Last Friday, November 21st, First Flight Venture Center held its annual High Flyer Awards Luncheon at the Prestonwood Country Club in Cary.
Designed to honor and celebrate the people and companies that have “contributed to high science, deep tech, high impact, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem as a whole,” the event specifically revolved around updates on innovation success stories in North Carolina and the presentation of two awards and a scholarship.
Following a networking period during which attendees could also visit sponsor and startup exhibition tables, First Flight President and CEO Krista Covey took to the podium for welcome remarks. She then handed the mic off to Mary Musacchia, Chair of the Board of Directors at First Flight, for the announcement of the High Flyer Champion of Innovation Award.
Musacchia took the opportunity to give a heartfelt tribute to Dr. Charles Hamner, who won the same award in 2024 and passed away in July of this year. (At this stage attendees also had the opportunity to donate to a scholarship fund in Dr. Hamner’s name.) Musacchia then delivered the 2025 award to Elaine Bolle, Founder and Board Member at RTP Angel Fund.
“New businesses create the vast majority of new jobs in this country, and [that] is our strength [in this ecosystem],” Bolle said after accepting the award.
Celebrating innovation success
After a few thanks to sponsors delivered by Krista Covey, North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall was introduced as the luncheon’s keynote speaker (fresh off a speaking engagement at NC IDEA’s Ecosystem Summit earlier in the week).
Secretary Marshall talked through some of the recent history of innovation in North Carolina, highlighting job creation, excitement, and aspirations for more. She equated the two-million-plus jobs created since she took office to so many dreams, and mused—in the spirit of First Flight’s name inspiration—that we should be no less innovative or ambitious than Wilbur and Orville Wright were when they flew over the sand dunes at Kitty Hawk.
Following the keynote address, Krista Covey returned to the podium to discuss First Flight’s statewide impact in greater detail. She spoke to the success of resident companies and others around North Carolina, as well as those that count themselves as alumni of the First Flight incubator—a group, she said, that now represents some $26 billion in market cap.
Covey also spoke about the soon-to-be-completed modernization of First Flight’s facilities with $10 million of assistance from the State of North Carolina (“pretty good ROI,” she noted, referring back to that $26B figure).
Finally, Covey also spent a few minutes discussing First Flight’s Wingspan program (a global soft-landing initiatve helping international startups establish themselves in North Carolina) and Propeller Early-Stage Pre-Accelerator (which has supported 23 cohorts and 166 teams to date).
“Our distinct programs meet founders wherever they are on their entrepreneurial journey,” she said.
There was then a brief interlude to recognize one of the early recipients of scholarship funds in the name of Dr. Charles Hamner. Dr. Hamner’s daughter, E. Diana Inman, was present to speak about the importance of this scholarship support before recognizing Tessefi Medical Solutions Founder and CEO Meme Keelan, DNP as the scholarship recipient.
Dr. Keelan expressed that while she had had a scientific foundation for her business, it was First Flight’s support that helped her navigate the startup ecosystem. “First Flight has been instrumental in changing the trajectory of my company,” she stated, before powerfully vowing that when she has an opportunity to “pay it forward,” her first stop in doing so will be at First Flight.
2025 High Flyer Award
The luncheon wrapped up with Krista Covey back at the podium to introduce three finalists for the 2025 High Flyer Award. Each of these companies—Windlift, NALA Membranes, and GreenLight Biosciences—was showcased via pre-recorded videos showing founder interviews and demonstrating technologies.
And to wrap things up, after a tabletop drumroll rumbled through the considerable crowd at Prestonwood, GreenLight Biosciences won the award, with Chief Commercial Officer and General Manager Mark Singleton on hand to collect.
Congratulations to GreenLight Biosciences, the whole crop of finalists, and all of the other people and companies celebrated at this ceremony.
If you missed the occasion or just want to relive it, take a look at some of our photos below.
