Kim Shope has a proven, extraordinary professional capability to plan, promote and execute an incredible array of special events with efficiency, panache and charm. The creative, catchy , From The Ground Up name she & husband Gary devised and attached to her dynamic, bold start-up enterprise 25 years, ago reflects and captures her innovative.... see more.

Thomas J. White, MPA Director, Economic Development Partnership Poulton Innovation Center – NCSU Former President and CEO, Durham Chamber of Commerce

I have had the privilege of working with Kim since 2019 through her involvement in First Tee – Triangle’s annual gala, A Night FORE Champions. Kim was a natural leader on our Annual Gala Committee – bringing a wealth of experience, fresh ideas, action and results from the very beginning. The 2020 gala, in particular, Kim went above and beyond to help our team succeed. As one can imagine, during a pandemic and with not being able to have an in-person event at the Angus Barn like usual – our gala committee had quite the up-hill climb – but, with Kim’s upbeat and can do attitude on our team – we ended netting the most revenue ever from a gala – only beating our record from the previous year – the first year Kim was on our team.... see more.

Katie Dacey Director of Philanthropy First Tee – Triangle

I have known Gary for 30 years and consider him a “get the job done” person. We first met when he was recruiting Honda to North Carolina in the 1980’s as an economic development officer for the state. Over the years I continued to interface with him in his role as the chief investment recruitment officer at the Research Triangle Foundation and watched him recruit hundreds of millions of dollars of quality investment to the Research Triangle Park. Gary listens to his “clients” and keenly understands what their needs and objectives are. He then works diligently to meet their requirements; that is the key to his success. He is savvy in navigating the political/governmental regulatory side of things for his clients having worked closely with both Democratic and Republican administrations, including governors, in North Carolina. I have been privileged to travel with Gary on economic development missions to Europe and Japan. He does his homework and is focused on his clients; but this does not interfere with him having an enjoyable time. Gary is very personable, fun and an avid golfer. Simply put.... see more.

John L. Atkins, III, FAIA, LEED AP, Chairman & CEO

I first met Gary 30 years ago while evaluating locations for Biogen’s US manufacturing site. Gary was working at the Research Triangle Foundation at the time. He quickly distinguished himself and the RTF as the most responsive, thoughtful, and connected economic development organization that I encountered. Gary immediately assembled a team of advisors that allowed Biogen to evaluate Research Triangle Park options from site selection, timelines, regulatory process with state and local officials, and workforce development. The initial project was completed in record time with great public-private collaboration. That first project led to many expansions on that site and today is one of the largest biotech manufacturing sites in the US and is one of my proudest accomplishments as CEO of Biogen. Shortly after I met Gary I was introduced to Kim Shope and I came to understand that they are a powerful combination in introducing me to the people and officials that can.... see more.

James “Jim” Mullen, Chairman, President & CEO, Editas Medicine, Needham, MA

I met Kim Shope in 2014, when she was organizing a high-profile groundbreaking for the NC Department of Commerce. I was the City Manager of Mebane and we helped recruit Morinaga America to the city. This was the first location of the Japanese candy company in America so the Governor and Commerce wanted a memorable affair. As the host city, I worked closely with Kim on, what I learned, were the many details of putting on such an event. As From The Ground Up adds another important component to their Services menu, downtown revitalization.... see more.

David Cheek, City Manager-retired, City of Mebane, NC

Gary Shope and I have collaborated on several projects over the past 5 years. Beginning with a global training program for leaders at Patheon/ThermoFisher in 2015, Gary offered his guidance as an advisor to NC State Executive Education. In 2020 Gary joined our Executive Education team as a Program Director, to help design a leadership series for mid-level executives in pharma and architecture/construction industries. I’d recommend Gary to any leader or team seeking to build new relationships at the highest levels of organizations in RTP and.... see more.

Daniel McGurrin, PhD Director, Executive Education Poole College of Management NC State University

Kim initially reached out to the Town of Williamston regarding any downtown revitalization and ongoing projects. Since it is her hometown, she was interested in seeing a revitalization of downtown Williamston and help the Town come back from a period of property abandonment and general lack of interest in our downtown core. She attended a couple of our downtown’s nonprofit group meetings and began.... see more.

Cameron Braddy, Town Planner, Williamston, NC

For a little over 30 years, I was fortunate to be a member of North Carolina’s premier government agency, the North Carolina Department of Commerce. Fifteen of those years, I was pleased to head, what was then, the nation’s leading industrial development organization, the Division of Business and Industry. During that time, Gary Shope was a senior member of our team and was largely responsible for the location of such national/international firms as Honda Power Equipment, Inc., Konica Minolta, Ciba Geigy (now Syngenta), and Panasonic, to name a few. Gary was clearly one of the outstanding members of the division. His dedication to.... see more.

Alvah Ward, Retired Director, Department of Business & Industry NC Department of Commerce

I am a tremendous fan of Kim Shope and From The Ground Up, Inc. Over the past several years we have utilized her services and expertise for several industrial announcements and expansions, namely Person County Solar park (100 guests) and Force Protection (450 guests). She does a great job no matter the size of the event. I value her wealth of experience, her thorough preparation, her attention to detail and her.... see more.

James E. Stovall, Former Chairman Person County Economic Development Commission

We were incredibly satisfied with the new branding, logo and website development by From The Ground Up! The process from start to finish was collaborative, energizing, on time and on budget. Kim Shope was skilled in bringing our work team together and securing outside assistance from area professionals that saved us thousands of dollars. Bottom line, Kim was a delight to work with and the resulting products are not only beautiful, but impactful marketing tools for our organization. Thanks to From The Ground Up! we were able to position ourselves.... see more.

Deanna Mitchell, Former Site Administrator, State Capitol of North Carolina