IMPACT Business
PORTAL: Powering innovation and entrepreneurship
Chris Moxley ’03
Photo by Kat Lawrence
Business alum Chris Moxley strikes gold with Queen City pride 704 Shop, a Charlotte-based lifestyle brand that blends fresh designs and classic imagery with modern graphics for a contemporary look, is an entrepreneurial venture started by three former college roommates, Chris Moxley ’03, Jerri Shephard ’14 and Scott Wooten. Focusing on its motto “stay close to home,” 704 Shop celebrates the spirit of Charlotte. Primarily an online retailer, 704 Shop has opened a brick-and-mortar location at 1616 Camden Road, Suite 140 within walking distance of the CATS Blue Line East/West Station. Moxley, a compliance associate with TIAA in addition to part owner of the 704 Shop, is a native of Charlotte. He earned bachelor’s degrees in international business and Spanish from the University and believes Belk College of Business provided him the necessary tools to analyze financial situations and communicate with a high level of business acumen. Through internships, he was exposed to how successful businesses are structured. “UNC Charlotte is uniquely positioned to act as a catalyst for startups,” said Moxley. “Interaction among experienced faculty and staff and talented students, combined with cutting-edge facilities can help spur innovation that otherwise may be delayed or never occur.” He noted that Ventureprise and Charlotte Research Institute continue to create dialogue and exchange around entrepreneurship and innovation, which benefits the broader community. Entrepreneurs often make significant contributions to the community in the form of jobs, innovation, art, culture and civic service, Moxley stated, adding exposing more students to entrepreneurship, leadership and business development skills would be beneficial. “Charlotte has an incredibly inclusive entrepreneurial environment—if you’re persistent and compelling, you can usually get a meeting with the person you want. Be prepared to be patient; just as Rome wasn’t built in day, neither is a strong foundation for a business,” said Moxley. Moxley recently made a gift to EXPONENTIAL: The Campaign for UNC Charlotte to create the Jaylen C. Moxley Scholarship for Academic Excellence. It is named for his 11-year-old son. He hopes his gift will encourage other alumni to make gifts of their own to UNC Charlotte. “Many of us have our degrees to thank for opening doors in our personal and professional lives,” he said.
The PORTAL building, which opened in February 2014, demonstrates UNC Charlotte’s commitment to foster partnerships with private industry. Designed to stimulate business growth and job creation along with promoting research and innovation and supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the Charlotte region, PORTAL is a venue where entrepreneurs can collaborate with peers, faculty members and students to harness the power of a research university to plan strategies that lead to business success. The Partnership, Outreach and Research to Accelerate Learning (PORTAL) facility has more than 90,000 square feet of floor space dedicated to business innovation and partnership with front door access to the exceptional resources, facilities and academic talent of the University’s 1,000-acre campus. Its Charlotte Research Institute location affords easy access via the LYNX Blue Line light rail stop at the J.W. Clay/ UNC Charlotte Station, as well as from I-85 and I-485. Business tenant offices and suites start at about 200 square feet and are expandable. There are community gathering spaces—including glass, enclosed meeting rooms located on two atrium transecting bridges—that facilitate networking and idea exchange. Contemporary laboratory space can be leased as well; lab sizes range from 325 to 800 square feet and are available in several buildings across the UNC Charlotte campus. For more information about PORTAL, contact Chip Yensan (lyensan@uncc.edu, 704687-8283) or Clay Andrews (wandrew4@uncc. edu, 704-687-8234).
Fall 2018
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UNC CHARLOTTE magazine 23