Some grit. A little struggle. Persistence. And innovation. These are at the heart of the entrepreneurial journey, and that Think and Do spirit is at the core of the Wolfpack.

November is National Entrepreneurship month, and we’re highlighting NC State alumni-owned businesses and how alumni are using their degrees to impact their communities.

Anita McClernon ’89, ’92 | College of Sciences | bioMONTR Labs

Daniel McClernon ’92 | College of Sciences | bioMONTR Labs

Tell us about your business, how long you’ve been in business and your pathway to get there.

bioMONTR Labs is a clinical research laboratory based in Cary, North Carolina. For 18 years, we have supported new drug development, primarily in the antiviral therapeutic area. We provide novel biomarker testing using state-of-the-art technologies to detect and quantify markers of viral disease.

Over the years, we have supported clinical trials for numerous new therapies, including the latest long-acting, intramuscular HIV-1 therapies. Our pathway has been shaped by our willingness to adapt to the evolving needs of our clients and the pharmaceutical industry.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we initially began offering molecular COVID-19 RNA testing. We quickly recognized, however, that our expertise could have an even greater impact by helping laboratories around the world establish their own COVID-19 testing capabilities. We ultimately assisted more than 300 laboratories worldwide with instrumentation, reagents and validated testing protocols.

More recently, we have expanded our capabilities to include a range of novel hepatitis B virus biomarkers to support clinical trials evaluating innovative immunotherapies.

Our journey has been one of continuous evolution — using our scientific expertise, technology and industry experience to solve new challenges and help advance healthcare that can make a difference in patients’ lives.

What inspired you to start your business, and when did you know it was time to take the leap?

Mergers and restructuring aren’t always a bad thing. After 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry (Daniel) and 18 years in diagnostic manufacturing and regulatory affairs (Anita), we found ourselves at a point where we had the opportunity to take our combined experience in a new direction.

We decided to take the leap and launch bioMONTR Labs. We saw an opportunity to provide highly specialized testing that isn’t readily available through larger, big-box diagnostic laboratories.

What continues to inspire us is working closely with our clients, understanding their specific needs and developing solutions that support their research and drug development programs. As a small business, we can move quickly, adapt to changing needs and provide a level of personalized service that can be difficult to achieve in a larger organization.

For us, starting bioMONTR Labs was an opportunity to turn decades of industry experience into something of our own — and to build a company where scientific expertise, flexibility and client relationships are at the center of what we do.

What’s something you learned at NC State that has helped you as an entrepreneur?  

You often learn more from your failures than from your successes. One of the most valuable lessons we took from NC State was learning to look at unexpected or even negative results as opportunities to learn, adapt and find a better path forward. Sometimes negative data can lead to very positive results.

“Sometimes negative data can lead to very positive results.”

It may sound cliché, but realizing how to apply what we learned from our professors to real-world challenges has made a tremendous difference in our journey as entrepreneurs. At bioMONTR Labs, we’re constantly solving problems, adapting to new situations and using what we’ve learned to move forward. NC State gave us not only a strong technical foundation, but also the confidence to ask questions, learn from setbacks and turn challenges into opportunities.

What has been your biggest “Wolfpack moment” in building your business?

Our biggest Wolfpack moment has been the opportunity to give back to the university and the Wolfpack community that has given us so much. It has been incredibly rewarding to reconnect with NC State, share our experiences and perspectives and contribute our time and resources to help ensure future generations have access to a quality education and meaningful learning experiences.

For Anita, that connection is especially personal. She currently serves on the board of directors for the College of Sciences Foundation, and in 2018, she had the incredible honor of delivering the keynote address at the College of Sciences commencement. Who would have ever imagined that a farmer’s daughter from Harnett County, North Carolina — and a first-generation college graduate — would one day have the opportunity to address a graduating class at NC State? That was truly a full-circle Wolfpack moment.

For Daniel, that connection came while working full time and pursuing a degree in microbiology. Balancing both for several years required extraordinary perseverance, discipline and hard work. The grind of working and going to school simultaneously taught him an important lesson that has stayed with him throughout his career: One of the most important attributes for successfully running your own company is pure tenacity — the willingness to keep pushing forward, work relentlessly and never give up when faced with challenges.

“One of the most important attributes for successfully running your own company is pure tenacity.”

As bioMONTR Labs has grown, we’ve looked for opportunities to give back in ways that make a meaningful difference. We have donated instrumentation to several NC State researchers, which has allowed us to build relationships with faculty and research teams across the university.

We have also funded a scholarship to support students in the College of Sciences and participated in the 2026 Day of Giving campaign to help secure funding for the Mary Christine McGahan Student Leadership Endowment, honoring Dean Emeritus Chris McGahan. The endowment supports professional coaching, peer-to-peer mentoring and travel for leadership training.

For us, entrepreneurship has created an opportunity not only to build a business, but also to give back to a university and a community that played such an important role in our lives. That may be our biggest Wolfpack moment of all.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to an NC State student or alum who wants to start a business?  

Find something you genuinely love to do, and then give it everything you’ve got. Have passion for your product, your idea and the problem you’re trying to solve. Starting a business takes hard work, persistence and a willingness to take risks. No risk, no reward.

Just as importantly, don’t try to do it all on your own. Surround yourself with good people and be willing to listen, ask questions and learn from those around you. You can learn something from everyone you meet, and some of the most valuable lessons may come from people you least expect.

Believe in what you’re building, stay open to learning and don’t be afraid to take the leap.

What does “Think and Do” mean to you as an entrepreneur?

For us, “Think and Do” means turning a good idea into action. When you believe you have an idea that can make a difference, don’t just think about it; act on it.

As an entrepreneur, I believe input equals output. The more time, energy, thought and effort you invest, the greater the potential for results. But “Do” doesn’t mean acting without thinking. Be thoughtful, do your homework, take calculated risks and then be willing to take that first step.

And don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Mistakes are inevitable when you’re building something new; what matters is that you learn from them, adapt and keep moving forward.

Think. Do. Learn. Adapt. Repeat. That’s what “Think and Do” means to us as entrepreneurs.

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