TheRightOne, a fast-growing e-commerce company now headquartered in downtown Chapel Hill, is turning a common frustration—losing a single wireless earbud—into a scalable national business. Founded by Mitchell and Jillian Kinkeade, the company simplifies the process of replacing individual earbuds, offering affordable, convenient alternatives to purchasing full sets. What began as a side hustle rooted in Mitchell’s technical curiosity has evolved into a company that has served more than 700,000 customers and achieved 33% year-over-year growth.
After relocating from California to be closer to family, the founders evaluated several North Carolina cities before choosing Chapel Hill for its proximity to the University of North Carolina and its collaborative entrepreneurial environment. A key factor in that decision was Innovate Carolina’s Junction coworking hub, which offered a unique month-to-month lease model—providing the flexibility they needed to gradually transition operations across the country without committing to long-term space. Starting with a single office and expanding to three as the business grew, the Junction enabled TheRightOne to scale at its own pace.
Beyond flexibility, the Junction provided critical advantages that accelerated the company’s growth. The Kinkeades gained immediate access to a built-in network of professional services, including legal support to help transition the business from California, as well as connections to accountants, marketing partners and industry experts through office hours and events. The space also served as a gateway to talent, allowing the company to recruit UNC students and alumni with strong technical and analytical skills. Equally important was the sense of community—an environment where entrepreneurs, mentors and university partners were actively invested in helping the company succeed.
As demand increased—including surges like a 1,800-order day during the holidays—the company expanded into a 4,000-square-foot headquarters on West Franklin Street, just steps from the Junction, becoming one of the first companies to graduate from the space into a larger downtown footprint.
TheRightOne’s success is driven by deep technical expertise in refurbishing and pairing earbuds, rigorous quality control processes and a growing product mix that includes refurbished full sets and accessories from major brands. The company also appeals to environmentally conscious consumers by extending the life of electronic devices.
Now employing a growing team that includes UNC students and alumni, TheRightOne reflects the strength of Chapel Hill’s innovation ecosystem—where flexible spaces like the Junction, university resources and a highly connected community help startups launch, scale and remain rooted locally.
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