Shuttlebee, a young company offering small‑capacity, high‑safety student transportation had been expanding steadily across the Mid‑Atlantic, and North Carolina was the next state where they needed regulatory clarity. Faced with uncertainty about how their model fit within existing rules, they paused their launch plans and turned to the North Carolina Innovation Council for guidance. Through the Expression of Interest (EoI) process, Shuttlebee sought clarity on how North Carolina’s regulations applied to their service, setting the stage for the collaborative problem‑solving that ultimately moved their project forward.
The EoI process is designed for exactly this type of situation. It creates an early, structured way for innovators to share their questions, describe the potential regulatory challenges they face, and receive guidance on whether their proposal fits within the Council’s statutory authority. Even more importantly, the process helps identify when an applicant’s challenges may be better addressed through interagency coordination rather than a Sandbox waiver.
That turned out to be the case for Shuttlebee.
Through conversations with the Council, it became clear that the regulatory obstacles Shuttlebee believed applied to them did not actually align with the Sandbox statute. Their service model ultimately did not meet the Sandbox’s eligibility criteria, but the uncertainty they were facing still required attention. Rather than ending the process at “not eligible,” the Council shifted into a problem-solving role, coordinating with the appropriate regulatory partners to help resolve Shuttlebee’s questions.
Those interagency conversations brought the clarity that had previously been missing. Shuttlebee’s operations qualified for an existing exemption under North Carolina law. The barrier that had been preventing them from launching here was no longer standing in their way.
With this clarification, Shuttlebee is now moving forward confidently raising a pre‑seed round to support the capital requirements of launching service in North Carolina.
This experience highlights one of the most important roles of the Innovation Council. Even when a project does not qualify for the Sandbox, the EoI process can still remove barriers, clarify rules, and help innovators move forward responsibly.
Victoria Avramovice, Executive Director of NC Innovation Council, explained, “Even when a proposal does not fit the Sandbox criteria, we do not stop at no. We help innovators find the right 'how'.”
Shuttlebee’s CEO, Kristina Fahl, expressed a similar sentiment, “The Council’s guidance turned what could have been a roadblock into a roadmap. Their support made a real difference in helping us move forward in North Carolina.”
Shuttlebee’s journey is a powerful example of what the EOI process is designed to do: support innovators in finding the right regulatory path, even when that path doesn’t run through the Sandbox. It reinforces the Council’s broader mission, advancing responsible innovation, strengthening interagency understanding, and ensuring that North Carolina remains a place where promising ideas can thrive.