A UNC investment fund's windfall from an early SpaceX bet, North Carolina Central University opens the country's first AI research center at an HBCU, and a Durham developer scales back a major downtown tower. Plus, a look ahead at ConvergeSouth, and the events you need on your calendar this week. It's the very first episode of BizBrief — welcome.

Links & more

• Subscribe to BizBrief: https://6am.city/ralbizbrief
• UNC Management Company's SpaceX stake sale (Business NC) — https://businessnc.com/spacex-produces-1b-gain-for-unc-endowment-with-more-to-come/
• NCCU opens first HBCU-based AI research center (ABC 11) — https://abc11.com/post/north-carolina-central-university-made-history-first-hbcu-nation-launch-dedicated-ai-research-center/19658721/
• Four Points LLC scales back downtown Durham tower (Triangle Business Journal) — https://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2026/08/10/four-points-downtown-durham-apartments-retail.html
• Battery Metals seeks $250M for out-of-state facility (Triangle Business Journal) — https://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2026/08/10/battery-metals-recycling-facility-tungsten-waste.html
• Raleigh appeals nightlife permit ruling (The News & Observer) — https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article316790440.html
• Raleigh small businesses adapt to shifting economy (ABC 11) — https://abc11.com/post/raleigh-businesses-adjust-amid-economic-challenges/19642776/
• NC State & U.S. Army strategic partnership — https://www.rtp.org/2026/08/nc-state-u-s-army-establish-new-strategic-partnership/
• NC IDEA grant deadline - https://ncidea.org/fall-2026-grant-cycle/
  • Plus application advice — https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jaybigelow_fall-2026-grant-cycle-nc-idea-share-7493057047425470464-GIZr/
• Founder Shares Podcast: Rob Cooley, Nuream — https://open.spotify.com/episode/5dbCg1RIcgXmeOUjGRNlWI
• Founder Shares Podcast: Mike Halpert, VER Coaching — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHbDBJRMVcs
• Full events calendar — https://6amcity.com/nc/raleigh/events#/
• Office space listings (lease/sale) — BizBriefRaleigh.com
• ConvergeSouth, August 27-28 in Winston-Salem: https://convergesouth.com/
• Connect with Jason Gillikin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasongillikin/
  
  

The BizBrief Podcast is produced by Walk West. To grow your brand through content creation and AI enablement, contact us at https://www.walkwest.com/bizbrief.