Our Team

Carol Stewart has extensive expertise in university-based economic development that spans decades and nations specifically through her work with research parks, technology commercialization, incubation, governmental relations and business development. She was one of the pioneers that led the innovation boom in Waterloo, Canada and brings that same enthusiasm to the growing innovation ecosystem in Southern Arizona. She is a community champion and participates on several boards, including serving on the board of directors for Desert Angels.

Eric Smith has more than a decade’s worth of technology commercialization experience and a passion for entrepreneurship. He came to the UACI after serving as the commercialization network manager for Tech Launch Arizona (TLA) where he was responsible for moving UA research and technological innovation into the marketplace. An entrepreneur in his own right, Smith has started, developed and has sold a startup company. He holds a BSBA in business management and entrepreneurship, and an MBA from UArizona.

Anita Bell has been in the incubation and commercialization industry for over 15 years and holds the Entrepreneurship Center Management Certificate and the Rural Incubation Lite Certificate from the International National Business Incubation Association (InBIA) She knows firsthand that “it takes a village” to raise a company. As director, she oversees strategy, daily operations, client services, programs, and mentors companies and supports fundraising efforts.

Casey Carrillo is the Assistant Director for the University of Arizona Center for Innovation. Carrillo is responsible for managing the incubator’s regional cohort-based programming and Sponsored Launch program which provides scholarships for startups in coordination with community financial support. She also facilitates the American Made Challenge programming in coordination with the Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Lab. She is instrumental in brand enhancement through her work in social media and other marketing initiatives. Additionally, Carrillo manages UACI’s student internship program and assists UACI’s director on varying aspects of programming related to the incubator’s companies.

Iselda Mendez is the primary point of contact and is responsible for general office management, onboarding new startups, incubator logistics and supporting UACI’s Executive Director. She is a highly experienced professional with over 30 years in inventory control, office management, and administration. Having held positions in the catalogue mail-order, automobile, telemarketing/call center, and pharmaceutical industries, Iselda is able to tailor her skills to meet the specific needs of multiple clients. She is also our resident expert in event planning.

Amanda Buchanan primarily works on the American Made Challenges – a Department of Energy funded program. The University of Arizona Center for Innovation is a Power Connector for this program. Buchanan has an extensive background in program coordination, marketing and communications. In her previous experience, she led the rollout of an association rebranding, managed large-scale projects with private, municipal and nonprofit organizations and helped to manage a large federal grant. Most recently she provided Project Coordination for a developing nonprofit working with state departments, hospitals, city officials and local nonprofits.

Steven Wood brings 25 years of startup and executive management experience to the team. Steven has helped two startups grow and have successful exits. He’s been a mentor for numerous teams in the NSF I-Corps site and TEAMS programs supporting their customer discovery process. Wood received his electrical engineering degree from Northeastern University in Boston. Through his co-op period with The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he worked as a systems engineer for RCA Aerospace Systems in Burlington, Massachusetts; Somerville, New Jersey; and Mountaintop, Pennsylvania. He received undergraduate and graduate degrees in business administration.

Susan Garber works with incubator entrepreneurs to lay the strategic foundation for internal and external branding, marketing and communications, which aids in securing grants and other funding opportunities. She comes to UACI with years of experience helping companies large and small identify and execute their marketing strategy.  

Jody Yarbrough meets regularly with incubator entrepreneurs to assist them with accounting and finance operations for their startups. She is a certified public accountant and a serial chief financial officer with extensive experience in the healthcare space.

Devon Underwood assists UACI entrepreneurs in developing recruitment and onboarding strategies. He also teaches them how to establish and utilize a board of directors. Underwood has over 15 years of experience working with organizations to help them grow their teams. She also leads her own business, The Talent Store.

Sonia Vohnout helps entrepreneurs seeking government awards and is primarily focused on Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Vohnout is one of Southern Arizona’s top experts on the proposal and management of the awards and has a proven track record of helping companies succeed.