NCInnovation’s leadership and staff, drawing from extensive expertise in higher education and the private sector, drive our mission to accelerate the commercialization of research breakthroughs.
Michelle Bolas
President and Chief Executive Officer
Michelle Bolas joins NCI after serving as Chief Innovation Officer at UNC Chapel Hill and Executive Director of Innovate Carolina, where she led the University’s innovation strategy. She brings 25 years of experience working with leaders in higher education, business, industry, and government to design and develop comprehensive environments that foster creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. For the past ten years, she also led UNC’s Innovation Roadmap, working closely with leaders, faculty, and students to imagine and implement new programs and initiatives that have significantly increased the impact of Carolina innovations. At NCInnovation, Michelle is responsible for developing and enhancing university partnerships and research commercialization activities. She works with partner universities across four regions of the state to optimize their applied research portfolios and support NCInnovation's efforts to commercialize research outputs.
Senior Director, Charlotte Regional Innovation Network
Ms. Bourne has master’s degrees in Higher Education Administration and Integrated Science and Technology. For over 18 years, she held senior leadership roles at James Madison University, first as Director of Technology Transfer and then as Director of Technology Innovation and Economic Development. Ms. Bourne also founded and led James Madison Innovations, a 501(c)(3) corporation to manage intellectual property. In those roles, Ms. Bourne supported commercialization efforts for James Madison University researchers. She also led initiatives to create a regional angel investor network and strengthen the community’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Ms. Bourne leads NCI’s work in the Charlotte region, anchored by UNC Charlotte.
Mrs. Coneybeer has more than 15 years of experience navigating complex research and innovation efforts for the University of North Carolina System, community colleges, and corporate partners. She holds a master’s degree in Horticulture Science from North Carolina State University. She most recently served as Director of Mentorship and Research for the North Carolina School of Science and Math’s western campus. Before that, she worked in the biosciences industry and academia. Ms. Coneybeer leads NCInnovation's work in the West region, anchored by West Carolina University.
Mr. Davis is an entrepreneur and advisor to startup companies with extensive experience in technology transfer and venture capital. Over the course of his career at UNC Wilmington, he held multiple roles within the technology transfer office and ultimately led the office, spearheading research commercialization and innovation initiatives. Additionally, he has expertise in later-stage funding, having directed a reputable accelerator program focused on highly scalable startups during his time in the venture capital industry.
Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer
Michelle Fiscus serves as the strategic lead for communications, marketing, and public relations at NCInnovation, where she oversees brand strategy, messaging, and stakeholder engagement. With 25 years of experience, she blends data-driven decision-making with the human element of storytelling to build meaningful connections and inspire action. She advises senior leadership on communication best practices, provides direction during crisis situations, and ensures consistent branding across all channels.
Fiscus has consulted with businesses across North Carolina for more than five years and brings a wide perspective from her work with public school districts, private education, and national marketing agencies. Her career began in media with Hearst Argyle, iHeart Media, and Cox Media, where she honed her ability to translate complex information into compelling narratives.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Wake Forest University and applies insights from Cognitive Neuroscience, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and Behavioral Economics to her leadership and communication strategies.
Elise Fisher earned her bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University and her master’s degree in public policy from Drexel University. She has a breadth of experience in managing projects both in the private sector and at national nonprofit organizations. After earning her master’s degree, Elise supported the world-renowned Penn Wharton Budget Model at the University of Pennsylvania. At NCInnovation, Elise is on the organization’s research programs team as the project manager.
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Ms. Hall is responsible for NCInnovation’s finance and accounting practices and performance, financial reporting and grant management, corporate development functions, and relationships with third-party investment manager(s). She is also responsible for NCInnovation’s human resources, information technology, facilities, and related vendor management. Ms. Hall, a licensed CPA with 30 years of experience in public and private sector accounting, led the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina’s finances, investments, and operations as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for 17 years.
Dr. LaKeya Hardy serves as the NC A&T Hub Director at NCInnovation, where she collaborates with research faculty and leadership across North Carolina’s public universities in the Piedmont Triangle and Triad regions to advance the commercialization of academic research. With a Ph.D. in Microbiology & Immunology, Dr. Hardy brings extensive experience in securing, managing, and leveraging federal and foundation grants to support research translation, educational programming, and workforce development. She has successfully led multi-million dollar grant procurement efforts, including NIH R25 awards and foundation partnerships, while designing and managing complex training and professional development programs for scientists at all career stages. A published researcher and experienced program director, Dr. Hardy is passionate about building sustainable innovation pipelines that connect scientific discovery with real-world impact, while fostering inclusive access to STEM careers.
A native North Carolinian, Carly earned her bachelor’s degree from UNC-Chapel Hill, studying organizational development and information systems, and her master’s degree in Commerce from the University of Virginia. Carly has worked with companies large and small on brand management, marketing, and advertising campaigns. She’s an entrepreneur herself, co-founding a North Carolina-based business. As Director of Programs and Strategic Initiatives at NCI, Carly provides day-to-day project and program management to optimize the organization’s performance. With a hand in everything from policymaking to strategic planning to operations, Carly is the team’s utility player, making sure the trains run on time. Carly enjoys traveling and spending time with animals at Chatham Animal Rescue & Education, where she helps oversee foster placement.
Elizabeth brings two decades of accounting experience to her role as Senior Accountant. Before joining NCInnovation, Elizabeth built her accounting career in the Washington, DC metro area, supporting organizations across nonprofit, education, government contracting, and corporate environments. A native North Carolinian, Elizabeth earned a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from Wake Forest University.
Dr. Hopper holds a PhD from Duke University in bioanalytical chemistry and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from UNC-Chapel Hill. She served as Director for Programs and Grants at the Institute for Convergent Science at UNC-Chapel Hill in her immediate past role, where she helped plan and establish the institute, assembled research teams, and developed proposals to secure funding for research, innovation, and other programs. Before that, Dr. Hopper held a variety of roles in higher education research administration, program development, and graduate education, including serving as Research Director for the UNC System. Dr. Hopper leads NCInnovation’s Statewide Innovation Grant program and directs the design and oversight of the organization’s internal and external research efforts.
Sean Johnson brings more than 15 years of experience in graphic design, marketing, brand development, video production, and web to his role as Communications Field Manager at NCInnovation. His career has spanned higher education, financial services, and the private sector — building campaigns, shaping visual identities, and producing content across print, digital, social, and video. Equally at home behind the camera as behind the keyboard, he has spent his career finding the most compelling way to tell every story. As a freelancer, he has served clients across media, healthcare, real estate, engineering, and higher education.
At NCInnovation, Sean oversees communications and marketing efforts, including content creation, video production, brand strategy, and web — helping bring to life the stories of applied research, innovation, and regional economic development emerging from across the UNC System. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Mass Communications with a concentration in Visual Communications and Media Arts from the University of South Carolina.
Mr. Judge has over 20 years of experience in economic development, entrepreneurship, technology transfer, strategic management, and workforce development. He holds an MBA and Six Sigma Black Belt from Winston-Salem State University and, most recently, led the Division of Business and Industry as the Associate Vice President of Corporate Education and Economic Development at Alamance Community College. Before that, Mr. Judge spent 13 years as a Senior Licensing Associate and Director of Outreach and Technology Transfer at N.C. A&T State University. Mr. Judge leads NCI’s work in the Piedmont region, anchored by N.C. A&T State University.
Robin Murchison has extensive experience supporting senior leadership teams and nonprofit boards, with a particular strength for the systems, structures, and relationships that allow mission-driven organizations to move from vision to impact. She most recently served as Chief of Staff at The Redwoods Group, where she oversaw a broad portfolio of strategic and operational initiatives. Robin’s nonprofit governance experience includes her current service as board chair of Schoolhouse of Wonder and serving as a founding board member for the Safe & Healthy Children's Coalition of Collier County.
Dr. Paullin brings more than 15 years of experience in research commercialization and translational science to her role as Regional Entrepreneur-in-Residence for Eastern North Carolina. She earned her Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of South Florida and her B.A. in Biology and Chemistry from Minot State University.
She founded Free to Feed, Inc. after her own children were hospitalized due to severe food allergies and the healthcare system offered no tools or clear answers. She raised over $3 million in grant and investor funding, built the first at-home breast milk allergen detection system, and secured a U.S. patent for detecting dietary proteins in human milk. That work placed her among the pioneers of maternal-infant health innovation.
Dr. Paullin also serves as Chief Science Officer and co-founder at Nova Vita Laboratories and Restore Biologics, where she leads research in peptide therapeutics and regenerative medicine. She has filed multiple patents and published peer-reviewed research spanning proteomics, clinical trials, and wound healing science.
While her scientific career took shape, Dr. Paullin served more than 20 years in the U.S. Army National Guard, including a combat deployment to Iraq. She is a Pat Tillman Scholar and a Stanford Hoover Institution Veteran Fellow. At NCInnovation, she evaluates university technologies for commercialization and coaches research faculty across five Eastern North Carolina institutions.
Regional Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR), Charlotte
Paula Pingel, MS, MBA, leverages three decades of global expertise in business development, strategic planning, commercialization, marketing, and operations. She excels in launching products, services, and startups while crafting innovative strategies for both for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Her diverse experience spans industries such as healthcare, energy, digital imaging, technology, pharmaceuticals, and consumer products across regions including the U.S., Canada, Japan, China, the UK, Southern Ireland, and South America. With expertise across fourteen functional areas, Paula delivers impactful solutions that drive growth and innovation.
Paula holds an Executive MBA and an MS in Industrial Hygiene/Toxicology from the University of Rochester, and a BS in Pre-Medicine from St. John Fisher University.
Frank Pollock is the Piedmont Region Entrepreneur in Residence for NC Innovation, where he works with public universities from NC State University to Winston-Salem State University to help faculty and researchers prepare promising technologies for commercialization. In this role, he supports university innovators as they evaluate market opportunities, strengthen grant applications, connect with industry partners, and move early-stage ideas toward real-world impact.
Frank brings a combination of startup, corporate, higher education, and venture experience to the role. He has served as CMO for two venture-backed technology companies, Home Lending Pal and BlueRecruit, and has advised founders and growth-stage companies on marketing strategy, product positioning, customer discovery, and go-to-market execution. Earlier in his career, he held marketing roles with companies including Frito-Lay, General Mills, and Colgate-Palmolive, and later worked with leading technology and marketing organizations, including Marketo.
In addition to his work with startups and emerging technologies, Frank has a long-standing commitment to entrepreneurship education and founder development. He has taught and mentored aspiring entrepreneurs through Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship, facilitated CEO peer groups with Bunker Labs, and supported early-stage founders across North Carolina’s innovation ecosystem. He holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and is passionate about helping university-born innovation become fundable, scalable, and useful in the world.
Erica Shrader has nearly two decades of experience in public policy, economic development, and partnership engagement. Since 2011, Ms. Shrader has worked for the Office of President Pro Tempore Phil Berger in multiple roles, including Senior Policy Advisor, Chief Budget Advisor, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, and Director of Strategic Initiatives, where she helped develop some of North Carolina’s most impactful policy measures. Before that, Ms. Shrader worked on Capitol Hill as Senior Legislative Assistant for Congresswoman Virginia Foxx.
Ms. Stowe oversees NCInnovation’s grant management operations, ensuring the organization properly tracks grant performance and timelines. She earned a bachelor’s degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in higher education administration from NC State University. Ms. Stowe has worked in higher education for more than a decade, most recently serving as a business analyst at Northwestern University.
As Grants Administration Manager, Tiffanie ensures compliance, maintains documentation, and oversees the execution of funding agreements and amendments across the organization’s grants portfolio. She manages reporting requirements and works closely with internal teams and external partners on the execution and oversight of awarded grants to ensure alignment with program standards, and NCI’s policies and procedures. Tiffanie has more than 15 years of experience managing grants across nonprofit and public sectors, with experience managing public funds for state, federal, and foreign governments, as well as private endowment funds. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from The Ohio State University and a master’s degree in Environmental Anthropology from the University of Kent, UK.
Mr. Walsh has nearly a decade of experience as an accountant in the financial services, commercial insurance, and nonprofit industries. Before joining NCInnovation, he was a senior accountant at the Research Triangle Foundation, overseeing property accounting, financial reporting, and audit support. At NCInnovation, Shane maintains the organization’s accounting systems, financial controls, budgeting, and other key business functions.
Mr. Welch, who holds a master’s degree in public administration and is currently working on his doctoral dissertation, has spent nearly two decades in leadership roles in higher education and state government. Mr. Welch previously served as the Senior Director of Business Strategy at Central New Mexico Community College, where he led the implementation of strategic initiatives focused on bridging the divide between academia and the workforce. He later served as Chief of Staff at the New Mexico Higher Education Department. After relocating to North Carolina, Mr. Welch served as Program Director at an award-winning economic development and startup accelerator at ECU and, most recently, led the North Carolina Senate’s oversight activities as the Senate Majority Staff Director. Mr. Welch leads NCI’s work in the East region, anchored by ECU.
Dr. Wyrick has spent much of his accomplished career at UNC Greensboro, where he most recently served as Chief Innovation Officer. Dr Wyrick has deep experience in applied research and innovation, and he’s a national leader in public health education, specifically the development and optimization of behavioral interventions. He has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications and has been a principal investigator on dozens of applied research projects spanning eight countries. At NCInnovation, Dr. Wyrick grows university partnerships, oversees faculty outreach, and strengthens NCInnovation’s regional ecosystem support for university technologies.
Kym leverages her expertise and passion for empowering organizations with sustainable and qualitative strategies that increase their impact and reach. With over 20 years of experience, Kym has partnered with startups, privately held and publicly traded companies, and nonprofit organizations - building and scaling high-growth ventures, enhancing engagement, developing and leading high-performing teams, and driving long-term partnerships and revenue growth.
Kym’s global health and wellness industry work includes enhancing international brand presence for Nordic Naturals and Genova Diagnostics, where she drove operational efficiency through localized marketing strategies, refined logistics, and consultative customer engagement tailored to diverse international audiences. Her passion for building and leveraging brands originated in the creation of tailored advertising and integrated sponsorship opportunities, partnership marketing initiatives, and co-branded events for Viacom during the fusion of MTV/MTV2.
Kym is drawn to organizations and leadership teams that care deeply about what they are building and are committed to optimizing how they are building it. At NCInnovation, Kym supports economic growth and market-ready innovation across the West region, building strategic partnerships, advancing product development, and providing actionable guidance supporting pipeline development and project commercialization.
