm, where she got to ride an older, docile bull by the name of Blue. It was an

experience she never forgot.

“I always used to say when I was a little girl that I wanted one,” she says. “Well, I got my wish!”

She takes it upon herself to clean and maintain the house and the surrounding property but also stocks the house before each guest’s arrival, so they don’t have to leave at all if they don’t want to. That includes complimentary wine and wine glasses to toast their stay with and a standing offer to source local beef and seafood upon request.

Since opening its doors, the farm has hosted a couple of weddings, but Debbie Fowler says she prefers to stick to intimate, smaller ceremonies going forward. Either way, she’s happy to host in-laws or even the brides and grooms of weddings being held at other venues nearby. Since there aren’t a lot of accommodations in her area, she’s just glad to provide a home away from home to whoever happens to need one, no matter the occasion.

Simply put, she says, “If you could imagine your Zen place, this would be it.” W

This story appeared in a recent WILMA Lifestyle newsletter. To sign up for the emails, go to WILMAmag.com/email-newsletter.

It is a relaxed situation of creative moments of connection. Everyone is creative. Everyone is welcome.

KERRY SKILES CreativeMornings ILM host

Trish Nicholson and Kerry Skiles, CreativeMornings ILM co-hosts

Morning Inspiration

New group shares coffee and community

by LAURA MOORE | photos by MADELINE GRAY & LINDY SCHOENBORN

When KERRY SKILES moved back to Wilmington after almost two decades in Raleigh, she was daunted by having to start over to find a new community.

“It is really daunting to reinvent your life and rebuild your circle,” Skiles shares.

Working independently as a freelance writer did not afford Skiles a common workspace to build that community. Having worked in ad agencies as a copywriter and creative director, Skiles was used to being around a lot of creative people.

She recognized the need for a third space, a space other than work or home where people can gather and enjoy one another’s company. When she was in Raleigh, she took part in events hosted by CreativeMornings, a monthly breakfast lecture series

for creatives that started in 2008 in New York City. She wanted to open a Wilmington chapter.

Once Skiles started working in a seasonal position at the Cucalorus Film Festival, she met “a lot of cool, creative people.” One of those people was TRISH NICHOLSON, who was Cucalorus’ development director at the time.

“Humans need connection and need to be around other humans,” Skiles says.

Skiles asked Nicholson if she would like to embark on this new venture with her. After an extensive application process, Skiles and Nicholson are now the host and co-host, respectively, of the group’s new Wilmington chapter.

CreativeMornings is a creative community with chapters in seventy countries and 245 cities. It is a place to celebrate and connect with people who share a creative spirit. The free monthly breakfast series brings like-minded people together and hosts a guest speaker who gives a 20-minute talk that reflects on a global theme for the month.

“We both wanted to find a way to bring the creative community together on a regular basis to share connections, ideas, inspiration, and of course coffee,” says Nicholson.

Each of the free monthly events happens on Friday mornings, usually late in the month. As guests enter, they are asked to fill out a name tag with a prompt that relates to the theme. Their responses serve as an ice breaker during coffee and breakfast snacks where socializing and connection are encouraged.

“It is a relaxed situation of creative moments of connection,” Skiles says, and she explains how it is a part of the organization’s manifesto, which reads, “Everyone is creative. Everyone is welcome.”

“For me, art always feels honest – regardless of the medium or its appeal to an audience. I love how CreativeMornings believes that everyone is creative! Whether you are a writer, business developer, graphic designer, marketing expert, a builder, teacher, or student, creativity is everywhere and in everyone,” Nicholson says.

Though free, each event is ticketed to make sure there are enough seats and coffee available for all.

Skiles explains how CreativeMornings differs from typical networking events that bring people together who are looking for jobs or to expand their businesses.

“Networking events can have an air of desperation about them and tend to be high pressure, but CreativeMornings is about personal connections and meeting more creative people in the area. It is mostly just connecting people,” Skiles says.

Nicholson and Skiles work hard to ensure that members get as much out of the organization as intended. The monthly speaker gives a talk that ties in with the chosen CreativeMornings global theme.

“Wilmington needs CreativeMornings because it brings people together to inspire and spark ideas, provide innovation, and enhance local culture and voices while providing a sense of belonging,” Nicholson shares.

CreativeMornings Wilmington kicked off its first event in September with JAMES TRITTEN, of Fort Lowell Records. The event’s theme was “reflection,” which Tritten highlighted by explaining how his record company reflects on the needs of the community. Tritten started a vinyl collection that highlights artists and environmental causes.

Other speakers have included filmmaker CHRIS EVERETT, who spoke on the theme of vision, and BRIAN OWNBEY, owner of the vintage shop Modern Love on Castle Street who reflected on the theme of journey.

“It is a loose formula, but we try to stretch it to whatever it is that the person is bringing to the table,” Skiles says. “It is more of a conversation and less of a speech.”

Following each talk, a question-and-answer session is held to hear from people and connect with each other.

“It takes a village as they say,” says Skiles, “and I feel very lucky that everyone is giving up portions of their time to make it happen.” W

All Things All Times Keeping with Us at

by TIM BASS | illustration by MARK WEBER

I STOOD IN LINE AT THE POST OFFICE, EMPTYHANDED, UNTIL MY TURN CAME.

“I WAS IN HERE THE OTHER DAY,” I SAID TO THE CLERK, “AND I THINK I MIGHT HAVE DROPPED MY CREDIT CARD.”

Without a word, he spun away and stepped to a cubby of slots against the back wall, a little post office within the post office.

“Mastercard,” I said. “It’s red.” I gave him my full name and the bank’s name, plus the last four digits on the card.

He reached into one of the slots and pulled out my card.

“I.D.?” he said.

I handed over my driver’s license. He studied it, looked up at me, then looked back at the license. Satisfied that I wasn’t a thief who somehow correctly guessed the credit card’s color, bank, and numbers, he handed it over.

“A regular customer found it on the floor,” he said. “It’s good to know there are still some honest people in the world.”

It sure is. That honest regular customer solved a mystery for me. I’d looked for that blasted card for five days with no luck. I hadn’t called the bank to report it as lost – the card wasn’t lost so much as misplaced. I knew it was somewhere in the wake of my boring errands, and I’d lost track of it for the usual reason: not paying attention. I figured no criminal had gotten hold of it – my account didn’t show a spending frenzy on pizza, clothes, cryptocurrency, or online gaming tokens. No one had used it to buy lottery tickets or bet on sports. I checked in the laundry, under the car seats, between the couch cushions, and on every cluttered surface in my house. Nothing but dirt and dust and lots of clutter.

Then I thought about that post office trip earlier in the week. I had the card when I walked in. Did I have it when I walked out? No. I’d pulled my phone out of my pocket, and the card went with it. I didn’t feel anything drop. I didn’t hear anything hit the floor.

The same had happened a few months earlier. I was buying groceries, and when I got to the register I had no card. I retraced my steps and found it lying in the parking lot, next to my car.

Twice, I’d been lucky to get the credit card back. Countless times, I’d been foolish enough to chance losing it forever.

My wallet had become a catch-all. Besides my driver’s license and credit card, it held my insurance card, my Costco card, discount cards for three supermarkets and two pharmacies and one auto-parts store, a club card for a sandwich shop, a club card for another sandwich shop that went out of business years ago, restaurant receipts, and the occasional dollar bill. Even after I reorganized and eliminated the excess, the wallet still had so much

in it that I couldn’t find anything because of everything else.

The wallet, that old block of faded leather, gave me a sore rump from sitting on it and made my pants sag. And for what – just a few seconds’ use? Not worth it. I developed a habit of taking out the credit card and slipping it into a front pocket, going about my business with just the one card, not the whole deck. It was so much easier to hitch up my britches and get things done.

It was also a lot riskier. The people at the post office knew this.

We carry too much stuff. Keys, cards, hand lotion, face lotion, tissue to wipe off the lotion, breath mints, medicine, lip balm, water, nail clippers, chewing gum, eye drops, disinfecting wipes, reading glasses, sunglasses, spray cleaner for the glasses – all of these go with us. Some people pack pepper spray. Some pack cosmetics. Some never go anywhere without their raincoat, Swiss Army Knife, tweezers, or book of crossword puzzles. After dark, I always have a good flashlight on me. Add to that a phone, that clunky chunk of glass and plastic, and we’re overloaded. (Don’t forget the charger!)

It’s as if we’ve all read those lists of the “essential survival gear” we’ll need in case an asteroid hits the planet and wipes out everything except us. To be safe, fully prepared, we keep all things with us at all times, and this means carrying yet another thing: something to put all the stuff in. It’s why people trudge around with backpacks, messenger bags, duffels, satchels, and totes. Some purses are as large as luggage. We see fanny packs.

Instead of lightening our load, we’re heavying it. No wonder so many people look overburdened – they really are.

Maybe that’s the problem I was trying to solve, at least for myself, when I stuck my credit card into my front pocket. Right away, I felt freer, lighter, more flexible – you know, in case I ever needed to spring into superhero action while buying stamps or browsing for fiber supplements. But I was bound to drop the card that way. And if not for some honest people in the world, I might have paid a steep price.

In the end, I accepted reality and went back to using a wallet, but not in the old way. I gave up the leather back-pocket brick for something new: an ingenious little elastic wallet with a couple of pouches, just enough space to hold what I need to use and nothing else. It fits in my front pocket and can’t fall out. For me, it’s a minimalist improvement in these maximalist times.

Tim Bass is a retired creative writing teacher and journalist. He lives in Wilmington. Mark Weber is a Wilmington-based artist and illustrates WILMA’s monthly Direct Male essay. weberillustration.com

5 TAKE

Michelle Woo, founder of Wilmington-based Hearts & Spade, moved to Wilmington about a year ago. In her previous home of Atlanta, she worked as executive director of the Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation. In her role there, Woo oversaw the launch of the Red Backpack Fund and The Mindset Series, a curriculum instilling an entrepreneurial mindset in students across the country. And before that, she spent five years working in brand/marketing at Spanx. “I spent a decade at Spanx, the revolutionary shapewear brand founded by Sara Blakely, the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire,” says Woo, who shares details about her move to Wilmington and striking out on her own entrepreneurial plans.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE HEARTS & SPADE? “Hearts & Spade is a social enterprise that spreads the joy of gardening and supports refugees. Through our home and garden shop (heartsandspade. com), hands-on workshops, and custom garden designs, we empower home gardeners to enjoy cut flowers: yard to table.” WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START IT? “I started gardening to access specialty cut flowers to arrange with and to paint. My garden became a place of refuge – especially during COVID – and I launched Hearts & Spade in 2020 to share this hope-filled hobby

with others.” CAN YOU TALK ABOUT MOVING FROM A CORPORATE JOB TO BECOMING A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER? “Leaving the corporate world wasn’t easy – it was definitely a step of faith. For a decade, my work involved empowering female entrepreneurs to dream big, trust their gut, and cultivate courage – and I knew it was my turn to make the leap.” WHAT DRAWS YOU TO GARDENING? “Flower arranging was my gateway to gardening. When my beloved grandmother got sick, I went to send flowers, but the delivery options available seemed more suitable for hospitals than for ‘Mac Mac,’ whose home and garden radiated warmth, style, heart, and soul. My journey into cut flower gardening ensued.” CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE SUPPORT YOU’VE DONE FOR AND PLAN TO DO FOR REFUGEE POPULATIONS? “This has been at the heart of the work since the beginning. While traveling to Jordan, I was touched by the hospitality of many women who had been forced to flee their homes. Their kindness and resilience sparked my passion to do what I can to give back. I’ve hired refugees when possible, donated a percentage of profits to refugee support organizations, hosted wellness initiatives –like flower arranging classes – and am currently helping start a community garden for local refugees in partnership with Rise Up Community Farm.” W

MICHELLE WOOS’s full profile appeared in a recent WILMA Leadership email. To sign up for daily WILMA emails, go to WILMAmag.com.

photo c/o Hearts & Spade

C o a s t a l A e s t h e t i c s

L u x u r y L a s e r & S k i n S o l u t i o n s

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c o a s t a l a e s t h e t i c s i l m c o m

Theresa Hoffman PA-C

This is how flying should be.”

Take it from a Breeze Guest

Now flying to Providence, Hartford, Fort Myers, and Orlando from ILM.