Krista Covey

Krista Covey, MBA, CEO / President, First Flight Venture Center Krista’s passion is serving high-impact entrepreneurial ventures and helping them achieve success. She has been supporting the development and growth of early-stage companies through her work building and leading award-winning innovation hubs in Florida, Texas and North Carolina. She has an extensive background in banking and finance and has experience in business incubation and acceleration, strategic management, business development, marketing, economic development, economic gardening for high-growth science / tech companies, and public relations. As an entrepreneur at heart, she has also grown her own successful finance business with a profitable exit. Krista is a certified Business Incubator Manager with the International Business Innovation Association (InBIA) and served as Chair of the InBIA Executive Board of Directors. She currently served on the Board of NC IDEA, providing equitable economic development. She is part of the Startup Champions Network, driving long-term change by supporting innovation and entrepreneurship and working to reduce barriers for entrepreneurs, and has served on numerous community, startup and industry boards. Krista is a regular speaker on topics relating to business innovation, technology transfer, incubation, acceleration, mentoring programs, economic development, funding vehicles and other programs designed to transition ideas into profitable ventures that significantly impact our nation. Krista holds a B.S. in Business Marketing from Southeastern University and her Master’s in Business Administration from Saint Leo University.