News & Stories
In other news: January 2026
Thought leaders
Sekou Bermiss speaks at the Corporate Learning Network CLO Exchange.
- Professor Sekou Bermiss spoke on human-centered leadership in a world dominated by AI at the Corporate Learning Network CLO Exchange in partnership with UNC Kenan-Flagler Executive Development. The conversation explored how leaders can redesign work so teams spend more time on creativity, connection and complex judgment.
- Professors Jacob Sagi and Eric Maribojoc sat down with the Doorify Real Estate Podcast to talk through the real-world impact of zoning, regulation and policy on housing supply.
- Professor Jenna Haugen represented UNC Kenan-Flagler at the 2025 Association for Business Communication (ABC) Conference. She accepted student competition awards on behalf of Katherine Chay (BSBA ’26) and Hans Ann (BSBA ’26), co-led a workshop on enhancing faculty careers through consulting, served as a mentor for the graduate studies committee and strategized with ABC leadership on the future of the organization.
Standout students and alumni
Spring 2026 Phillips Ambassadors
- Theofanis Yianas (BSBA ’27) and business minors Keira Ginos, Caitlin Estrada and Nicolás Ríos were selected as Phillips Ambassadors for spring 2026 study abroad programs in Asia. The program is made possible through a gift from Earl N. “Phil” Phillips Jr. (BSBA ’62), an entrepreneur and former U.S. ambassador, and his family.
- Nate Challen (MBA ’08) was appointed president of Doctor’s Best, a leading nutritional supplement company.
- Carrie Valentine Fuller (MBA ’24) was named CEO of United Through Reading.
- Craftwork Home Painting, co-founded by Joey Skavroneck (BSBA ’16), has expanded to the Triangle. They became Charlotte’s largest residential painting company in under three years by combining a full-time workforce with tech that replaces the traditional subcontracting model.
- Torrey Littlejohn (BSBA ’99) was named North Texas brokerage lead at JLL after being at the firm for more than two decades.
- Paul Bode (MBA ’18) joined Franklin Street Partners as managing director of strategic business development.
Spotted on social
- Preston Fisher (MBA ’25) shared the launch of his new medical practice, Resolution Spine and Joint. “This experience has reinforced something I didn’t fully appreciate before starting an MBA,” he wrote on LinkedIn. “The most meaningful businesses aren’t built quickly because of speed alone, but because of alignment, shared values, mutual trust and a clear sense of purpose.”
- HandsOn London celebrated their founder, Elizabeth Grier (MBA ’05), on being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her volunteer work in London.
- Tyler Trexler (BSBA ’24) shared the launch of TNT Strong Foundation, a cancer foundation raising money to find a cure for Ewing Sarcoma. “Although in the past I have not been overly vocal about my struggles with illness, I believe it’s time to utilize this new platform to find a cure so no other child has to endure this fight,” Trexler wrote on LinkedIn.