Discover how UNC School of Law’s Institute for Innovation is powering North Carolina’s future. Our media archive captures our story in action – from our downtown Chapel Hill hub where student attorneys guide promising startups, to our faculty experts shaping critical conversations about law and innovation. Dive into our yearly collections to see how our three dynamic clinics – the Startup NC Law Clinic, Community Development Law Clinic, and Intellectual Property Clinic – are transforming legal education while serving entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and innovators across our state. Through news coverage, thought leadership, and event highlights, explore how we’re fulfilling our mission to strengthen North Carolina’s innovation economy, support rural and under-resourced communities, and prepare the next generation of business-savvy lawyers. Whether you’re a policymaker tracking our economic impact, an entrepreneur curious about our services, or a future lawyer eager to gain hands-on experience serving real clients, each story shows how we’re building a more innovative and inclusive North Carolina.

2026

• On February 3, Executive Director Aaron Gard and Professor Dustin Marlan will lead a discussion with grammy award winning musician and UNC alum, Graham Sharp to discuss the music industry, intellectual property in the age of AI and all things blue grass.

• On March 19, Reggie Townsend – Vice President of the SAS Data Ethics Practice (DEP) – GCG will speak at the UNC School of Law about the SAS global responsible innovation initiative to develop strategies for implementing data-driven systems that promote human-centric technology practices. In 2022, Reggie was appointed by the US Department of Commerce to the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC). The NAIAC provides guidance to the White House and the National AI Initiative Office on various AI-related issues. He also serves on the board of EqualAI, a nonprofit dedicated to working with companies, policymakers and experts to reduce harms associated with AI.

• Date TBD, Executive Director Aaron Gard will lead a discussion about how AI is influencing venture decisions and reshaping how investors think, decide, and adapt. Explore how AI is starting to inform everything from evaluating early-stage technologies to refining investment theses. As new tools emerge and expectations shift, we’ll examine how investors and innovation leaders alike are beginning to rethink opportunity—what it looks like, how it’s measured, and where it leads. Whether you’re building a startup, managing a portfolio, or advising ventures, learn how AI is influencing strategic decisions in a rapidly evolving landscape. Our expert panel includes:
  • Jenn Summe, General Partner, Primordial Ventures
  • Brett Luing, Director, Carolina Angel Network
  • Jordan McAlister, KPMG

• Date TBD, Executive Director Aaron Gard will lead a discussion with Carolina Law alum Joel Lulla about media rights and the current state of college athletics.

• Date TBD, Executive Director Aaron Gard will lead a discussion with faculty and entrepreneurs from the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering about intellectual property, entrepreneurship and innovation. Lampe Joint BME is a unique collaboration between North Carolina’s two flagship universities: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University. It’s inter-institutional department provides an ideal environment to integrate engineering and medicine to improve human health and quality of life.

• Date TBD, Executive Director Aaron Gard will lead a discussion with UNC alum Rod Schultz, CEO of Bolster AI. Bolster is an AI-powered cybersecurity company helping the world’s leading brands protect their customers from phishing, fraud, and digital impersonation. With offices in Santa Clara, California, and Noida, India, they combine deep learning and automation to detect, analyze, and take down threats in real time—across web, social media, dark web, and app stores. Bolster’s platform is trusted by startups and many Fortune 500 companies alike to reduce risk, protect revenue, and defend brand reputation at scale. Bolster | AI Security, Domain Monitoring & Takedowns

• Date TBD, Executive Director Aaron Gard and Dustin Marlan will lead a discussion with Intellectual Property Clinic client The Purple Bowl.  The Purple Bowl is a local eatery and hangout in downtown Chapel Hill, NC serving acai bowls, artisan toast, espresso drinks, and healthy eats. The idea for The Purple Bowl started when a family fell in love with acai bowls during a family trip from Chapel Hill to California in 2016. When they returned to Chapel Hill, they began making acai bowls at home because there were no options in town to purchase. The Purple Bowl was founded to fill the void in Chapel Hill.

2025

• On November 7, Executive Director Aaron Gard and 2L Hannah Hall lead a discussion with Carolina Law alumni Patricia Brown, Executive Vice President & CLO | SAS and Nelson Mullins – Jeffrey A. Allred about leveraging the law degree in today’s world, AI, and the future of the legal practice as technologies emerge. Note: If you’d like to watch the event, you can view it here.  
  
• On October 23 to 25, Professor Tom Kelley joined Carolina Law’s Military and Veterans Clinic’s trip to Asheville, where they assisted veterans acclimating to life after the military. Students worked with the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry, which runs the Veterans Restoration Quarters, a shelter where veterans can live rent-free for two years. The nonprofit offers life skills and job training, three meals a day, counseling appointments, veterans affairs benefits and drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Professor Kelley provided his invaluable nonprofit expertise during the trip, as the Director of Carolina Law’s Community Development Law Clinic.

• On October 16 and 17, the Institute for Innovation, Carolina Law’s Pro Bono Program, NC Growth, and WyrickRobbins convened at Southwestern Community College in Sylva, NC to provide small business owners in rural western North Carolina critical legal support. This collaboration connected local entrepreneurs with legal expertise they might not otherwise access, from business formation guidance to contract reviews. Note: If you’d like to watch the event, you can view it here.
  
• On September 30, Executive Director Aaron Gard interviewed Carolina Law alum Bert Diener about his immigration legal practice, technology, AI and innovation.
  
• On September 2, Executive Director Aaron Gard interviewed John Bamforth and Roy Zwallen, authors of Race to Innovation. Race to Innovation weaves together stories of diverse innovators of the past, interviews with today’s innovation greats, and lived experiences in the innovation industry and personal entrepreneurship. Note: If you’d like to watch the event, you can view it here.
  
• Summer 2025, the Institute awarded summer grants to Carolina Law students to support their work at the following institutions:
  • NC Department of Justice, Services to State Agencies Section
  • Legal Aid of North Carolina, Central Intake Unit
  • US Copyright Office
  • Securities and Exchange Commission
  • Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, Tax
  • Legal Aid of North Carolina, Medical-Legal Partnership
  • The University of Georgia Department of Athletics, Compliance
  • Aequitas

• On March 17, the Institute for Innovation co-hosted “The Future of BioPharma Innovation” panel discussion with Eshelman Innovation at the Carolina Inn’s Hill Ballroom, bringing together over 230 attendees including biopharma executives, University deans, venture capitalists, and students to hear insights from industry leaders like former HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Eli Lilly executive Patrik Jonsson, and Wyrick Robbins founding partner Larry Robbins ’74 (JD/MBA ’79) on topics including NIH funding challenges, AI in drug development, and North Carolina’s position as a leading hub for biopharma innovation. Note: If you’d like to watch the event, you can view it here.

2024