Lisa Chang, lecturer and director of technology entrepreneurship and commercialization (TEC) at the NC State Poole College of Management, was recently announced as the 2019 John S. Risley Entrepreneur of the Year at NC State. The Risley award was created in honor of the NC State professor of physics who founded WebAssign. Chancellor Randy Woodson presented the award at this year’s Celebration of Innovation, sponsored by the Office of Research Commercialization.
Chang was nominated by Wade Fulghum, the interim executive director of the Office of Research Commercialization and chair of the Wolfpack Investor Network (WIN) steering committee, for her efforts in advancing entrepreneurship at NC State through her various roles and contributions. Chang’s role as director of the TEC program teaches teams of engineering and business students how to identify technologies with commercial potential and how to market them.
“Lisa Chang embodies entrepreneurship at NC State,” said Fulghum. “Lisa plays a major role in showcasing our university as a leader in technology commercialization and entrepreneurship and is unrivaled in her passion and commitment to the NC State community.”
Outside of Poole, Chang has played a key role in WIN, supported the Office of Research Commercialization and led the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund from 2011 to 2016. She also assisted in standing up NC State’s NSF-funded I-Corps site program which has generated $1.58 million in funding.
Learn more about the Risley Entrepreneur of the Year award here.
