Mark Little has been contributing to research at Carolina for 14 years.
Mark Little has worked for UNC-Chapel Hill in a variety of roles, most recently as the executive director of NCGrowth, a partner of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise and the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. NCGrowth creates jobs and wealth in economically distressed communities by providing technical assistance, research, and events that support local businesses, governments, and anchor institutions.
What brought you to Carolina?
Despite having grown up in Chapel Hill, coming to Carolina was the result of serendipity and love. After graduate school and a couple of postdoctoral opportunities outside of the state, I returned to my hometown in 2011 to work remotely for a startup. As the company slowly failed, I explored opportunities locally and started working part-time on a portfolio of renewable energy-related projects at the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise. I was also highly motivated to stay local to pursue a relationship with a UNC-Chapel Hill graduate student in biostatistics whom I would eventually marry!
Impact Report
Mark Little is the co-founder of NCGrowth, a university center supported by the U.S. Economic Development Administration that focuses on economic development in distressed communities.
NCGrowth has expanded across the U.S. to provide technical assistance to businesses, governments, anchor institutions, and other organizations to create jobs and wealth.
How has your role here changed over the years?
I started as a renewable energy researcher, writing reports and meeting policymakers across the state.
At the time, North Carolina was seeking to produce liquid biofuels from agricultural wastes and other local feedstocks to offset āimportsā from other states. I contributed to a project to assess the costs of the infrastructure required to turn woody biomass, sweet potatoes, and other feedstocks into ethanol. I lead another project that measured the economic, environmental, and climate impacts of exporting wood pellets to Europe for use in thermoelectric power generation. I also contributed to policy research focused on addressing those electricity pricing disparities in rural eastern N.C. related to the financing of the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant.
Later, I had the great fortune to help found NCGrowth, a university center supported by the U.S. Economic Development Administration that focuses on economic development in distressed communities. My role quickly evolved into leading the center, which included applied research, program design, and growing our team.
I then had the opportunity to serve as the executive director of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, which introduced me to many academic leaders at UNC-Chapel Hill and other institutions across the state. During that time, I spent a few years teaching as an adjunct associate professor within the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.
For the past five years, my focus has returned to NCGrowth to expand our impact across the U.S. We now operate in multiple states and benefit from hundreds of robust partnerships with businesses, nonprofits, and local, state, and Tribal governments. This work allows me to contribute to exciting cross-campus research initiatives in collaboration with faculty and administrators in many departments in the College of Arts and Sciences as well as in the schools of Law, Government, and Public Health.
Over the years, Iāve also had the good fortune to help build major national-scale initiatives with partners outside UNC-Chapel Hill, including the Native Edge Tourism Technical Assistance Center.
Whatās kept you at Carolina?
Every day, I help create good jobs and new wealth in distressed communities. I do this by working with my team to pursue applied and academic research, provide technical assistance to local governments and small businesses, and host immersive events. I am surrounded by colleagues who are committed to the mission, vision, and values of NCGrowth, and I have continued to learn throughout my career.
What contribution are you most proud of?
Two come to mind. First, I have created a conducive work environment for a team that has had tremendous, transformative impact across North Carolina, South Carolina, and more recently, in Indigenous communities across the U.S. Being able to attract and retain people with the varied skills, experiences, and personalities necessary to be effective has been a rewarding challenge.
Second, I am proud to have worked with scholars at UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. Central University to imagine, build, and host āBlack Communities: A Conference for Collaboration.ā From 2018 to 2021, we convened this international conference of 800+ academics and leaders across the African diaspora. The partnerships and research engendered by the conference continue to inspire positive change to this day.
What is a uniquely Carolina experience youāve had?
Back in 2020, I asked folks across campus to come together to figure out how the university might respond to the medium- and long-term impacts of the pandemic and economic shutdown, beyond the immediate health crisis. Campus leaders, including the chancellor and provost, responded positively. We created a space to brainstorm and openly debate ways the university could leverage research, faculty, students, staff, and other resources for the benefit of the state. The eagerness of everyone involved to meet that moment of need spoke to a shared sense of responsibility and commitment to the mission of the university and the people of the state.
Rooted recognizes long-standing members of the UNC-Chapel Hill community who have aided in the advancement of research by staying at Carolina. They are crucial to the UNC Research enterprise, experts in their fields, and loyal Tar Heels. Know someone we should feature? Nominate a researcher.