High impact, high science: How First Flight is building North Carolina’s innovation future

One of the most inspiring conversations I have had recently on my Leaders and Legends podcast on Radio Nyra was with Krista Covey, president and CEO of First Flight Venture Center. Our discussion reinforced a belief I have shared in several previous WRAL TechWire opinion pieces: North Carolina's future will be built through innovation, entrepreneurship, and the leaders who create an environment where groundbreaking ideas become world-changing companies.

First Flight Venture Center has been doing exactly that for more than three decades, established in 1991 as a spin out from the North Carolina Department of Commerce.  As one of the nation's premier science and technology incubators, it has helped launch hundreds of companies, supported thousands of high-quality jobs, attracted significant investment, and strengthened North Carolina's position as one of America's leading innovation economies.  Perhaps the most remarkable takeaway from my interview with Krista Covey was this: 430 companies supported by First Flight Venture Center have grown to a combined market value of $26 billion—a powerful example of innovation driving economic opportunity.

As she always does, Krista summed up First Flight Venture’s mission in four words: 

High Impact. High Science.

Those words perfectly describe both First Flight's legacy and the future of the Research Triangle.

Innovation doesn't happen in isolation. It happens when visionary entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, universities, corporate partners, and public leaders come together to build an ecosystem where great ideas can thrive. First Flight has become one of the cornerstones of that ecosystem.

One aspect of my conversation with Krista that particularly stood out was First Flight Venture Center's expanding global vision. Krista recently traveled to India, where she participated in a major AgTech conference and presented in Hyderabad's Hitec City, one of India's premier technology and innovation districts. During her visit, she met with entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and business leaders interested in expanding into the U.S. market while also traveling to New Delhi, Agra, and Bengaluru. Her stop in Bengaluru was especially significant, as North Carolina maintains an economic development office there that continues to strengthen business relationships and attract investment between India and our state.

One exciting opportunity emerging from these conversations is positioning First Flight Venture Center as a "soft landing" destination for Indian companies looking to establish operations, build partnerships, commercialize technology, and invest in North Carolina. That strategy is already showing promise and reflects the increasingly global nature of our state's innovation economy.

The Research Triangle has long benefited from international talent, research collaboration, and foreign direct investment. Strengthening partnerships with innovation hubs like Hyderabad and Bengaluru creates new pathways for economic development, technology commercialization, and high-paying jobs. As North Carolina continues building its reputation as a global innovation leader, partnerships like these will attract new investment, strengthen our entrepreneurial ecosystem, and deepen the economic relationship between India and North Carolina.

Our state's innovation story has never been stronger. From biotechnology and life sciences to artificial intelligence, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, AgTech, and health technology, North Carolina continues to emerge as one of the country's leading centers for innovation.

This success is no accident.

It is the result of decades of investment in research, education, entrepreneurship, and organizations like First Flight Venture Center that help entrepreneurs navigate the difficult journey from laboratory discovery to commercial success.

As I have written previously in WRAL TechWire, North Carolina's long-term economic strength will come not only from recruiting major employers but also from empowering homegrown entrepreneurs to build companies, create jobs, and grow right here in our state.

In my May 2026 opinion column, North Carolina's Startup Rebellion Is Here—And the Force Is Strong, I argued that "startups mean jobs—jobs, jobs, jobs," emphasizing that entrepreneurship is one of the strongest drivers of economic growth. I also highlighted the more than 171,000 new businesses registered in North Carolina in 2023, demonstrating the remarkable entrepreneurial momentum taking place across our state.

More recently, in my June 2026 WRAL TechWire column, The AI Revolution Must Include Main Street, I emphasized that small businesses and startups create jobs, strengthen communities, and drive economic growth while urging North Carolina to ensure that innovation benefits businesses of every size—not just large corporations.

These ideas came alive during my conversation with Krista Covey. First Flight Venture Center embodies this vision by helping entrepreneurs transform bold ideas into successful companies that create high-paying jobs, attract investment, and strengthen North Carolina's economy.

Today, North Carolina is consistently ranked among America's best states for business, innovation, and technology. We have world-class universities, exceptional research institutions, an outstanding quality of life, and one of the nation's fastest-growing technology workforces.

But maintaining that leadership requires continued investment in innovation infrastructure.

Organizations like First Flight Venture Center provide much more than office space. They offer mentorship, business development support, investor connections, strategic guidance, and an entrepreneurial community that dramatically increases the chances of success for early-stage companies.

These organizations create the next generation of employers.

Today's startup becomes tomorrow's major company.

Today's entrepreneur becomes tomorrow's industry leader.

Today's scientific breakthrough becomes tomorrow's life-changing innovation.

As North Carolina continues to compete nationally and globally for talent, investment, and opportunity, our innovation ecosystem will be one of our greatest competitive advantages.

I have often said that  Wake County and North Carolina has the opportunity to become the Silicon Valley of the East—not by copying California, but by building on our own unique strengths: our collaborative spirit, our research universities, our entrepreneurial culture, and our ability to bring together public, private, academic, and nonprofit partners around a common vision.

That vision extends well beyond our borders. From Research Triangle Park to Hyderabad's Hitec City, Bengaluru, New Delhi, and innovation centers across the globe, North Carolina's future will be shaped not only by the companies we grow at home, but also by the global partnerships we cultivate. Those partnerships will generate investment, create jobs, accelerate innovation, and further establish our state as a premier destination for entrepreneurs from around the world.

That vision is already becoming reality.

First Flight Venture Center is helping lead the way.

I want to thank Krista Covey and the entire First Flight team for their outstanding leadership and unwavering commitment to growing North Carolina's innovation economy. I am also excited about the continued expansion of the First Flight campus, which will further strengthen our region's ability to support entrepreneurs, attract investment, commercialize groundbreaking research, and create the high-paying jobs that will define our future.

High Impact.

High Science.

A brighter future for North Carolina.

If you share this vision for North Carolina's innovation future, I encourage you to join us at the First Flight Venture Center High Flyer Awards Luncheon at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary. The event celebrates the entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, mentors, and partners whose work is shaping the next generation of breakthrough companies. It is a wonderful opportunity to recognize the extraordinary impact First Flight Venture Center has had on our state and to celebrate the people and ideas that will define North Carolina's next chapter of innovation.

About the author

Steve S. Rao is a former mayor pro tem and council member for the Town of Morrisville and a regular contributor to WRAL TechWire.