durham inc.
BIZBRIEFS Compiled by Megan Tillotson
ON THE MOVE
Dr. Mark Velleca was named chief executive officer at StrideBio in February. Dr. Velleca joins the gene therapy company from the venture capital firm Hatteras Venture Partners. In his new role, Dr. Velleca will help StrideBio leverage novel capsid technology and manufacturing capabilities into clinic settings where it can benefit patients. Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions announced an expansion of its ELERA unified commerce platform aimed at accelerating retail technology. “ELERA is a game changer that spells the end of [retailer’s] technology debt and provides a modular foundation that frees them to transform their business at a speed that was never before possible,” President and CEO Rance Poehler said. Pairwise announced the addition of Michelle Gloeckler to its board of directors in January. Gloeckler previously served as an executive vice president at Walmart
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and brings more than 30 years of experience in retail, consumer packaged goods and operations to the board of the food technology company that utilizes gene editing to develop new varieties of fruits and vegetables. “I am excited not just by Pairwise’s differentiation in the market and its existing relationships with channel partners but also its mandate – to build a healthier world through better fruits and vegetables,” Gloeckler said. “I look forward to helping Pairwise continue to build its strong brand presence as a mission-driven company using its technology platform to bring true innovation to the marketplace.” NC IDEA, a private foundation that supports entrepreneurs and economic growth throughout the state, hired Allan Younger as its senior director of programs. Younger, who most recently was the director of the Small Business Center at Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem, begins his new role in April. Younger will oversee programs that provide education, training and mentoring for people seeking to start and grow companies in North Carolina, alongside other management and program development duties.
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AWARDS AND HONORS
Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Secretary of PHOTO BY AZUL PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF DURHAM TECH Labor Marty Walsh visited Durham Technical tapping into the big brains Community College in early and skills of folks and to help March and spoke to a crowd develop it and to train those that included Gov. Roy Cooper, skills to do such important Congressmen G.K. Butterfield work. It’s about growing our and David Price and Durham country and strengthening our Mayor Elaine O’Neal, as well as country. We all came to visit community partners, students you so we can see it firsthand and instructors inside the Phail and then go out and talk to Wynn Jr. Student Services folks about it.” Center on the importance of creating pathways to success WalletHub ranked Durham the through opportunities like No. 24 hardest-working city apprenticeships, which Durham nationwide out of 116 large Tech offers through many American cities, an accolade local employers. The speech based on 11 factors including followed a tour of the William employment rate, average G. Ingram Center for Applied workweek hours, average Learning and Technology commute time and share of with demonstrations from workers with multiple jobs. an electrical apprenticeship partnership with the RaleighAgBiome, a biotechnology Durham Electrical Joint company located in Research Apprenticeship Training Triangle Park, ranked No. 48 Committee, a partnership on the 2021 FoodTech 500 which began in 2017 to offer list, which orders companies a registered apprenticeship based on entrepreneurial talent program for individuals seeking among the realms of food, electrical careers with the technology and sustainability. International Brotherhood AgBiome is known for its of Electrical Workers and microbial discovery platform participating employers. “You and development of products are role models – each one to enhance the process of you – of the work that can of food production. happen,” Vice President Harris In a January report, commercial told a group of apprenticeship real estate firm Jones Lang students on the tour. “It’s about LaSalle ranked the Raleigh-