Rickie Houston

Daniel Ray Norris, owner of Wilmington-based SlapDash Publishing, sits in his home office. His publishing work includes books about the area’s storied past. (Photo by Madeline Gray)

Wilmington-based health tech startup CareHome Health Solutions aims to make medication management easier for seniors and their caregivers, and the company is soon moving from prototype to pilot.Its first product, the Graciela, is a smart pill and hydration dispenser that works to reduce medication errors, provide caregivers with peace of mind and help seniors stay independent and at home longer, AJ Trelease, the company’s founder, wrote in an email.“The device dispenses medication and water at custom times and alerts caregivers through our Care Circle app when a dose is missed,” he wrote.“To clarify, the Graciela is a device named after my 97-year-old grandmother, and it’s intended to help seniors take their prescriptions on time, keeping them comfortably at home with family for longer.”The prototype version of the Graciela has been in the works for three years, according to Trelease. He added that that version proved the startup’s core features – such as touch-free medication dispensing, built-in water delivery and real-time adherence tracking – worked.The product’s touch-free dispensing feature also makes it more accessible for users with arthritis, tremors or limited mobility, according to Trelease.He noted that the prototype was built with older adults in mind and explained that most medication technology on the market falls short because it overlooks the senior experience. He also further elaborated on the Graciela’s functionality and described how it helps with medication management.“Instead of walking to the kitchen or relying on someone else, everything needed for safe medication intake is now in one place, and more independence is given back to the senior user,” he said.But as for the product transition, CareHome is preparing to launch a three-month pilot program with local home health agencies and family caregivers so that it can “get real-world feedback,” said Trelease.“Pilot partners are helping us pressure-test everything related to device usability,” he added. “The data from this stage is critical both for product refinement and for showing future partners and payers that we’re solving a real, measurable problem in medication compliance.” He said that the pilot is the next step in turning the Graciela from a functional prototype into a real-world solution and explained that the new version will give the company critical feedback on usability, feature priorities and the things that matter most to caregivers and older adults.“We know this version isn’t perfect or ready for full-scale launch, and that’s the point,” he said. “I’m not making product decisions based on assumptions. This pilot ensures everything we build going forward is grounded in real user behavior and solves a critical, impactful issue.”Trelease also delved into his inspiration for starting the company and offered thoughts on the issue of medication mismanagement.“This all started with my grandmother, Graciela,” he explained. “She takes nearly 20 medications a day, and like many older adults, she struggles with feelings of codependency. I watched her, along with the people caring for her, deal with daily stressors just trying to make sure the right pills were taken at the right time.”He said medication mismanagement is breaking both the older adults taking the medicine and the caregivers.“That’s why we’ve built CareHome,” he said. “Our Graciela device and Care Circle app reduce steps, increase confidence and generate real-time compliance data so no one’s guessing whether the meds were taken.”In addition, he highlighted one of the company’s achievements he’s most proud of.“Of all the events we’ve attended and pitch competitions and opportunities CareHome has been a part of, one of my favorite wins of this year was receiving the NC IDEA MICRO grant,” he said. “We applied to that one three total times and kept coming back stronger until we finally took it home.”He also praised Wilmington for contributing to the startup’s growth.“Wilmington has been such a perfect fit for us in terms of both getting in front of our target customers and being supported by the local startup ecosystem, which is quickly on the rise,” he shared. “I doubt we’d be as far along as we are now if we were based anywhere else.”In addition to launching CareHome’s pilot later in the year, Trelease said that the company has exciting milestones ahead. “We’ll be exhibiting and pitching at ConvergeSouth 2025, filming a documentary-style video in late July with a wireless foundation in D.C. and wrapping up NC IDEA’s MICRO grant programming as a recent recipient.”New opportunities to showcase CareHome, he wrote, are quickly approaching, and the rest of 2025 “will be all about sharpening our brand, telling our story and building the right partnerships for scale.”

Work is shown above at Wilmington International Airport’s temporary curb-front area. Expansion projects are focused on the airport’s outside portion, including parking and drop-off areas. (Photo by Emma Dill)

Wilmington-based boat dealer Off the Hook Yachts participated in the Palm Beach International Boat Show. (Photo c/o Jason Ruegg)

Riko’s Pizza, a Connecticut-based pizza parlor, has opened a new Carolina Beach location this month. This makes it the first Riko’s Pizza in North Carolina.The Carolina Beach location will function as a full-service restaurant and bar, and it will offer both indoor seating and bar access and outdoor seating and bar access. The new building – which is within walking distance from the beach – is located at Proximity Carolina Beach, 1000 N. Lake Park Blvd.The business offers tavern-style pizzas, oven-roasted wings, salads, shareables, desserts, cocktails, beer, wine and more. Plus, the restaurant will have a takeout and delivery service area. And as for its size, the new space is 5,000 square feet.The restaurant opened this week.The franchise-style business’s new location is under the leadership of owner and manager Jay Greco. And according to Greco, one of the things that inspired him to choose Carolina Beach for the new location was his love for the area.“I’ve been coming down to Carolina Beach now for 15 years on vacation, and I’ve always wanted to move here,” he said. “I fell in love with Riko’s Pizza, and it was something that’s very different than what’s here, so I wanted to bring it down here, and that’s what got me going.”He added that he felt welcomed by the community and shared that he wants to do as much as he can for it. This time of the year, he noted, is special because it will allow him to focus on that community since the summer months have ended.Greco said he’d like to build relationships with the locals before getting ready for the influx of customers in summer 2026.But in addition to his love for the area, other factors that led to his decision to select Carolina Beach over other locations in the city were his comfort and familiarity with it.“When I saw the Proximity building this, I thought that this was the right time to get in here,” he said. “But I just also think that people will appreciate our product.”He explained that what makes this Riko’s Pizza location unique is the fact that it’s situated in a beach town. This location is the first that’s ever been planted in such an area.Greco added that its thin crust pizza is one of the things that distinguishes Riko’s Pizza from other pizzerias. He noted that the dough, the cheese and the sauce are of high quality, and he shared that the restaurant’s signature hot oil pizza is a unique thin-crust pizza topped with spicy olive oil.The pizzas, he said, are also personal-size pies, so they’re just enough for customers to eat in one sitting without feeling like they need to take back large amounts of uneaten pizza.He additionally offered thoughts about his goals for the restaurant in the coming months and years.“What we’d like to do is we’d really like to establish ourselves on the island,” he said. “If we establish ourselves on the island, and we see that the people here appreciate everything, and we can give back to them, I’ll tell you the God-honest truth: I’d like to open up another place (in) maybe downtown Wilmington, maybe Topsail.”But overall, Greco said that he felt like Carolina Beach was the perfect place to start. Plus, he provided insight into charitable plans.He said that Riko’s Pizza had already donated to the Carolina Beach Police Department’s annual bike rodeo. He also revealed plans to donate to football and children’s baseball leagues and more.But even before the Carolina Beach location had come to fruition, Riko’s Pizza had been involved in providing philanthropic support to nonprofits and other groups. For instance, in 2024, Riko’s Pizza raised more than $25,000 for the Breast Cancer Alliance.But as for the new restaurant, Greco said he wants to work with the surrounding stores in the area, and he said that he wants Riko’s Pizza to participate in both the upcoming Pleasure Island Restaurant Week and Christmas parade.He said he wants customers to feel comfortable when they come into the restaurant. He said, “I want them to be greeted with a smile.”

A building technology company called ICON, based in Austin, Texas, will 3D print homes for Wilmington’s Eden Village. (Rendering c/o Eden Village)

Eagle Guard Core Cell Company (EGCCC), a Wilmington-based protected cell captive insurance platform, recently launched.

Barrett Earney established Earney IT to support local businesses with their tech and IT needs.

Yogasleep recently introduced a product designed to help parents monitor their baby’s sleeping habits.

Atiba Johnson, one of the owners of Front Street Market & Produce in Wilmington, said the store has increased its food and beverage services in response to customer feedback. (Photo by Madeline Gray)