Georgia Tech’s Nakia Melecio Named Fulbright Scholar

For more than two decades, Nakia Melecio has helped researchers and entrepreneurs translate discoveries into real-world impact across biotechnology, aerospace, defense, energy, and medical technology. He's helped launch and scale more than 1,500 startups worldwide, delivered over 15,000 hours of mentorship and training, and contributed to securing more than $400 million in funding for research-driven ventures. He has also led collaborations with NIH, ARPA-H, DOE, NASA, USAID, and universities across the globe. All of that work has now culminated with his recent recognition of a Fulbright Scholar. 

“Being named a Fulbright Scholar is both an honor and opportunity to continue the work I love, helping transform breakthrough research into real-world impact,” said Melecio, director of NSF I-Corps Southeast Hub, director of Georgia Tech’s Center for MedTech Excellence, and principal at VentureLab. “This recognition allows me to collaborate with global partners, strengthen innovation ecosystems, and expand pathways that move discoveries out of the lab and into society.”

Expanding Georgia Tech’s Global Reach

With the Fulbright Scholar recognition, Melecio will share Georgia Tech’s Lab to Market framework with international partners. The seven-week program, which he designed at Georgia Tech, guides teams from lab validation to commercialization and prepares them with customer discovery insights, regulatory strategies, and investor readiness. While newly developed, the framework is already being used at Georgia Tech and will now be extended globally through the Fulbright program.

Through his Fulbright project, Melecio will strengthen global startup ecosystems, share best practices in technology transfer, and support the commercialization of breakthrough research to address urgent societal challenges. He aims to advance research translation, while also building sustainable systems that create industries, jobs, and new economies.

“Nakia’s Fulbright recognition underscores the global reach of Georgia Tech’s innovation ecosystem, and his leadership in international startup development exemplifies our commitment to creating technology that improves lives around the world,” said Raghupathy “Siva” Sivakumar, chief commercialization officer and vice president of Commercialization at Georgia Tech. “We are incredibly proud of Nakia for earning this prestigious honor and look forward to the continued impact of his work supporting entrepreneurs worldwide.”

The Fulbright Scholar Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international academic exchange initiative, designed to strengthen partnerships and foster cross-cultural collaboration. Through this award, Melecio will bring Georgia Tech’s commercialization expertise to global partners, working side by side with researchers and entrepreneurs to accelerate technologies that address urgent challenges in health, energy, and economic development. From Atlanta to Ghanna, Melecio’s work demonstrates the global reach of Georgia Tech’s innovation community.