Deanna Ballard: A Steward of Opportunity for All of North Carolina
Deanna Ballard grew up in the quiet stretches of rural Lincoln County, where community was not an idea — it was a rhythm. “Where I’m from,” she says, “community isn’t just a word. It’s a way of life. When something needed fixing, people didn’t wait around; they pitched in.” That early understanding of shared responsibility shaped every step of her path, long before she served in the White House or the North Carolina Senate.
Public service, for Ballard, never arrived as a grand career plan. “It wasn’t a decision so much as a conviction,” she reflects. “A belief that government should be responsive, practical, and close enough to the ground to understand the real needs of families, communities, and employers across our state.”
Her time in the Senate revolved around issues that were both personal and structural. “Education will always be at the center of my heart,” she says. Her mother spent 26 years working in Lincoln County Schools as a bus driver, teacher’s assistant, tutor, and teacher—an experience that left a profound impression. “I saw firsthand the power of a supportive school community. And I saw how much it matters for rural families to have strong schools and real pathways to opportunity.” The work she championed– literacy, school safety, modern facilities, and expanded post-secondary access, including community college programs, workforce training, and four-year degree opportunities– continues to anchor her values today. She is equally clear about the generational importance of fiscal responsibility, broadband expansion, and accessible healthcare. “Each of those issues ties directly to opportunity,” she says. “They shaped my service then, and they shape my work now.”
After leaving the legislature and entering private consulting, Ballard carried forward three principles that now underpin her leadership at NCInnovation. “First, listen… because the people closest to the problem are often closest to the solution. Second, keep it simple –good ideas die when they’re trapped in bureaucracy. And third, never forget that relationships matter. Progress happens at the speed of trust.” These lessons guide her approach to board governance, program oversight, and statewide partnerships.
Ballard joined the NCInnovation Board because she saw the mission as both urgent and transformational. “North Carolina has incredible research talent and strong universities,” she says, “but we’ve historically struggled to translate that into homegrown companies and jobs that stay here.” NCInnovation’s focus– helping move technologies from proof of concept to market readiness, resonated immediately. “To me, this is the next chapter of North Carolina’s economic story,” she says. “And it’s essential that our rural regions have a seat at the table in that future.”
As Chair of the Programs Committee, Ballard has helped build the core engine of NCInnovation’s work: its statewide applied-research grant program. She describes the role as equal parts strategy, stewardship, and fairness. “Our job is to ensure that NCInnovation’s investments are strategic, mission-aligned, and targeted where they can make the greatest impact,” she says. From refining grant processes to shaping criteria that reflect legislative intent, she approaches the work with a commitment to both rigor and accessibility. “We’re not just partnering with the largest universities,” she emphasizes. “Regional universities are anchors for entire communities. They deserve the same opportunities, and we’ve designed the process to reflect that.”
Her experience in public service deeply influences the way she leads the committee. “I’m always thinking about accountability, making sure dollars are used wisely. But I’m also thinking about accessibility — ensuring smaller universities and rural innovators aren’t overlooked. Then I think about partnerships because no idea, no matter how promising, moves forward without the right people around it.” She sees NCInnovation not as an isolated funder but as a connector. “We’re aligning opportunities researchers can actually use,” she says. “We’re connecting them with industry, with mentors, with technical assistance. We’re helping them move from possibility to product– and keeping that value in North Carolina.”
Because NCInnovation is still a young organization, Ballard feels a strong sense of duty to help shape its foundation. “The board must set the tone,” she says. “Disciplined, mission-focused, and transparent.” The structure they build today, she believes, should be designed to last long beyond any current board member. “We are building something that must outlast all of us,” she says. “Structure matters as much as success stories.”
What motivates her most is watching opportunity take root where it has traditionally been scarce. “I’ve seen what opportunity can do, and what happens when communities don’t have it,” she says. “Innovation isn’t just about science or technology. It’s about jobs. It’s about upward mobility. And it’s about giving young people a chance to build a future in the state they love.”
To make that possible, Ballard believes the ecosystem needs more early-stage capital, stronger industry-university connections, and faster, clearer commercialization paths. “North Carolina has the ingredients,” she says. “What we’ve lacked is coordination. NCInnovation is helping fill that void.”
One of the milestones she finds most meaningful is the trust NCInnovation is earning across the state. “Standing up a competitive statewide grant program from scratch — with strong bipartisan support — is an achievement in itself,” she says. “But seeing researchers from every region apply, and in some cases partner with community colleges, tells me we’re building credibility. It tells me momentum is shifting.”
Looking ahead, Ballard believes NCInnovation’s progress should be measured by results people can feel: startups formed here, technologies licensed here, follow-on capital invested here, and jobs created or retained across the state. “Ultimately,” she says, “success is whether we’re building an innovation pipeline that lasts.”
By 2030, she hopes NCInnovation will be nationally recognized as a model for applied-research support, one that strengthens both urban and rural communities. “I want to see a portfolio of successful startups rooted in North Carolina,” she says. “I want stronger industry partnerships, expanded research capacity at regional universities, and clear evidence that NCInnovation helped diversify our economy.”
Her vision for statewide equity is grounded in intention. “Innovation is everywhere,” she says. “Opportunity should be too.” Creating that opportunity, she believes, requires transparent criteria, technical assistance for smaller campuses, outreach to regional universities, and reviewers who understand rural realities.
When she speaks to legislators, chancellors, or business leaders about NCInnovation, her message is simple: “This is about turning North Carolina’s research potential into North Carolina’s economic future — keeping ideas, jobs, and companies here at home.”
Asked what legacy she hopes to leave through her board service, her answer returns to the values that shaped her childhood. “Personally, I hope my service reflects stewardship, integrity, and a commitment to ensuring all parts of North Carolina benefit from this work,” she says. “For the board, I hope we leave behind a strong, trusted organization that operates with excellence. And for the people of North Carolina, I hope NCInnovation becomes a catalyst for opportunity… one that inspires young people, strengthens our universities, and helps build a more competitive, resilient economy for decades to come.”
