David Knowles leads RENCI’s economic development programs. He develops partnerships that leverage technological resources and expertise to help North Carolina businesses compete and prosper in the knowledge age. Knowles came to RENCI from Georgia Tech, where he was the business development manager for the Southeastern Trade Adjustment Assistance Center, a division of the university’s Economic Development Institute. Previously, Knowles was vice president of operations for Interra International, Inc., an international food trading company, and chief operating officer of International Trade Management, Inc., an Atlanta area start-up that developed transactional software for the food industry. His sales, operations, and business development work have taken him to Russia, Eastern and Western Europe, the Caribbean and Asia. Knowles studied international relations at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, and has a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Missouri.
