After working for respite care companies and gaining insight and experience, Audrey McGirt decided to branch out independently and become her own boss. 

She took her Lilies of Hope Home Care idea to UNC Pembroke’s Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub, where her vision became a reality. 

Lilies of Hope was one of the first startups established at the hub when it opened its doors in downtown Pembroke in 2015. McGirt began with four employees and a single client. 

“I’ve always had a passion for the business, and we knew how to do our job well, but when it comes to the business aspect, it can be a gray area,” McGirt said. “The hub provided us with a place to grow and the tools I needed to be successful. It helped shape our business through marketing and connections with the university.”

Today, Lilies of Hope operates outside Pembroke, employing 75 people and serving over 50 clients stretching from Greensboro to the Virginia border.

“When I look back on where we started and the tremendous growth we’ve experienced––we would not have gotten here without the help and guidance from the hub,” she said. 

Other small businesses like Chicora––an engineering, inspection and traffic control firm––and Fast Tz, which specializes in professional printing and embroidery, also have roots at the hub. Since 2015, the HUB has served as an engine of economic growth and innovation for Pembroke and southeastern North Carolina. Aside from office space, the entrepreneurs are given access to education, personalized consulting and networking opportunities. The hub has helped hundreds of startups grow into successful companies, resulting in the creation of hundreds of jobs. 

The hub is located on Main Street, less than a mile from campus, and is currently home to 11 small businesses and up-and-coming entrepreneurs. In 2023, it welcomed a new tenant–Emerging Technology Institute (ETI)–which is leasing the 1,700-square-foot accelerator space for its innovative X8 Lab. The lab offers a simulated work environment and a manufacturing and prototyping space for students in grades K-12. ETI–owned by UNCP alumnus and former hub interim director James Freeman––offers a variety of after-school and summer programs through partnerships with public school systems. Just last month ETI held a free STEM Academy at the hub for middle school students.

During a recent event at the hub, Chancellor Robin Gary Cummings spoke to 55 business owners and economic development leaders from Robeson, Scotland, Columbus and Bladen counties. He told the group that founder Jim Thomas established the hub with the firm belief that entrepreneurship drives economic growth and job creation.

“It is Jim’s dream that out of this building, business in Robeson and southeast North Carolina is changed,” Cummings said. “And he’s still very much focused on that.” 

The event was an opportunity to introduce local industries to the resources, programs and opportunities that UNCP can provide to local industries. Business leaders heard from faculty members from the Thomas College of Business and Economics and the College of Arts and Sciences, including physics professor Dr. Steven Singletary, who shared the value of incorporating additive manufacturing––better known as 3D printing––into the local industry and how they can partner with the university.

“We have a lot of experience and expertise amongst the faculty, and now the students here are using 3D printing,” Dr. Singletary said. “We want to help push this technology out into the region. 

“We believe 3D printing has the power to help us unlock potential, help make things more efficient, cut cost and help make the bottom line look better. And if we can do that for industry––that will help everyone.” 

Hub Executive Director Beth Wilkerson encouraged the business owners to network with UNCP and utilize students for internships, grad assistantships and applied learning opportunities. 

“This is about keeping our students local after graduation,” Wilkerson said. “We want to keep our talent here. The only way to do that is to help them find opportunities and show the industry that our students are the cream of the crop.”