New Hub Connects UNC School of Law’s Expertise to Innovation Pursuits

The doors have opened to the Innovate Carolina Junction—a hub developed on E. Rosemary Street by UNC School of Law alum Clay Grubb ’93 to bridge academia and enterprise. The 20,000-square-foot space, led by UNC’s Innovate Carolina initiative, creates proximity for Carolina Law and its Institute for Innovation to engage with innovative pursuits beyond campus.

As UNC’s chief innovation officer overseeing its development, Dedric Carter sees immense potential arising from greater connectivity. “I’m encouraged by the work the UNC School of Law’s Institute for Innovation is doing to support new ventures. Establishing the Institute’s clinic here represents an advancement in collaborative efforts to nurture innovation and entrepreneurial pursuits at Carolina and beyond,” Carter said. “This space opens up new opportunities for collaboration, enabling us to converge and explore novel approaches to address significant challenges, positively impacting communities throughout our region and state.”

On-site, the Institute’s three legal clinics – made possible by support from the North Carolina General Assembly and the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust – assist innovators on matters fundamental to launching and sustaining ventures. Students recently helped establish Feed-Well Fridges, a nonprofit expanding food access by placing filled refrigerators in underserved areas. By structuring proper legal frameworks, the clinic enabled its founder’s ideas to launch as an operational tax-exempt venture driving community change.

Such opportunities anchor students alongside entrepreneurs, as technology transfer and resulting growth rely heavily on legal expertise. “Law is integral to innovation,” said Institute Director Aaron Gard. “We aim to fill this role and prepare students to thereafter participate across influential intersections shaping society.” 

This forward focus develops local ties so that new ideas sustain and thrive locally instead of relocating. Students, faculty, founders, and neighbors now connect in shared Junction spaces, mutually advancing academic promise and community prosperity.

For Carolina Law, proximity convenes specialized expertise at the crossroads of innovation and regulation. As Gard says, “Lawyers always have an integral seat at the table.” The years ahead will see Carolina Law students, faculty, and alumni meaningfully participating in and contributing to promising ventures built on partnerships enabled by spaces like the new Innovate Carolina Junction.

This article originally appeared in the February 2024 issue of Carolina Law magazine.