Board of Directors

Greg Feldmann, President of Skyline Capital Strategies, LLC, has been retained as the Senior Advisor to The Launch Place Seed and Pre-Seed Funds. Greg brings more than 30 years of experience serving in roles related to commercial banking, strategic advisory work, corporate financing, investment banking and executive/board leadership positions in both public and private companies.

Jan Davis is a retired CEO and active board member for companies in drowning prevention, software, analytics, database and digital marketing and information. These enterprises sell products and services to a broad range of industries, including retail, real estate, financial services and insurance as well as on-line to consumers. She presently serves on the boards of directors of Megalytics, ShowingTime.com and SEAL Innovation and on the boards of advisors of multiple companies, including cultivate social and Market Vue Partners. She is past president of Triangle Angel Partners, an Executive in Residence for the Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network and the Shuford Program in Entrepreneurship at UNC-Chapel Hill, on the Screening Committee for the Carolina Angel Network and Chairs the Investment Committee for the non-profit Launch Place Seed Fund.

Dawn joined Carter Bank and Trust in March 2017 as Senior Vice President and Director of Community Development Lending.  Dawn’s role with the organization is to develop and implement a company-wide community impact lending strategy and to originate commercial loans meeting a community impact mission in Virginia and North Carolina. She works with small business owners, economic development and government officials, housing authorities, and for profit and non profit real estate developers.  Dawn has expertise in small business government guaranteed loan programs and in historic, low income housing, and New Markets tax credit programs as well as various business and entrepreneurial grant programs through the Department of Housing and Community Development.  Dawn collaborates closely with the Bank’s Community Reinvestment Act officer to help direct commercial lending activities into targeted areas. 

Gary Evans career spans four decades and has included roles in a wide range of both public and private sector organizations and academic institutions.  With a background in chemistry, physics, and software development he has led the commercialization of new technologies and has also served in economic development roles focused on knowledge-based industries and has been involved in the creation of more than 20 companies. 

Jon has years of experience supporting the Air Force’s Environmental Restoration Program Optimization (ERPO) as a project manager in the chemical/hazardous waste remediation field, including: remedial technology optimization focused on accelerated site closure, performance-based acquisition support, strategic planning, technical evaluation, and guidance support at the program level.

Marty is an aerospace engineer and spent his early career working on the Space Shuttle, Space Station, and planetary mission planning programs. He served as a Senior Program Director at the National Academy of Sciences’ Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, founded the Hampton Roads Technology Incubator in late-1998, and has been involved ever since in supporting the local, national, and global innovation and entrepreneurial community as a consultant, advisor, investor, mentor, and therapist.