About Darlene.

Doctor of Business Administration. Senior Economic Development Manager.
Bridging the gap between academic research and rural reality.

Darlene Deberry

Education

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
UNC Charlotte, 2023
MS, Urban Policy Analysis
The New School, NY

Professional Philosophy

With over 20 years of experience, I support public-sector partners in advancing rural economic development through entrepreneurship support, AI-enabled planning, and leadership capacity-building.

My work relies on both academic rigor and "boots on the ground" reality. Whether managing $78M budgets for academic programs or helping a small rural business owner fix their credit to qualify for an SBA loan, the goal is the same: sustainable economic opportunities for all.

Experience Highlights

Senior Economic Development Manager

NCGrowth – UNC Chapel Hill | 2023 – Present

Managing student analysis to produce economic development feasibility studies and rural incubator strategies. Expert in women-owned business research.

Business Solutions Officer

Carolina Small Business Development Fund | 2021 – 2023

Leading producer of loans, adding over $1MM+ in loan opportunities. Logged 100+ hours of technical assistance in a single quarter.

Franchise Owner / Business Manager

D & D Legacy Group, LLC | 2006 – 2019

Owned and operated two franchise locations, managing annual budgets of $750K and hiring/training core teams of up to 60 staff.

Program Coordinator & Portfolio Manager

NC Rural Economic Development Center

Credited with reducing loan portfolio defaults by 12% in the first year through improved technical assistance and screenings.

Selected Publications

  • Deberry, D. J. (2025). The Entrepreneurship Alternative: Creating a post-opioid settlement economic development agenda. Presented at Kenan Institute Conference.
  • Deberry, D. J. (2024). Artificial Intelligence for Small Business Development. Kenan Institute Insight.