Director of Strategic Partnerships & Innovation

Stone founded her first agricultural company at age 27 and continues her entrepreneurial adventures with her husband, Evan. Part of their portfolio includes owning and operating a farm outside of Lubbock, Texas. Cele serves as an iTTU Mentor, advising and integrating strategies for innovation within early-stage startups while leading efforts to help improve capacity for profitability and business growth. She has deep experience in building long lasting connections, bridging operational and engagement gaps between academic institutions and business communities by supporting their growth objectives and matching their needs with the appropriate educational opportunities.

Stone earned her Ph.D. in Agricultural Education and Communications from Texas Tech University while serving as the Innovation Development Manager at the Texas Tech Innovation Hub. There, she recruited and advanced start-up teams within the local innovation ecosystem. She graduated from Texas A&M University and earned her master’s at West Texas A&M.