2026 AI Educator Summer Institute

Dr. Darlene Deberry serves as the Senior Economic Development Manager for NCGrowth, a national center at UNC Chapel Hill’s Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, where she works to advance inclusive economic opportunity. Her career includes working with Community Development Financial Institutions such as Self-Help and the NC Rural Center, focusing on expanding access to capital for underserved businesses. As a former Edible Arrangements franchisee, she gained valuable insight into the complexities of small business ownership. Dr. Deberry earned her Doctor of Business Administration from UNC Charlotte’s Belk College of Business, and has research interests in entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence in small businesses, and succession planning. A skilled conference presenter on topics related to economic development, she is passionate about advancing wealth-building strategies in economically distressed communities.