Emily Fehrman Cory, PhD

Dr. Emily Fehrman Cory is an entrepreneur, physicist and technology commercialization leader with more than two decades of experience spanning photonics, advanced manufacturing, defense innovation and entrepreneurship. She is CEO and Co-Founder of Dayton Photonics Systems, where she leads the commercialization of THEIA™, a fiberless optical communications technology designed to deliver secure, high-speed connectivity where traditional fiber is difficult or impractical to deploy.

Previously, Emily held leadership roles at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), including serving as Director of the AFRL Maker Hub and working with America Makes, and later served as Faculty of Practice for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Dayton School of Engineering. She holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Electro-Optics from the University of Dayton and a B.S. in Physics from Thomas More University.

Her work focuses on moving breakthrough technologies from the laboratory into real-world applications, building partnerships among government, academia and industry, and expanding the infrastructure needed for the next generation of connectivity.