Associates, Fellows & Interns are considered valuable members of the NC IDEA team, assisting in the review and evaluation of grant applications, making recommendations and, at times, taking on modest coaching roles with competitive applicants.
NC IDEA has three different opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to support our work and engage directly with NC startups. Competitive candidates for all opportunities will have a demonstrated interest in startups and entrepreneurship. Learn more about each of the opportunities.
Mac is a first-year MBA student at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, focusing on sustainability, strategy, and finance. He is passionate about supporting North Carolina’s startup ecosystem by helping early-stage companies build a foundation for long-term success. His interests also include climate technology and venture capital, with a focus on financing solutions that mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
Prior to Fuqua, Mac worked at Accenture Strategy in Seattle, where he gained experience in sustainability and strategy and applied data-driven analysis to support decision-making. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Washington, with majors in Operations & Supply Chain Management and Marketing.
Will is a first-year MBA candidate concentrating in entrepreneurship at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School. He also holds degrees in Computer Science and Chinese from the University of Virginia.
Prior to pursuing his MBA, Will founded a startup that streamlined matchmaking among innovators within university ecosystems and currently operates an international travel service. He’s interested in building products that connect people across backgrounds, communities, and institutions.
In his free time, Will produces music, travels, and trains for long-distance running
Ana is a fintech product leader and MBA candidate at NC State’s Jenkins Graduate School of Management. She has played a key role in scaling a fintech SaaS company from early stage through acquisition, shaping product strategy, leading customer success, and building B2B software platforms used by top global financial institutions. Her experience spans highly regulated environments, close partnership with enterprise clients, and guiding cross-functional international teams through complex product challenges.
Ana’s interests focus on innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as AI and emerging technologies, and she is particularly interested in applying her B2B product and go-to-market experience to B2C opportunities.
Outside of work and school, she is energized by travel, outdoor adventures, and long runs that help her recharge and think creatively.
Maddie is a second-year dual MBA and Master of Environmental Management (MEM) student at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and Nicholas School of the Environment with concentrations in Finance, Energy and Environment, and Business and Environment. Having spent most of her life in the diverse and beautiful ecosystems of New England, Maddie is passionate about climate technology that can provide innovative solutions to address today’s pressing issues. Her interests span direct carbon capture, renewable energy and the energy transition, and circular economy and supply chain work.
Prior to pursuing her MBA and MEM at Duke, Maddie worked as an environmental consultant at Industrial Economics, Inc. in Cambridge, MA. Her work primarily focused on environmental restoration and remediation resulting from damage due to hazardous substances.
At Duke, she serves on the board of the Nicholas Net Impact Club and the MEM/MBA Club. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, playing squash, and exploring Durham and other North Carolina communities.
Ramya is a first-year MBA candidate concentrating in entrepreneurship at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Prior to business school, Ramya competed professionally in women’s golf and later worked in sports marketing and brand consulting at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), advising companies on partnership strategy and growth initiatives. She is passionate about supporting early-stage founders and businesses, particularly those operating at the intersection of sports, media, and consumer.
At Kenan-Flagler, Ramya serves as Outreach Liaison for the MBA Sports & Entertainment Club and Alumni Liaison for the Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital Club. In her free time, she enjoys fitness, playing and watching golf, and traveling.
Jalen is a second-year law student at the University of North Carolina School of Law. As an NC IDEA Startup Analyst, he looks forward to advancing the entrepreneurial community in North Carolina and contributing to the sustainable economic development of North Carolina.
Prior to law school, Jalen worked at GE Aerospace where he assisted in the development and implementation of GE Aerospace’s long term intellectual property strategy. Additionally, he has a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear & Radiological Engineering and a master’s degree in Material Science Engineering from Georgia Tech.
Outside of class, Jalen enjoys spending time with his wife and their bernedoodle.
