​Most startups don’t fail because the idea is bad. They fail because scaling introduces new problems: hiring mistakes, culture drift, misaligned incentives, and decisions that compound quietly over time.

​In this fireside chat, Zach Maurides (Teamworks) sits down with Scot Wingo (Tweener Fund) to share hard-won lessons from building and scaling Teamworks across multiple growth phases, from early days through major expansion. We’ll unpack the founder mistakes that mattered most, what Zach would do differently, and what it actually takes to build teams, systems, and culture that hold up as complexity increases. We’ll also explore how AI is changing the way leadership teams operate and make decisions, and where founders should be skeptical.

​Best for: founders and operators navigating growth, hiring, and strategic tradeoffs (or preparing to).

​Speaker

​Zach Maurides

​Zach Maurides is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Teamworks, a leading operating system for high performance, powering more than 7,000 sports teams and military organizations worldwide. Teamworks' suite of best-in-class products drives winning by enabling data-driven talent acquisition, seamless operations, and holistic performance development. Maurides conceived the idea for Teamworks during his time as an offensive lineman for the Duke University football team. Recognizing inefficiencies in managing team operations, he developed a solution to enhance coordination within sports programs. Today, Teamworks is used by professional leagues, collegiate programs, Olympic organizations, and more to improve overall performance. Since 2019, Maurides has led Teamworks through a period of strategic growth, powered by acquisitions and capital raised through Series D and Series E funding rounds. These acquisitions, including ARMS Software, Smartabase, INFLCR, and Zelus Analytics have expanded Teamworks’ product suite and capabilities, helping the company meet the evolving needs of its vast client base. Maurides has been recognized as an honoree on the Sports Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, The Athletic's College Sports 40 Under 40 and was named a finalist for SBJ’s 2023 Tech Executive of the Year. He also serves on the board of the Durham Sports Commission, advocating for youth sports and athlete development. A graduate of Duke University, Maurides continues to lead Teamworks from its headquarters in Durham, North Carolina.

​Scot Wingo

​Scot Wingo is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and ecosystem builder with nearly three decades of experience in eCommerce and internet marketplaces. He co-founded ChannelAdvisor, the eCommerce platform that went public on the NYSE (ECOM) in 2013.

Scot also co-founded Spiffy, an on-demand car care company that expanded to major U.S. markets including Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Dallas.

Today, he serves as CEO of ReFiBuy and is a General Partner of the NC Tweener Fund. He’s passionate about supporting entrepreneurs and strengthening the North Carolina startup ecosystem. Through the Tweener Fund and the Tweener List, he invests in and mentors early-stage founders, helping them navigate the critical “tweener” stage between friends-and-family and institutional venture capital. His expertise spans eCommerce, marketplaces, AI-driven retail innovation, and building companies from startup to scale.

​Location

​American Underground — Upstairs

​324 Blackwell Street, Durham, NC 27701

​Parking

​Free parking is available at the American Tobacco Campus North Deck, courtesy of CBC Real Estate.

• ​Map to: 305 W Pettigrew St, Durham, NC 27701

• ​Use the 2nd floor and above. (Please do not park on first floor.)

​Questions?

​This session is part of Raleigh-Durham Startup Week. Click here to learn more about the event, plus get answers to your FAQs.

​Track Supporter

​​​Thank you to Narrasoft for supporting the Strategy Track at #RDSW26!