Meet the Two New Forces Joining CED’s Founder-in-Residence Program!
One of the greatest privileges in my role at CED is getting to work with an incredibly talented and diverse group of experienced founders and operators. These individuals have not only built companies—they’ve weathered the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, navigated big decisions, and come out the other side with hard-won wisdom. Even more inspiring? They’re eager to share that wisdom with the next generation of founders.
That’s why I’m thrilled to announce two outstanding additions to our Founder-In-Residence (FIR) Program—a cornerstone of how we support scaling companies across North Carolina.
Welcome Leah Townsend and Tyson Nargassans!
Leah Townsend – MedTech Innovator & Commercialization Expert
Leah brings a rare combination of deep scientific expertise and sharp business acumen. She’s a seasoned executive in life sciences, medical devices, and neurotechnology—fields where science and innovation meet serious commercialization challenges.
Since 2019, Leah has led Pulvinar Neuro, a UNC spinout she re-founded out of the Department of Psychiatry and then sold to EPI in 2022. Under her leadership, the company secured over $4.5 million in non-dilutive funding, earned the FDA’s Breakthrough Device Designation, and forged strategic partnerships across academia and industry.
Leah will now be working closely with CED and our network on MedTech and university technology commercialization—two critical growth areas in our region. We’re lucky to have her perspective and passion onboard.
Tyson Nargassans – Software Founder & Growth Strategist
Tyson is the kind of leader who thrives in high-growth environments—and brings others along for the ride. A team-first founder and executive, Tyson built a $10M+ B2B software company in data analytics and customer engagement before joining CureMint, where he played a key role in its acquisition.
His expertise spans go-to-market strategy, revenue growth, customer engagement, partnerships, investor relations, and team-building. In his own words, he’s driven by “learning, growing, and advancing at a rapid pace”—and he’s passionate about helping other founders do the same.
At CED, Tyson will be an invaluable asset for founders scaling software and SaaS ventures, particularly those preparing for fundraising or exit.
Get Connected
Want to learn more about how CED and our FIRs can help your company grow and succeed? Reach out to: JP Maloney – jmaloney@cednc.org or Preet Mankad – pmankad@cednc.org
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Our Founder-In-Residence program is made possible thanks to the generous support of our CED community. To see the impact we’re making together, check out our Impact Report.
Interested in supporting CED or the FIR program? We would love to talk—email Jay Bigelow directly at jbigelow@cednc.org. Let’s keep building something incredible together.
