Growing up in Cary, North Carolina, Zain Khan never imagined he would build a career in textiles, but one unexpected choice changed everything.

Today, the proud Wilson College of Textiles graduate is a celebrated leader in the textile industry and serves as the vice president of commercial at Everra, formerly Stein Fibers. In this position, Khan plays an instrumental role in leading the firm’s ambitious organic growth goals and commercial strategy across the global supply chain.

This spring, in recognition of his professional achievements, community involvement and alignment with the Wilson College of Textiles’ core values, Khan was named a recipient of the 2026 Distinguished Young Alumni Award.

Established by the college’s Dean’s Young Alumni Leadership Council (DYALC), the Distinguished Young Alumni Awards program recognizes graduates under the age of 40 who have made significant contributions to the textile industry and their communities. The DYALC works to promote the Wilson College of Textiles and the college’s fundraising arm, the North Carolina Textile Foundation, and foster engagement among young alumni.

Khan’s journey to this recognition began years earlier, when he first discovered the Wilson College of Textiles.

From a free lunch to finding his future in textiles

Khan’s path to the Wilson College of Textiles started with something simple: free food.

While living in Bowen Hall as a first-year student, Khan and his roommate hopped on the Wolfline bus to attend an event at the Wilson College, mostly because lunch was included. What they found instead was a community that felt different.

“They talked about job placement, the companies graduates worked for and how close students were with their professors,” Khan says. “That really stuck with me.”

He enrolled in the textile technology program in 2007, and he could be found playing pick-up basketball at Carmichael Gym when he wasn’t studying. In 2010, he earned a bachelor’s degree in textile technology with a concentration in supply chain management.

What surprised Khan most was how personal the college felt. His professors knew him by name, classes were small and students genuinely supported one another.

“It felt like a family,” Khan explains. “It didn’t feel like you were just another number.”

He later returned to his alma mater while working full time at Everra to earn a Master of Textiles in 2016. An MBA from Wake Forest University in 2017 complemented his extensive textile education.

Khan credits four former Textiles faculty members with shaping how he works today.

• Alumni Association Distinguished Undergraduate Professor Jeff Joines, who serves as the associate dean for academic programs, faculty excellence and student success
• Professor Emeritus George Hodge
• Former Professor Russell Gorga
• Charles A. Cannon Professor Emeritus Moon Suh
• Professor Emeritus Jon Rust

“There was a level of precision expected,” he says. “One professor once told me, ‘Close isn’t good enough.’ That stuck with me.”

Turning early chances into long-term success

Khan began his career at Nicca U.S.A., Inc., a specialty chemical company that develops high-performance chemicals for the textile, nonwoven and automotive industries. He started as a sales assistant in 2011, when jobs were hard to come by.

He spent those early days doing anything he could to help, including grabbing coffee for coworkers, until an unexpected opportunity appeared. When an account manager retired, Khan was asked to fill in temporarily.

“I told them, ‘What if I do a really good job?’” he says, laughing.

He did more than fill in. Khan grew the company’s automotive business and won Nicca’s Business Growth Yearly Award in 2013, which, in turn, helped him earn a permanent role.

Later, his goal transitioned to wanting to better understand how products were made. From there, Khan moved into product development at Tietex International, Ltd., a global manufacturer known for innovative stitch-bonded nonwoven fabrics used in mattresses, automotive interiors and fire-resistant barriers.

In 2014, he joined Stein Fibers, now Everra, as an account manager. The firm manufactures and distributes sustainable synthetic fibers and recycled polymers for industries ranging from bedding to automotive. 

Over the next decade, Khan quickly rose through the leadership ranks, from account manager to director of automotive markets, and, in 2021, he joined the executive leadership team as the company’s vice president of commercial. Today, Everra is the sustainability-focused market leader for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers and polymers in North America, and Khan was vital to that success. 

“I didn’t have some perfect roadmap,” Khan says. “I just kept showing up, learning and taking chances when they came.”

Still bleeding red and white

Even as his career grew, Khan stayed connected to NC State.

He served on the Wilson College of Textiles’ Dean’s Young Alumni Leadership Council, where he provided invaluable guidance to Dean David Hinks and the North Carolina Textile Foundation, from 2018 to 2024. Later, he was invited to join the college’s Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management Industry Advisory Board. 

“As a student, it’s hard to see the big picture,” Khan shares. “You don’t realize how strong your education is until you’re out there using it every day.”

In 2023, Khan and his wife, Sarah, decided to give back to the college that had given him so much. Their Khan Family Scholarship will greatly impact students at the Wilson College who are facing financial need.

“I wouldn’t be here without NC State,” Khan says. “So giving back just made sense.”

When he learned he had been selected for the 2026 Distinguished Young Alumni Award, Khan was stunned.

“I truly didn’t expect it,” he says. “I’m really honored.” 

Khan credits his strong relationship with leaders at Everra for their continued support and belief in him.

For Khan, the award is not a finish line. It is another way to stay involved. Everra participates in on-campus career fairs, actively engaging prospective hires to support emerging talent.

“If this recognition helps support students and elevate the message of the college,” he says, “then that’s what really matters.”