PR | First Flight Venture Center Announces Elaine F. Marshall as Keynote Speaker for 2025 High Flyer Awards Luncheon
Contact: Krista Covey
First Flight Venture Center, Inc.
Research Triangle Park, NC
Phone: (919) 990-8558
Email: kcovey@ffvcnc.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 20, 2025
First Flight Venture Center Announces Elaine F. Marshall as Keynote Speaker for 2025 High Flyer Awards Luncheon
Research Triangle Park, NC – October 20, 2025 – First Flight Venture Center is pleased to announce that Elaine F. Marshall, North Carolina Secretary of State, will be the keynote speaker at their 5th Annual High Flyer Awards Luncheon, to be held on Friday, November 21, 2025, from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM at Prestonwood Country Club, 300 Prestonwood Parkway, Cary, NC. Secretary Marshall will join business, community, and civic leaders to celebrate outstanding contributions and achievements in innovation and entrepreneurship.
In 1996, Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall became the first woman ever elected to a statewide, executive branch office in North Carolina and has served as President of the National Association of Secretaries of State. Voters re-elected her to an eighth term in 2024, and Governor Cooper presented her with the NC Order of the Long Leaf Pine award in 2022, the Governor’s highest award for service to the State. A former teacher, small business owner, and private practice attorney, Secretary Marshall was elected to the NC Senate before rising to statewide office.
Under Secretary Marshall’s administration, more than 2.2 million businesses have been formed, she has pioneered e-commerce in government, protected investors and intellectual property owners, and promoted financial capital formation in North Carolina.
Secretary Marshall has been very active in many civic groups in the areas of child welfare, women's issues, and agriculture and small town economic development. She credits 4-H as an important part of her youth and received Lifetime Achievement Awards from North Carolina 4-H and in 2014 was inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame.
The High Flyer Awards Luncheon, now in its fifth year, recognizes individuals and organizations whose leadership, ingenuity, and impact drive forward the economic and social vitality of North Carolina.
Krista Covey, President and CEO of First Flight Venture Center said, “We are honored to welcome Secretary Elaine Marshall as our keynote speaker for this year’s High Flyer Awards Luncheon: her decades of public service, her record of supporting small businesses, transparency, and innovation in government make her an inspiring example for North Carolina. We look forward to her insight on how leadership and public policy can fuel regional entrepreneurship.”
Register Today to join this highly anticipated event, where networking, inspiration, and recognition come together under one roof.
Event Details:
Date: November 21, 2025
Time: 11 AM – 1:30 PM
Location: Prestonwood Country Club, 300 Prestonwood Pkwy, Cary, NC 27513
Tickets are available now, and space is limited! Don’t miss the opportunity to connect and celebrate the vibrant spirit of innovation. Visit https://www.ffvcnc.org/2025-high-flyer-award-luncheon-copy to purchase tickets.
About First Flight Venture Center
First Flight Venture Centeris a high science, high impact science-focused business incubator and innovation hub located in the heart of Research Triangle Park, NC. Established in 1991, First Flight has hosted more than 400 science-focused companies, providing strategic education, tailored resources, guidance, business connections and office/lab space in a 25,000 sq.ft. facility. First Flight has launched businesses that have commercialized important new science breakthroughs and disruptive technologies, while creating thousands of jobs in North Carolina. For more information, visit