A pair of pen pushers.

• Position: Triangle - Brief article

In April 2010, after reading a magazine story about wooden pens, Cass Baltz went online to buy one but was disappointed with the selection. He began researching the process of making them and more than a year later partnered with Bart Creasman, now 29, a former soccer teammate at Davidson College, to start Raleigh-based Creasman and Baltz Inc., which does business as Baltz Fine Writing Instruments and sells pens through its website for $175 to $280. The duo generated startup capital by posting their idea on Kickstarter, a website that raises money through preorders from customers. They were hoping for $10,000 but doubled that. Their parents lent them an additional $60,000, allowing them to rent 750 square feet for their workshop and buy materials and equipment. Baltz, 27, won't disclose revenue, but the company recently added two full-time and two part-time employees.

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83 cents

What full-time women workers in North Carolina make in median annual earnings for every dollar...