Nearly 850 business and community leaders packed the Raleigh Convention Center on Feb. 24 at Wake Tech’s ninth-annual Ignite celebration. Hosted by the Wake Tech Foundation, the event showcased the life‑changing impact of education and the innovative ways the college and its partners are helping learners. Wake Tech biotechnology instructor Dr. Mike Nicholson emceed the event, which featured speakers including students Armani Evans, Addison Brooks, Tiffany Harrell and José Fabre Jr., as well as East Carolina University chancellor Dr. Phillip Rogers and Filotimo Foundation founder Pete Proimos.

This article originally appeared in the May 2026 issue of WALTER magazine.