Manwell Bynum
Head of Business Acceleration, Atrium Health
On November 1, 2021 Manwell Bynum joined Atrium Health as it’s first Head of Business Acceleration. In this executive role, Manwell ensures that Atrium Health’s economic mobility and inclusive purchasing decisions are economically viable and socially equitable, with a focus on bolstering local and national investments in Atrium Health communities with the highest needs. He has administrative oversight of enterprise business diversity strategy, sustainable sourcing and economic mobility efforts aligned to enterprise initiatives, including the Pearl Innovation District and the Atrium Health Center of Business Diversity and Entrepreneurship.
Manwell is a corporate veteran with over 20 years of engineering, operations, business development, government relations and leadership experience, working for blue chip companies such as Abbott Laboratories, Warner Lambert and Pfizer.
As founder of Connectivity Concepts, LLC, Manwell served as the President and CEO of the Charlotte-based research and economic development firm for 10 years. As a business development consultant, he has been responsible for promoting research capacity and economic development for the Office of Industry and Government Partnerships, directly contributing to business partner recruiting and retention, innovation, incubation, acceleration and commercialization. Manwell is also a founding member of Queen City Venture Partners, LLC, an angel investment group based in Charlotte.
Manwell is a past board director for Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas, and a past advisory board member for the Knight Foundation. He served on NC A&T’s Industry Cluster, and two terms on NC A&T’s Board of Visitors. He currently serves on the inaugural Executive Advisory Board for the Center of Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at N.C. A&T State University. He is also an advisory board member for the Charlotte Engineering Early College, a member of N.C. Biotech Advisory Committee for Biotechnology in Greater Charlotte, the advisory board for the NC Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation in STEM Pathways and Research Alliance (NC-LSAMP), and a member of the Economic Inclusion Task Force in Washington, D.C. In 2011, he received the Spirit of Shaw University Award from the Johnston County Arts Council for his service to Humanity, and in 2015 he was honored by YBM Leadership Alliance for his contributions to the Charlotte community. In 2023, Manwell represented North Carolina A&T as a NC HBCU Living Legend honoree, and that same year he was appointed to the NC Board of Science, Technology and Innovation by the Governor of NC. Earlier this year he was the recipient of the Black Business Ink POWER100 award, and most recently he received the Earl G. Reubel 2024 Civic Leader of the Year award.
Manwell holds a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, N.C., where he was the recipient of the National Alumni Scholarship, and a member of Epsilon Pi Tau Honor Society. He completed the Harvard Business School Association of Charlotte Management Development Program, and the Dartmouth Tuck School of Business Minority Executive Development Program. He is an American Leadership Forum Fellow and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
