Jen Yip is a technology and media veteran who lives at the intersection of business, social sciences and data. She has held executive leadership roles in early stage start-ups and large companies including DoubleClick, NBC Universal and InMobi. Jen consults for nonprofit, public and corporate organizations specializing in applied research, strategy and operations.
Jen is currently pursuing her MPA at NC State University. She earned her MBA in Information Systems and Marketing from NYU Stern School of Business and BS in Applied Economics and Business Management from Cornell University. She also holds a Post Baccalaureate in Sociology and Social Research from Northwestern University and a certificate in Behavioral Economics from University of Chicago Booth School of Business Executive Education.
Leslie Anne Frye-Thomas is the External Affairs Associate at the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, where she leads strategic communications and stakeholder engagement efforts that support the institute’s mission to drive economic prosperity throughout North Carolina.
Leslie Anne brings deep experience in storytelling, public engagement, and cross-sector collaboration, with a focus on equity and impact. Prior to joining the institute, Leslie Anne held senior communications roles in international media and nonprofit organizations, leading content strategy, brand development, and public affairs.
An Emmy Award-winning writer, she is committed to using storytelling as a tool for systemic change and social advancement. Leslie Anne holds a Bachelor of Arts in Radio, Television, Video, and Film—with an emphasis in screenwriting—from California State University, Northridge.
John McKain is a leader in public affairs and strategic communications with deep experience forging powerful collaborations that lead to large-scale impacts. His portfolio includes external affairs, marketing, media relations, event management and brand development for the institute. He is advancing the national reputation for the institute through an integrated marketing strategy that showcases thought leadership, research excellence, community development and student engagement. He devotes time to supporting his two college-age children and, in his spare time, enjoys running, hiking and photography.
Fred is the Kenan Institute’s video producer, responsible for shooting, editing and producing a wide range of content.
Fred has run Beambox Studio, a film studio in Brooklyn, NY, for over a decade, working with prestigious clients that include HBO, ESPN, Versace, Under Armour, the 9/11 Museum, Pepsi, Sundance Channel, and Google. He has worked on nearly 60 feature films and hundreds of short-form projects, ranging from fashion to social media and award-winning feature films.
He’s also recognized as a Top Teacher on Skillshare.com for color grading, cinematography and film industry courses.
Fred has a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a film/video concentration from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Steven R. Armstrong is the incoming president of the William R. Kenan, Jr. Funds as well as the president of Kenan Management, Inc. (KMI). As president of KMI, Steven serves in various roles in leading the single-family office for the Frank H. Kenan family. Steven is also a Director on the Flagler System Board in Florida. Prior to joining KMI, Steven practiced as a Certified Public Accountant with Arthur Andersen and Deloitte. In that role, Steve led the private client practices for those firms in central and eastern North Carolina as well as serve in Deloitte’s National Center of Excellence in Cincinnati. Steven received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from North Carolina State University in 1989 and holds the Certified Financial Planner designation. Steven resides in Cary, North Carolina.
Melissa Hull Geil teaches business and corporate communication and entrepreneurship at UNC Kenan-Flagler.
In addition, she designs and teaches professional communication courses for the Graduate School at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Dr. Geil’s current research project “Rethinking Executive Presence” examines the origins of the term “executive presence” and considers how its complex history impacts contemporary evaluations of professional credibility.
She also researches and consults on networks of trust in private-equity dealmaking, storytelling, inclusive workplace practices for neurodivergent professionals, and current best practices for entrepreneurial pitch decks.
Dr. Geil has worked with corporate and executive clients in banking, private equity, commercial lending and pharmaceutical industries, including The Institute for Defense and Business, Plexus Capital and Wells Fargo.
Before joining UNC Kenan-Flagler, she taught business communication, writing and literature in UNC-Chapel Hill’s Department of English and Comparative Literature, where she received the Joseph Flora award for teaching excellence.
Dr. Geil received her PhD in English from Vanderbilt University and earned her BA in English and economics with highest honors from UNC-Chapel Hill.
John Hardin is Executive Director of the North Carolina Board of Science, Technology & Innovation, housed within the NC Department of Commerce. Appointed in 2009 after serving as Acting Director and Deputy Director, he leads the Board’s efforts to advise the Governor, General Assembly, and economic development leaders on the role of science, technology, and innovation in North Carolina’s growth. Established in 1963, the Board is the first of its kind in the U.S. and has launched numerous initiatives to support R&D, entrepreneurship, and technology-based economic development.
Hardin oversees strategic planning, policy development, legislative engagement, and grant programs supporting tech commercialization. He frequently presents policy briefings and publishes research on innovation-led growth and public policy.
He currently serves on advisory and executive committees for organizations such as NIIMBL, PowerAmerica, the Research Triangle Environmental Health Collaborative, and the NC Science Festival. He also sits on the boards of SSTI and the Museum of Life and Science, among others. Past service includes roles with the Kenan Fellows Program, FIRST North Carolina, and NSF advisory boards.
Previously, Hardin served as Assistant Vice President for Research and Sponsored Programs at the UNC system office. He has also taught political science and public policy at UNC-Chapel Hill, focusing on American government and science policy.
His research has been published in journals and edited volumes, and he has authored more than 50 policy reports and delivered over 150 presentations at conferences worldwide.
A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Hardin holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in political science from UNC-Chapel Hill and a B.A. in economics from Baylor University. He lives in Durham with his wife, Jane, and they have two adult daughters.
In 2015, Christopher joined the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) as Chief Executive Officer and brought nearly 25 years of state-level economic development experience to his role. As a public-private partnership, the EDPNC leads several economic development functions on behalf of the State of North Carolina. These include new business recruitment, existing business support, export assistance, small business counseling, and tourism and film promotion. With a staff of 70 professionals and an annual operating budget of more than $38 million, the EDPNC is focused on improving the economic well-being and quality of life for North Carolina’s more than 10 million residents. Since 2015, the EDPNC has helped North Carolina win more than 1,000 corporate expansion projects, resulting in nearly 133,000 announced new jobs and more than $35 billion in announced new investment across the state.
Christopher has held various executive and management responsibilities for two other state economic development organizations: the Missouri Partnership (2007-2014), the privatized business recruitment arm for the state; and the Ohio Department of Development (1997-2007), which performed state economic development functions prior to its privatization as JobsOhio in 2010.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and Japanese from The Ohio State University.