Coleman Greene is a really nice guy. He's the kind of guy who phones you back immediately when your call is dropped.
I spoke with him over the weekend — earlier than I usually use my professional voice on Saturdays. I was in my bedroom still wearing my pajamas and silently pleading with AT&T;'s unreliable service to not cut out again, please, damn it. My phone rang, and he brushed off my apologies with an understanding laugh. Maybe he has AT&T;, too.
Coleman Greene is also a really smart guy. A Vanderbilt graduate who got his MBA at UNC, he cofounded Sqord, which celebrates its two-year anniversary in June. Haven't heard of Sqord yet? You will: The company recently was accepted by Chicago's TechStars, a highly competitive three-month mentorship program that nurtures and funds companies in the early stages of development.
Self-described as a “one part game platform, one part social media, and one part fitness tracker,” Sqord encourages kids to lead healthy lives through active playtime. --Read On
As an unpopular 18-year-old nerd, I was somewhat biased and hell-bent on getting out. Downtown was a place of abandoned brick buildings where people didn't want to go — especially after dark. I only had two reasons: the Regulator Bookstore on Ninth Street and weekly piano lessons.
After high school, I spent four years in Chicago and six in New York. I interned at a national magazine and then transitioned into the ad world. I worked 50 hours a week, commuted an hour to the office, and barely had money for food. I loved it.
I find myself back in the South 10 years later. Other than the architecture, Durham is unrecognizable. Bars, restaurants, and music venues occupy the once-shuttered buildings. Hip 20- and 30-year-olds saunter along the sidewalks, popping into cafés and vintage stores. A trip downtown almost makes me feel like I'm back in Brooklyn. But, more important to job-seeking 20-somethings is the thriving start-up community. Cutting-edge companies are sprouting up and flourishing in Durham and the greater Triangle area.
Take Thursday night. The fifth Tech Jobs Under the Big Top brought 13 local start-ups to American Tobacco to have a beer and tell hundreds of job seekers a little more about themselves. From small, young start-ups like Adzerk to more established companies like ChannelAdvisor, each had a table and three minutes on stage to present what they do. Afterward, they met with the eager attendees, handing out business cards and taking résumés. --Read On
Coleman Greene is a really nice guy. He's the kind of guy who phones you back immediately when your call is dropped. 
Durham was awful in 2003.