Share your story

Share practical lessons with Triangle operators

RDU SMB Meetup is built for owners and operators who trade real-world lessons — not polished keynotes. If you have something useful to teach, we want to hear your pitch.

Why speak

A room full of peers who get it

Visibility with the right audience
Connect with engaged SMB owners across Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill who are actively building and growing.
Low-pressure, high-signal format
Talks sit alongside networking — practical, conversational, and designed for operators not spectators.
Honest feedback from peers
Test ideas, frameworks, and stories with founders who will push back thoughtfully and share their own experience.
Give back to the community
Help the next operator avoid a costly mistake or unlock a relationship that changes their trajectory.

Featured voices

Operators who've taken the stage

Alejandro Morales
Founder & COO · STOA Digital Solutions
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — SMB Owner & Operating Challenges · Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Jane Sommers-Kelly
Founder · JSK Leadership
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — SMB Owner & Operating Challenges · Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Monte Marcum
Owner · Filta Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — Under the Hood: How Three Owners Actually Run Their Businesses on AI · Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Steve Rock
President · Rock Grading
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — Under the Hood: How Three Owners Actually Run Their Businesses on AI · Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Brandon Smith
Partner · Disruptive Process Solutions
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — Under the Hood: How Three Owners Actually Run Their Businesses on AI · Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Noa Ronen
Founder & CEO · ADVAgo
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — Ask Better Questions · Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Mark McNally
Vice President · AIRCON Service Group
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — Deals, Risk, and Day One · Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Michael Johnson
President · Speedpro NW Raleigh
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — Deals, Risk, and Day One · Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Jeff Matuszak
Managing Partner · Directus Holdings LLC
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — Deals, Risk, and Day One · Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Jeff Weingrad
Value Growth Advisor & Executive-in-Residence
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — Owner or Leader? · Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Scott J. Medeiros
Chief Execution Officer · Rosewood Family of Companies / Helmwise
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — Owner or Leader? · Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Traci Philips
Executive Leadership & Performance Coach
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — Owner or Leader? · Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Abigail Merrill
CEO · GrowthUP Partners
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — AI in Action · Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Kellie Bradley
Founder · byteKraft Workshops
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — AI in Action · Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Rod Passalacqua
Managing Partner · Exit Factor Raleigh
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — The Exit Equation · Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Van Daughtry
Owner & Business Broker · Van Daughtry Consulting
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — The Exit Equation · Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Brent Roberts
Managing Partner · Exit Factor Raleigh
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — The Exit Equation · Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Wendy Coulter
CEO · Hummingbird Creative Group
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — Marketing & Branding in the Age of AI · Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Marc Sirkin
Founder · Marc Sirkin Consulting
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — Marketing & Branding in the Age of AI · Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Paul Watson
Founder · Ten Fifteen Communications
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — Marketing & Branding in the Age of AI · Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Michael Ehrler
Business Coach & Speaker · Growth Coach
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — People, Process, Technology · Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Bryan Coble
President · ACC Go to Market Consulting
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — People, Process, Technology · Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Liz Rossilli
President · Sales Savvy
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — People, Process, Technology · Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Aradhana Aggarwal, CPA
CEO/President · Aradhana Aggarwal CPA, PLLC
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — End 2025 Strong / Start 2026 Smarter · Tuesday, December 16, 2025
John Hoffman
Partner/CFO · Futurise Growth Partners
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — End 2025 Strong / Start 2026 Smarter · Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Ginger Miley, PhD
Talent Manager · Performentor
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — Scaling Through People · Monday, November 3, 2025
Donna Brown
Principal Consultant · Cultivation HR
Featured at RDU SMB Meetup — Scaling Through People · Monday, November 3, 2025

What we look for

Operator-focused, not sales pitches

We prioritize sessions that leave attendees with something they can use Monday morning — frameworks, stories, and tactics from people in the arena.

Practical lessons from running or growing a business
Interactive formats welcome — panels, workshops, Q&A
No vendor demos or hard sales pitches
Topics that spark conversation during networking

Typical session formats

20–30 minute talk + audience Q&A
Panel with 2–3 operators on a shared theme
Interactive workshop or facilitated discussion
Lightning lessons tied to a current business challenge

Apply to speak

Tell us about your talk

Share a short pitch — what you'd cover, who it's for, and why it matters to Triangle SMB owners. We review submissions before each meetup and follow up if there's a fit. Questions? Email hi@rdusmb.com.

No speaking fee — this is a community stage
Events are typically weekday evenings in the Triangle
40–60 operators in the room, plus networking before and after