NCBiotech Summit Speakers

As CEO and co-founder of Neuradaptive, Aaron leads a brilliant team developing the world’s first AI-native brain interface that catalyzes neuroplasticity to help the brain heal itself and recover lost function. By stimulating deep in the brain and rewiring neural circuitry, Neuradaptive’s breakthrough technology aims to restore sight to the blind, help stroke survivors reclaim their ability to speak, and improve the lives of people living with memory disorders and severe neuropsychiatric conditions. Aaron’s passion and mission is to help create a world where all people can thrive and live long, healthy, and fulfilling lives. 

Dr. Anthony Atala is the G. Link Professor and Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine and a practicing urologic surgeon at the Wake Forest School of Medicine. His research led to the first tissue-engineered organ for permanent implantation in a human, the discovery of a novel highly multipotent source of stem cells derived from amniotic fluid and placenta that are being used clinically, the advancement of 3D printing strategies for manufacturing tissues and organs, and the use of regenerative medicine strategies to create organoid and body-on-a-chip technologies currently being applied for patient related indications. Seventeen applications of technologies developed in Dr. Atala's laboratory have been used clinically in various surgical specialty areas, including general surgery, gynecology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, plastic surgery and urology. 

Dr. Atala was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences (now the National Academy of Medicine), to the National Academy of Inventors as a Charter Fellow, and to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. Dr. Atala is a recipient of the US Congress-funded Christopher Columbus Foundation Award, bestowed on a living American who is currently working on a discovery that will significantly affect society; the World Technology Award in Health and Medicine, for achieving significant and lasting progress; the Edison Science/Medical Award; the Fast Company World Changing Ideas Award, the R&D Innovator of the Year Award, and the Smithsonian Ingenuity Award. Dr. Atala’s work was listed twice as Time Magazine’s top 10 medical breakthroughs of the year, and as one of 5 discoveries that will change the future of organ transplants. Dr. Atala’s work was ranked in 2019 by the Project Management Institute as one of the top 10 most impactful biotech projects from the past 50 years. Dr. Atala was named by Scientific American as one of the world’s most Influential people in biotechnology, by U.S. News & World Report, as one of 14 Pioneers of Medical Progress in the 21st Century, by Life Sciences Intellectual Property Review, is one of 50 key influencers in the life sciences intellectual property arena, and by Nature Biotechnology as one of the top 10
translational researchers in the world.
 

Dr. Bojan Cukic is a Professor and Dean of the College of Computing and Informatics at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  The College dedicates significant research capacity to bioinformatics and genomics, AI for health and health analytics programs. Student success initiatives in the College of Computing and Informatics are the foundation for graduating one of the largest classes of computing professionals in the country, providing Dr. Cukic with unique insights into workforce needs for North Carolina, including its thriving technology and life sciences sectors.   

Dr. Matthews is Professor and Chair of Surgery at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Surgeon-in-Chief for Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center.  He serves as the Enterprise Senior Vice President for the Surgery Care Division of Advocate Health Southeast Region and Executive Director of the Atrium Health Center for Digestive Health and Surgery.

Dr. Matthews is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Past President of the Americas Hernia Society, and a member of the American Surgical Association and Southern Surgical Association. He is a Founding Member of ERAS Society, USA Chapter. Dr. Matthews is a Director of the General Surgery Board of the American Board of Surgery and serves as Chair of the Qualify Examination Committee.  He serves as President and on the Executive Committee for the Board of Directors for the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) and President-elect for the Fellowship Council, respectively. Recently, he co-led the creation of IRCAD North America, a partnership with IRCAD France in Strasbourg, located in the Innovation District (The Pearl) in Charlotte, North Carolina.  He has been appointed Chair of the Scientific Committee for IRCAD North America.

Dr. Matthews received the SAGES Young Investigators Award in 2003 and the Inaugural SAGES Excellence in Medical Leadership Award in 2011.  Dr. Matthews has received 7 faculty teaching awards. He has authored or co-authored 215 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 411 scientific abstracts, and 25 book chapters. He has an h-index of 69 and an i10-index of 182. His clinical and basic research has focused on biomaterials for abdominal wall reconstruction, connective tissue response to hernia repair and clinical outcomes and quality improvements in foregut, hernia, and emergency general surgery. Dr. Matthews has been funded by the National Institute of Health.  

Dr. Matthews is co-founder of Surgical Outreach for the Americas, a nonprofit organization that provides global surgical services in developing countries of Central America. Surgical Outreach for the Americas has completed 26 global surgery trips and performed more than 2,100 operations in partnership with Hospital Santo Hermano Pedro in Catacamas, Honduras, Hospital Maternidad La Divina Providencia in Santiago Texacuangos, El Salvador, ILAC in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, and Punta Gorda Hospital in Punta Gorda, Belize. 

Carl Rees, is an experienced economic development professional with a focus on driving growth and innovation. He currently leads the ElectriCities of NC economic development team, leveraging his expertise to attract businesses and foster entrepreneurship throughout North Carolina. Prior to his role at ElectriCities, Carl held leadership positions in economic development for the City of Greenville, where he spearheaded initiatives for business recruitment, expansion, and small business support. His dedication to community development is evident through his work on various projects, including affordable housing development and hurricane recovery efforts. Carl holds a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) credential from the International Economic Development Council and is a proud graduate of East Carolina University. 

Carrie DiMarzio has dedicated her career to advancing science and engineering through transformative leadership. A co-inventor on multiple patents and co-author of various research papers, she combines technical expertise with visionary leadership to drive innovation in organ preservation and transplantation. She currently serves as CEO of BMI OrganBank®, where she leads a multidisciplinary team pioneering technologies in organ perfusion and preservation to improve transplantation outcomes and enable cutting-edge ex vivo research—efforts with the potential to save thousands of lives.

Under DiMarzio’s leadership, BMI OrganBank has established key partnerships with leading institutions including the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Duke Ex-Vivo Organ Laboratory (DEVOL), the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and the RegenMed Development Organization (ReMDO), where she also serves on the Executive Leadership Council Board. Additional strategic collaborations include Atrium Health’s Division of Abdominal Transplant, the University of North Carolina (UNC), and the Regenerative Medicine Engine in North Carolina, a program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Before joining BMI OrganBank, DiMarzio served as CEO of Industrial Hard Carbon LLC (IHC), a precision engineering company supporting the biomedical, aerospace, and automotive industries with advanced surface coating technologies. Her experience at IHC—leading technical teams, overseeing quality systems, and cultivating strategic partnerships—laid a strong foundation for her work in biomedical innovation.

Chris Rivera serves as Vice President of Business & Workforce Solutions at South Piedmont Community College, overseeing programs such as Apprenticeship, Work-Based Learning, Corporate Education, College and Career Readiness and more. He is committed to fostering strong relationships with local businesses and industry partners throughout the region. In his role, Chris develops innovative solutions and strategic partnerships that support both students and employers, keeping the College at the forefront of workforce development. His efforts have led to transformative opportunities, significantly impacting the local economy.

Chris emphasizes the importance of growing collaborations and synchronizing services to better serve both students and employers. By focusing on enhancing access to high-wage, in-demand jobs, he ensures that students are equipped with the skills needed for the evolving job market. His leadership has been instrumental in shaping the College’s approach to business solutions, driving innovation in workforce development. As a result, South Piedmont Community College has solidified its reputation as a key player in regional economic growth. 

As the Vice President of Technology, Chris Steadham leads the company’s technology and engineering implementation. Chris is an experienced medical device professional with 25+ years of international cross-functional leadership in Research and Development, Operations, and General Management of Class II and Class III products. A unique background of sales, engineering, and manufacturing leadership skills with a proven record of successful product development through commercialization, sales, EBITA growth, facility expansion/acquisition, and regulatory compliance. Chris has a double major in Mechanical Engineering and Physics from Vanderbilt University. 

The thread that runs through Craig Scharton’s career is building communities to support entrepreneurs. He has done this as a 3X entrepreneur, a city economic development director, the CEO of an internationally recognized business incubator, an entrepreneurship professor, and an elected official.

Craig’s goal is to connect entrepreneurs with resources to help them grow and ultimately to have the surrounding community benefit from their success. 

Dennis serves as Senior Vice President, Market Executive for Wexford. In his role, he is responsible for delivering and executing projects in partnership with research universities, health systems, and industry, resulting in place-making mixed-use Knowledge Communities, with a primary focus on The Pearl in Charlotte and the Innovation Quarter in Winston-Salem. He previously held responsibilities for pre-development activities at the Phoenix Bioscience Core in Phoenix.  

He brings 38 years of combined experience in commercial banking, real estate financing, and development. Before joining Wexford, he was Senior Vice President of Development at East Baltimore Development with responsibility for planning and developing an 88-acre mixed-used Bio Lab, residential and amenity rich community next to Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Previously, he was Vice President and General Manager of Columbia, Maryland and the Maryland Mixed-Use Master Planned Communities for The Rouse Company and General Growth Properties with responsibility for entitlements, development and P/L performance, and prior was a commercial/real estate banker for 13 years. 

Eugene A. Woods, MBA, MHA, FACHE, is Chief Executive Officer of Advocate Health, the nation’s third largest nonprofit integrated health system. Woods has made expanding access, enhancing affordability, achieving clinical excellence, and driving leading-edge innovation the centerpieces of Advocate Health’s strategy. To drive future breakthroughs, Woods is leading the development of The Pearl, a medical innovation district opened in Charlotte in Summer 2025 that focuses on advanced medical technology, artificial intelligence, and robotics, and includes the city’s first four-year medical school – Wake Forest University School of Medicine Charlotte. Before the combination in 2022 with Advocate Aurora Health, Woods served as president and CEO of Atrium Health from 2016 to 2022, steering the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic while Atrium earned national recognition for clinical quality, inclusion on multiple Forbes “Best Employers” lists, and top rankings by U.S. News & World Report. 

Woods holds a bachelor’s degree in health planning and administration, as well as MBA and MHA degrees, from The Pennsylvania State University, and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Woods’ leadership has been acknowledged with nine appearances on Modern Healthcare’s “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare,” including achieving Luminary status for his accomplishments in health care accessibility, Becker’s “Great Leaders in Healthcare,” and more. Drawing on more than three decades of experience, Woods is focused on shaping a future to improve health, elevate hope, and advance healing FOR ALL – one patient and community at a time.

Gretchen Carson joined the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance as Director of Business Recruitment in August 2021. Gretchen’s role focuses on lead generation and marketing of the Charlotte Region, which is composed of the City of Charlotte and fourteen counties located in both North Carolina and South Carolina. Since joining the CLT Alliance, Gretchen has been involved in numerous office-related and manufacturing projects considering the Charlotte Region and played a vital role in supporting the Atlantic Coast Conference’s relocation to Charlotte.  

Prior to joining the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, Gretchen served as Existing Industry Program Manager for Mecklenburg County’s Office of Economic Development for over 3 years. Gretchen was tapped to build and develop the county’s first retention program for business and industry, targeting over 220 manufacturers. During program leadership, she secured significant cost savings for industries through energy rebates, customized training grants connected to the local community college and workforce development grants. Additionally, under Gretchen, the Existing Industry Program leveraged local incentives for the retention of businesses in the community, generating over $100 million in capital investment and yielding the creation and retention of ~500 jobs. Before supporting Mecklenburg County, Gretchen spent 5 years focusing on existing industry retention and nearly a year as a project manager for business attraction in Union County.  

Dr. Hill is an accomplished community college administrator and instructor with experience in instructional program management - both curriculum and continuing education, budget management, institutional effectiveness practices, scholarly research, accreditation assurance, strategic planning, student success and support initiatives, community service initiatives, human resources, policy-making and implementation, and grants administration.  She has worked with governing boards and business, industry and community partners.

She earned her doctorate in education, with a concentration in teaching and learning, graduating with distinction, at Liberty University. She holds a Master of Arts degree in mathematics education from UNC Charlotte.  She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics, graduating Magna Cum Laude, from Pfeiffer University.

Dr. Hill is an accomplished community college administrator and educator with experience presenting locally, regionally, and nationally.  She is a lifelong learner committed to the mission of the North Carolina Community College System to meet students where they are and take them as far as they can go. 

Heather McWhorter is a systems-thinking leader dedicated to empowering individuals and communities through entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainability. As Director of the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), she leads initiatives that connect academia, industry, and community to grow southeastern North Carolina into a vibrant hub of impact-driven innovation.

Under her leadership, CIE has become a catalyst for high-impact startups and blue economy solutions, offering programs such as the Idea Test Lab and the Ocean Innovation Conference, and launching innovations like the UNC Wilmington Blue Economy Index—the first global tool to track growth and impact in the sector.

Heather brings decades of experience in entrepreneurial ecosystem building, including leadership roles at Penn State and the UNCW Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC). She currently serves in advisory and governance roles across North Carolina, including as a Board Director with NC IDEA, Vice Chair of the Leland Economic Development Committee, and Southeastern North Carolina Biotechnology Advisory Committee Member.

With degrees in chemical, energy, and environmental engineering from Penn State, Heather blends technical expertise with strategic vision. Her work focuses on sustainable entrepreneurship, research commercialization, and inclusive economic development.

She believes thriving entrepreneurial communities create more than businesses—they create opportunity, resilience, and lasting impact. 

Hillary Crittendon joined Atrium Health in early 2021 and serves as Head of Operations and Strategy for The Pearl, Charlotte’s innovation district. Prior to joining Atrium Health, Hillary was the Director of the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council, a 30-member CEO council based in Charlotte which is focused on influencing economic mobility, policy and economic development solutions for the region. She joined the CELC via McKinsey, where she served as a consultant in various capacities over nearly 5 years.  

Hillary holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in French from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a master’s in business administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She has experience in investment banking, having served as an analyst at Credit Suisse, and in financial fundraising in the private equity and hedge fund industries. She also co-founded TheBrandshop, a startup marketing and consultancy focused on supporting growth of high-end female-owned retail and lifestyle brands.  

Hillary serves on the Advisory Board for the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System’s Career and Technical Education Program and on the Auxiliary of the Mint Museum.  

With more than 25 years of service in North Carolina’s community college system, Dr. Jami Woods brings a blend of experience, vision, and heart to her role as President of Wilson Community College. Since taking the helm in June 2023, Dr. Woods has fostered a campus-wide culture of listening, collaboration, and innovation—launching Wilson into a dynamic new chapter. Dr. Woods began her career in 1995 as an adjunct instructor and transitioned to full-time teaching in 1998. Her leadership trajectory includes key roles such as Developmental Chairperson, Dean of Arts and Sciences, and Chief Academic Officer. 

Before joining Wilson, Dr. Woods served as Vice President of Instruction and Student Services at both Roanoke-Chowan Community College and Surry Community College. She holds a BA in English from UNC, an MA in English from Appalachian State University, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in adult and higher education from UNC Greensboro. Under Dr. Woods’ leadership, Wilson Community College surpassed 2,000 curriculum students for the 2024–2025 academic year—marking its largest enrollment in over a decade. During her tenure the college has secured historic funding, including a $30 million appropriation from the North Carolina General Assembly and a $13 million grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation to establish the Biologics Education and Skills Training (BEST) Center. This cutting-edge facility is being developed in collaboration with leading educators and industry partners and will serve as a regional hub for workforce development in the life sciences sector.

Jill Frazee is the Senior Director of Packaging Operations at Eli Lilly and Company’s Research Triangle Park site, where she leads the strategic deployment and operation of advanced packaging assets that help bring critical medicines to patients around the world. With more than 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing, compliance, and leadership, Jill has built a reputation for accelerating readiness, scaling operations, and navigating the complexities of highly regulated environments with confidence and creativity.

Throughout her career, Jill has led teams across manufacturing, information technology, and consulting – always with a focus on driving growth, strengthening compliance, and building high-performing teams. Her expertise spans pharmaceutical packaging, validation, and quality assurance but what truly sets her apart is her passion for collaboration and her ability to turn challenges into opportunities.

Whether she’s guiding teams through complex technical projects or inspiring colleagues to think bigger, Jill brings energy, clarity, and a people-first mindset to her work. She is dedicated to creating environments where innovation thrives and results follow – and she does it with a spirit of curiosity, resilience, and humor.

Dr. Ken Russell is an award-winning technologist and educator, a trusted digital transformation leader, and an innovation amplifier. He is an author, speaker, and board member known for helping organizations define and pursue their transformation journeys with guiding experience, connections, conversations, and collaborations.  
 
As the inaugural Dean of the School of Business & Innovation (SBI) at Barton College, Dr. Russell guides programs in Business Administration, Accounting, Sport Management, Healthcare Administration, and a Master of Business Administration in Strategic Leadership. In this role, he works closely with faculty and staff to deliver new academic and certificate programs (including Analytics, AI, and Thoughtful Leadership), that serve Wilson, eastern North Carolina, and beyond while advancing the mission of Barton College. 

As Executive Director at the Division of Research, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Laura Peter works with leaders across the university to provide visionary and strategic leadership for UNC Charlotte’s innovation, corporate research and technology commercialization activities. Prior to her arrival at UNC Charlotte, Ms. Peter served as the Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This includes oversight for the USPTO Regional Offices, managing 13,000 employees, and executing the policies, priorities and programs for an annual budget of $3.5 billion. Earlier in her career, for over 25 years, she practiced law in leadership roles as in-house counsel and in law firms in the high technology industry. Ms. Peter received a B.S. from Cornell University A.M. from the University of Chicago, JD from Santa Clara University, and LL.M. from King's College, University of London. 

Leslie Isenhour is the Dean of the Biotechnologies Division and NC BioNetwork Capstone Center at Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, North Carolina. She oversees degrees in biotechnology with manufacturing and laboratory programs, non-degree courses such as BioWork, four high school programs and industry training efforts at the Capstone Center, a simulated biomanufacturing facility on NC State’s Centennial Campus. She has garnered industry support of programs and manages multiple grants to facilitate faculty professional development and curriculum enhancements totaling over $6million. She is currently overseeing the development of a 10,000sq ft biopharmaceutical simulated work environment (biopharma SWE) located at the newest Eastern Wake campus. Previous roles include Department Chair of Biotechnology at Johnston Community College and training coordinator and engineer at Pfizer. Isenhour holds a master’s degree in technology management from East Carolina University and a bachelor’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences from Campbell University.   

Manny Niebla is the Senior Vice President, Head of Marketing, Sales Operations & Communications at Siemens Healthineers, where he oversees North American marketing, communications, sales support, and the Networked Care Organization. With extensive experience in sales leadership and strategic marketing, Manny leverages advanced digital tools to drive innovation and create transformative customer experiences, enhancing engagement and market influence.

In his current role, Manny leads marketing strategy, brand management, corporate communications, and sales process optimization. Under his leadership, his teams have launched successful campaigns emphasizing innovation, sustainability, and customer-centric healthcare solutions. His focus on streamlining sales operations has further improved efficiency and customer engagement across Siemens Healthineers’ business areas.

A long-time leader at Siemens Healthineers, Manny has held multiple commercial-focused executive roles, including General Manager for the Southeast in Diagnostic Imaging, where he drove consistent growth across all business lines, and as leader of the U.S. Lab Diagnostics commercial sales team. Beyond his professional achievements, Manny is an advocate for diversity and inclusion, mentoring young professionals and co-vice-chairing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts for Siemens Healthineers in the Americas. His commitment to social responsibility reflects his belief in the power of technology to create a positive societal impact.

Manny holds a B.S. in Psychology and a Master’s in Public Health from Tulane University. He is fluent in English and Spanish. 

Mark Jerrell serves as chair of the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners and represents District 4, which comprises the eastern part of Mecklenburg County. He was first elected as commissioner in 2018. Mark is actively engaged in the community and is focused on efforts to support social justice, equity and improving the lives of all people in Mecklenburg County.

Mark is committed to building bridges and breaking down barriers and ensuring that resources are accessible for our most vulnerable residents. Mark is passionate about issues of equity, education, affordable housing, access to social services, environment, social and environmental justice, connectivity, parks and open space, and ensuring that we have relevant programming for all residents. He is also focused on ensuring that minority-owned businesses, seniors, working families and students have the opportunity and resources needed to experience a high quality of life.  Although serving in his first elected office, he is not new to civic and political engagement and has been instrumental in managing or consulting for candidates and elected officials to include, including judicial, city council, county commission and congressional candidates. Mark is an entrepreneur and a proud veteran, having served in the United States Army Reserve. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in political science as well as an MBA.  

Rasu B. Shrestha, M.D., MBA, is enterprise executive vice president & chief innovation and commercialization officer for Advocate Health, one of the largest non-profit and leading academic health systems in the United States. As a member of the executive leadership team, Dr. Shrestha is responsible for Advocate Health’s enterprise innovation portfolio, including strategic industry partnerships, and Advocate Health’s strategic investment fund. In addition, he spearheads a renewed focus on commercialization, launching new healthcare inventions, discoveries and ideas to benefit our patients and the communities Advocate Health serves, and beyond.  

Dr. Shrestha was previously with UPMC, where he led the payor-provider organization’s innovation and strategy, and built the industry’s largest and most successful innovation, commercialization and venture capital engine. In addition to leading innovation at UPMC, Dr. Shrestha also served as executive vice president of UPMC Enterprises. Among his many achievements, Shrestha was recognized as “Executive of the Year” by Healthcare Dive and was acknowledged as one of the “Top 20 Health IT Leaders Driving Change” and as a “Top Healthcare Innovator” by InformationWeek. Shrestha was the youngest student in his college in Malaysia and holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from CCS University in India. He has received training in radiology and has held a fellowship in informatics at the University of London. Shrestha also holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. 

Dr. Richard Cox, Jr. serves as the STEM Coordinator at The Pearl, Charlotte’s innovation district and home to Wake Forest University School of Medicine-Charlotte. In this role, he leads the design and execution of hands-on, industry-informed programming that connects learners to emerging careers in life sciences, medtech, diagnostics, and healthcare innovation.

Dr. Cox also supports enterprise-wide STEM and workforce development efforts across Advocate Health’s innovation ecosystems, helping shape integrated and work-based learning experiences that align with strategic talent and economic mobility priorities. His work spans Charlotte and the broader region, supporting school districts and communities across North and South Carolina through scalable, place-based programming and cross-sector partnerships.

With more than 15 years of experience across K–12 and higher education, Dr. Cox plays a key role in aligning education, community, and industry stakeholders to create student-centered pathways into high-demand fields. His efforts have helped secure major investments to expand STEM access, including multi-year initiatives supporting teacher development, curriculum innovation, and large-scale student engagement.

He is the co-author of Sparking Innovation in Children Through STEM Exploration and a recognized leader in equitable, experiential education. Dr. Cox holds a PhD in Education and Social Change, with research focused on imaginative learning, STEM career pathways, and workforce readiness. He also serves on the board of the Dottie Rose Foundation, which empowers girls in technology through innovative education programs. 

Shahid “Sha” Rana, CEcD became economic development director for the City of Charlotte in June 2025 after a competitive national search. In this role, Rana focuses on implementing strategies to enhance the overall economic vitality, including equal business growth, attracting and retaining business, fostering job creation and driving investment in local communities. Rana and his team work closely with other city departments to further key city priorities, including workforce development and business inclusion, to help ensure that all communities benefit from Charlotte being one of the fastest growing and most dynamic cities in the country.  

Rana has nearly two decades of experience, including small business and entrepreneurial support, business attraction and retention, and commercial and neighborhood planning and redevelopment. During his career, he has led successful business attraction and expansion efforts, including Subaru’s North American headquarters, Campbell’s Soup’s headquarters expansion, Siemens Energy, and Albemarle Corporation. He has also demonstrated success in supporting small and under-utilized businesses, including funding and capital coordination.  

From 2020-25, Rana worked in Mecklenburg County’s Office of Economic Development, most recently as the deputy economic development director. Previously, he held several leadership roles in economic and community development in Baltimore, Philadelphia and New Jersey. In 2024, he was named one of The Charlotte Business Journal’s 40 under 40. Rana earned a bachelor’s degree from Morgan State University, a master’s degree from the University of Maryland and holds graduate certificates from the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University. He is also a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) through the International Economic Development Council. 
 

Dr. Shan Yan is tenured Full Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at UNC Charlotte. Dr. Yan has initiated and directed the Charlotte Biology and Biotechnology (CBB) Exchange Group co-sponsored by North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBC) and UNC Charlotte since 2017. He is also a Program Leader of the Genome Integrity and Cancer Initiative (GICI) at UNC Charlotte. His research in genome integrity and cancer etiology has been published in top-tier peer-reviewed journal including PNAS, Nature Communications, Nucleic Acids Research, and Cancer Research, and has been continuously supported by external funding agencies including the NIH since 2012. His achievements in research and teaching have been recognized by several awards including the recipient of the 2023 Education Award from the Environmental Mutagenesis & Genomics Society (EMGS).

Solange Tricanowicz is a Business Recruitment Manager at the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, where she leads projects that foster job creation and investment throughout the state. The mission of EDPNC is to improve the economic wellbeing for all North Carolinians by recruiting new business, supporting existing employers, assisting companies with international trade, counseling small business and promoting North Carolina as a tourism destination.  Prior to her current role, Solange served as the Director for Corporate Engagement at UNC Charlotte, where she played a pivotal role in establishing and fortifying connections between the university and the business community.  

In addition to her professional endeavors, Solange has served as the Young Professionals Board Chair for the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance and served as a Ruth G. Shaw Leadership Program mentor at Central Piedmont Community College. Solange holds a Master of Science in Organizational Communication from Northeastern University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication & Spanish from The University of Tulsa. 

Terry L. Hales, Jr., MBA, is executive vice chief academic officer of administration and chief operating officer of the Health Sciences System at Advocate Health.  

In this role, Hales has overarching administrative (including strategic, operational and financial) responsibility for the collective of academics within and related to Advocate Health. In addition, Hales oversees the Advocate Health innovation districts, including Innovation Quarter in Winston-Salem and The Pearl in Charlotte.  

Hales received a BSBA in Accounting from Appalachian State University in 1991 and an MBA from Wake Forest University in 2000. Before coming to Wake Forest University School of Medicine, he held several accounting positions within both public accounting and industry.  

In 1996, Hales joined Wake Forest University School of Medicine as a senior financial planner. He accepted the position of assistant controller in March 1999 and was appointed assistant dean for finance in January 2001. Later that same year, and concurrent with the creation of Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Hales was appointed vice president for financial planning and chief financial officer.  

In January 2010, with the formal integration of the North Carolina Baptist Hospital and Wake Forest University Health Sciences finance function, Hales was named vice chief financial officer of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, where he served through March 2014.  

Hales was named vice president of academic administration and operations in April 2014. He served in this capacity for a number of years before being promoted to senior vice president and executive vice dean of Wake Forest University School of Medicine. In 2022, Hales began his current role as executive vice CAO of administration Advocate Health and COO of the Health Sciences System.  

Hales has been married for 33 years and has 4 children.