Operators, founders, researchers, investors, educators, and advisors.

Chelsea De Luna serves as Director of Marketing & Communications for SC Forge, where she leads brand strategy, founder storytelling, public engagement, and organizational communications. Her background includes marketing leadership, strategic communications, digital engagement, and brand development.

At SC Forge, Chelsea is responsible for amplifying the organization's voice while helping founders communicate effectively with customers, investors, policymakers, and community stakeholders.

Dr. Bradley Edwards is a physicist, inventor, entrepreneur, and technology commercialization leader with decades of experience advancing breakthrough innovations from concept to practical application. His work spans advanced materials, aerospace systems, energy technologies, carbon nanotubes, oceanographic systems, and space exploration.

As a Strategic Advisor to SC Forge, Dr. Edwards provides guidance on research commercialization, deep technology ventures, advanced materials, scientific innovation, and the transition of breakthrough discoveries from laboratory research to commercial markets.

Brent Hoover is an entrepreneur, educator, business consultant, and creative strategist with extensive experience helping founders transform ideas into sustainable businesses. His background spans entrepreneurship, higher education, strategic planning, business analytics, and founder development.

As a Strategic Advisor to SC Forge, Brent provides guidance on entrepreneurship, business strategy, founder development, market positioning, and growth planning.

Henry "Hal" Johnson III is one of the Southeast's leading experts in economic development, industrial site selection, corporate expansion, and incentive strategy. His work has supported major manufacturers, logistics providers, and industrial users across the United States.

As a Strategic Advisor to SC Forge, Hal provides guidance on industrial growth, manufacturing expansion, site selection, economic development strategy, infrastructure planning, and incentive optimization.

Jackie Trail Kohlhepp is an entrepreneur, workforce strategist, and talent development leader dedicated to helping organizations build stronger teams, develop future leaders, and create pathways to opportunity.

As a Strategic Advisor to SC Forge, Jackie provides guidance on workforce development, talent acquisition, leadership development, organizational culture, and human capital strategy.

Chris Petrella is a nationally recognized commercialization strategist focused on venture execution, non-dilutive capital formation, and economic development. His work has helped founders, researchers, and technology companies secure millions of dollars in capital, commercialize innovation, and build scalable enterprises.

Chris founded SC Forge to address a critical gap in the innovation ecosystem: the lack of structured venture execution infrastructure capable of transforming innovation into measurable economic outcomes.

Tabytha Studebaker serves as Director of Founder Success & Regional Operations for SC Forge, where she leads founder engagement, venture support, cohort operations, and regional ecosystem development initiatives.

Working directly with founders, Tabby helps entrepreneurs navigate commercialization challenges, strengthen growth strategies, improve capital readiness, connect with resources, and maintain accountability throughout the venture execution process.