Regional to Relentless: Paul Nolde on Building a Venture Hub for Critical-Infrastructure Startups

In this episode of Edge of Intelligence, host Carl Owen, fractional CIO and AI advisor at Proteligen, sits down with Paul Nolde, Executive Director of 757 CoLab, to explore how regional startup ecosystems are being built and scaled, outside of traditional tech hubs like Silicon Valley.

Paul shares his journey from banking and investment management into ecosystem leadership, and how 757 CoLab has grown into one of the most dynamic venture hubs on the East Coast. Serving founders across Virginia’s Hampton Roads region, 757 CoLab combines incubation, acceleration, and angel investment into a full-stack support system for high-growth startups.

This conversation dives deep into:

● How regional innovation hubs compete with major tech markets
● The role of accelerators, startup studios, and angel networks—and how they work together
● Why defense, energy security, maritime, and critical infrastructure innovation are emerging as key verticals
● How AI is transforming founder selection, mentorship matching, and accelerator operations
● Balancing human judgment with data-driven decision-making in early-stage investing
● Measuring ecosystem success beyond jobs created and capital raised
● The importance of culture, collaboration, and long-term thinking in ecosystem building

Whether you’re a founder, investor, policymaker, or community builder, this episode offers a practical look at what it really takes to create sustainable innovation ecosystems—and how AI and data strategy are accelerating that evolution.

🔗 Learn more about 757 CoLab: https://www.757colab.org
🔗 Learn more about 757 CoLab: https://startinhamptonroads.com
🔗 Learn more about 757 CoLab: https://mortensendesigns.my.canva.site/202...
🔗 Connect with Paul Nolde on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-nolde-814...
🔗 Learn more about Proteligen’s AI and data advisory services

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