2024 ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
BIOCT ENTREPRENEUR AWARD ABOUT THE
The Entrepreneur of the Year Award was established by BioCT and Shipman and Goodwin in 2013 to acknowledge the importance of showcasing the unique accomplishments of entrepreneurs in our community. The award recognizes individuals who are imaginative, passionate and game-changers in Connecticut bioscience.
SELECTION FACTORS CONSIDERED
An outstanding innovator who has:
• Demonstrated leadership in advancing the pursuit of scientific breakthroughs applied to real-world problems
• Built and funded a successful/disruptive business model for a company based in life or health sciences, information technology or medical devices
• Made exceptional contributions to the growth of Connecticut’s bioscience cluster
• Demonstrated collegiality, openness to mentoring and sharing of experiences
2024 SELECTION COMMITTEE
DORMER STEPHEN, J.D.
Partner | Shipman & Goodwin LLP
Chair of the Selection Committee
Entrepreneur of the Year Award Sponsor
Dormer Stephen is chair of the law firm Shipman’s Business and Corporate Practice Group and focuses on advising emerging growth companies and investors in the life sciences, technology, financial services, and manufacturing industries. In the life sciences sector alone, Dormer has worked with hundreds of biotechnology companies whose research activities, products, and services include biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, drug delivery, genomics, healthcare informatics, medical devices, nanotechnology, pharmaceuticals, therapeutics, and vaccines. He is actively involved in the Connecticut biotechnology community and serves as a member of the board of directors of BioCT.
ROB BETTIGOLE, MPPM
Founder & Managing Partner | Elm Street Ventures
Founder and Managing Partner of Elm Street Ventures (ESV), Rob currently serves on the boards of BioCT, the New Haven Innovation Collaborative, P2 Science (where he is Chairman), and Allyx Therapeutics. Earlier in his career, he ran an infrastructure business, helped found several start-ups, and was a venture capitalist with Rothschild Inc. and Investor AB. He received a B.S. in Engineering and Applied Science from Yale University and an MPPM from the Yale School of Management, where he is currently a Lecturer but has also been an Executive Fellow and Entrepreneur in Residence there. Rob served on the Operating Board of the Yale Entrepreneurial Institute from its inception in 2007 and he’s on the Investment Committee of the College Street Innovation Fund, which Elm Street Ventures also manages. He is an Entrepreneur in Residence at Yale Ventures. Additionally, he’s a licensed professional engineer and holds several U.S. and foreign patents.
COLLEEN CUFFARO, PH.D.
Partner | Canaan
At Canaan, an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in entrepreneurs with visionary ideas, Colleen’s investment focus is early-stage biopharmaceutical companies. In her time at Canaan, Colleen helped launch the Canaan-Yale Fellowship program. Since 2017, she has served on the New England Venture Capital Association board. Previously, Colleen worked as a chemist at PMRS, Inc. (Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Research Services, Inc). She holds a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Physiology from Yale University and a B.A. in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania.
2024 SELECTION
BRIAN DOWD, PH.D.
Director, Investments | Connecticut Innovations (CI)
Brian is director of investments on the bioscience team at CI. He has more than 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including seed round startups, and he comes to CI from Pfizer, where he provided business development support for the Nurtec franchise. Previously, he worked at two successful Connecticut Innovations–backed companies, Biohaven Pharmaceuticals and Kleo Pharmaceuticals.
After earning his Ph.D. at Yale, he began his career in oncology and neurology research, later moving into business development and portfolio strategy roles in Utah’s pharmaceutical sector. He returned to his home state of Connecticut, where he is passionate about continuing the growth of the state’s biotech community.
JODIE GILLON
President & CEO | BioCT
Jodie Gillon brings over 25 years of experience in large pharma and biotech, having started her career in advocacy and hospitals in the U.S. and abroad. She is sought after as an advisor to Incubators and Innovation Centers and a consultant for biotech, AI, RWE, digital health, and non-profit organizations. Most recently, Jodie served as the SVP of Corporate Affairs and Patient Advocacy, building out the Patient, Medical, and Corporate Affairs functions at Peptilogics, a Phase I, and Machine Learning startup. She holds a Master’s of Public Health with a dual degree in Health Economics and Epidemiology from Hebrew University in Jerusalem and a BSFS from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. She serves on several industry-wide Boards and Committees, has published and spoken externally across various topics, and mentors students and female professionals across our industry.
MORAG GRASSIE, PH.D.
Director, The Blavatnik Fund for Innovation at Yale | Yale Ventures
Dr. Morag Grassie is the Director of the Blavatnik Fund for Innovation at Yale. She has over 30 years of experience in the pharma industry, entrepreneurship, and academic research. After graduating from Glasgow University with a BSc in molecular biology and a Ph.D. in virology, Dr. Grassie held positions in the pharmaceutical industry and a Yale biotech start-up before joining Yale in 2018. She has advised, expanded, and advanced the portfolio of Blavatnik proposals and projects. In 2020, she co-founded amplifyHERScience, an initiative within Yale Ventures to advance parity of Yale entrepreneurs to reflect the diversity of the community and ensure innovation support is utilized by all.
COMMITTEE
BRUCE T. LIANG, M.D.
Dean | UConn School of Medicine
Director, Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center | UConn Health
Dr. Bruce T. Liang is an internationally recognized cardiovascular physician-scientist and national leader in academic medicine. He is the UConn School of Medicine dean and the Ray Neag Distinguished Professor of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine. As dean, he has UConn’s advancement of medicine, medical education, and research to new heights. Widely published in cardiac myocyte, intact heart biology, and heart failure translational research, his latest research investigations have developed a new potential medication for advanced heart failure patients. This research, jointly performed with scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has received patents from the U.S. and E.U. Dr. Liang received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard in biochemistry and molecular biology and his medical degree from Harvard Medical College. He has been consistently named one of America’s Top Doctors and Best Doctors in America for cardiovascular disease care.
USHA PILLAI, PH.D., PMP
Founder & President | Aria Management Consulting, LLC
Dr. Usha Pillai is the Founder and President of Aria Management Consulting, LLC, specializing in critical thinking, strategic planning, business operations, and program management. With over three decades in the pharmaceutical industry, academia, and consulting, she has deep knowledge of the life sciences industry and a passion for entrepreneurship and education.
She is also a senior consultant for Leading Now, an organization dedicated to leadership development and advancement of diversity at all the levels in an organization. Dr. Pillai serves on the Connecticut Bioscience Growth Council, on the Boards of Garde Arts Center in New London, CT and the Interfaith Volunteer Care Givers of Greater New Haven (IVCG).
Prior to founding Aria Management Consulting, she held various positions with increasing responsibilities and complexities at Pfizer, Inc. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Dr. Pillai holds a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy; an Executive Masters in Technology Management; and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences. She trained as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ.
2024 ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR KAT KAYSER-BRICKER, PH.D.
Chief Scientific Officer, Halda Therapeutics
Visionary Work in Life Sciences
Dr. Kat Kayser-Bricker is an accomplished drug discovery leader with experience across several therapeutic areas and target families, with core expertise in small molecule cancer drug discovery. She has a long record of work with women in biology and contributions to Connecticut’s life sciences ecosystem. Currently, Dr. Kayser-Bricker is Chief Scientific Officer at Halda Therapeutics, an organization that specializes in anti-cancer therapies. At Halda, she is responsible for scientific and corporate strategy, directing the use of the organization’s $126 million in funding for oncology research. She oversaw the development of Regulated Induced Proximity Targeting Chimeras (RIPTAC) therapeutics, a novel drug modality for treating cancer.
Dr. Kayser-Bricker is a volunteer leader on the steering committee for the Executive Women in Bio Connecticut chapter, the co-chair of the BioLaunch Advisory Committee for the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, a Board member of Modifi Bio and a member of the BioCT Board of Directors. Previously, she spent 10 years as a key scientific leader at FORMA Therapeutics, a public company that was acquired in 2022 by Novo Nordisk for $1.1 billion. She held several roles with increasing responsibility, including Head of Early Discovery Chemistry where she was part of a three-person leadership team responsible for target nomination and validation, hit finding, and nomination for portfolio. She is a champion for innovation and led several technology initiatives and was part of the team that developed FORMA’s first drug candidate that was exclusively licensed to Celgene in 2018. She received her Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Yale University and her B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Maryland, College Park.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
2023 ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
STEPHEN
BLOCH,
M.D.
Dr. Bloch is Co-founder and CEO/Chairman of EvolveImmune Therapeutics, a leader in next generation immuno-oncology therapeutics designed to extend the depth and durability of patient treatments. He is also Cofounder and CEO/Chairman of Allyx Therapeutics, whose lead programs are nearing phase 2 testing in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients.
As a general partner at Canaan, Dr. Bloch helped start and finance leading healthcare companies for nearly 20 years. He has served on the boards of companies in biopharma, digital health, medical devices and diagnostics, often as board chairman. Before joining Canaan in 2002, he helped create multiple start-ups, including RMS, one of the first radiology benefits companies where he was CEO. Previously, Dr. Bloch was a strategic pharmaceutical consultant for Arthur D. Little and an Ewing Marion Kauffman Fellow. He is currently chairman of the board at Liquidia (LQDA-NASDAQ) and a member of Dartmouth-Geisel Medical School’s Board of Advisors.
Dr. Bloch obtained his AB from Dartmouth, a MA in the history of science from Harvard, and his medical degree from the University of Rochester. He completed his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital/ Harvard Medical School (radiology) and Lenox Hill Hospital/Cornell Medical School (internal medicine). He grew up in Rochester NY. A frustrated Buffalo Bills fan and a burgeoning pickleball player, he is married to Jennifer Gabler and has three children: Haley and Toby, both college students, and Alex who is a captain in the US Army.
2022 ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
RANJIT S. BINDRA, M.D., PH.D.
Dr. Ranjit Bindra of Yale University is an internationally recognized academic physician-scientist at the Yale School of Medicine. He has founded and/or co-founded several companies, including Alphina Therapeutics, Cybrexa Therapeutics, and Modifi Bio., based on work from his laboratory and collaborators at Yale.
WHERE ARE
Dr. Bindra has focused his career on the discovery, translation, and development of novel therapeutics for patients with cancer. In addition to being the scientific founder of companies, he has played an active role in operationalizing them and recruiting world-class teams of employees and scientific advisors. He has led large multi-disciplinary teams across the U.S. and the world, translating work from the laboratory directly into “bench-to-bedside” clinical trials.
He sits on the Yale Ventures Advisory Board and the board of Yale’s amplifyHERScience, and he teaches/ lectures at the Yale School of Medicine on entrepreneurship from the academic founder perspective. In addition, Dr. Bindra was involved in the launch of the Elm City Bioscience Center, working with the Hurley Group as a founding tenant of the building for Modifi Bio. He was instrumental in moving his Yale-based startup, Alphina Therapeutics, back to New Haven from New York City to also reside at the Elm City BioScience Center.
2021 ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
JONATHAN ROTHBERG, PH.D.
Dr. Rothberg is a serial entrepreneur who founded 4Catalyzer and has founded and led several other Connecticut bioscience initiatives. He founded CuraGen in 1991 while a graduate student at Yale. In 2000, he founded 454 Life Sciences, which brought a new method for sequencing genomes to market. Dr. Rothberg went on to invent semiconductor chipbased sequencing, and to found such diverse companies as Ion Torrent, Clarifi, RainDance Technologies, OrphAI Therapeutics (previously AI Therapeutics), Quantum-Si, Hyperfine, Detect, and Butterfly Network.
In 2021 alone, he took three of his companies public: Butterfly Network (NASD: BFLY), the developer of the world’s first ultrasound-on-a-chip; Quantum-Si (NASD: QSI), which expands the frontier of protein sequencing; and Hyperfine (NASD: $HYPR), the creator of the world’s first portable MRI. After spending most of his life in New England, Dr. Rothberg and his family recently moved to Miami, where he is seeking to drive innovation at the University of Miami’s College of Engineering.
2021 RISING ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR NICOLE WAGNER, PH.D.
Dr. Wagner is President and CEO of LambdaVision, a startup developing a protein-based artificial retina. She received BioCT’s first Rising Entrepreneur of the Year award, which acknowledges exceptional startups and founders and celebrates their impact within the life science ecosystem in Connecticut and beyond.
Since taking on the CEO role, Dr. Wagner has managed and coordinated the efforts of several experienced scientists, entrepreneurs, and industry experts to develop the company’s artificial retina technology and commercialization strategies while participating actively in many of Connecticut’s bioscience and technology organizations.
She has successfully driven the commercialization of the company’s technology and led LambdaVision at its pre-IND meeting with the FDA. Under Dr. Wagner’s leadership, LambdaVision forged a successful partnership with NASA and the International Space Station, becoming the first organization to perform layer-by-layer manufacturing experiments on the space station, work that could establish a foundation for products that have direct clinical benefit.
2020 ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
ERIC SCHADT, PH.D.
Sema4 (WGS), a patient-centered health intelligence company, was founded by Eric Schadt, Ph.D. Under Dr. Schadt’s leadership as CEO, Sema4 saw aggressive growth: closing its first round of outside financing in August 2019, second round 12 months later; SPAC merger agreement five months afterward; and a public company six months after that; and a merger agreement with GeneDx roughly six months after going public.
WHERE ARE
In August 2022, Dr. Schadt decided to step away and return to a more science-focused role, continuing at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai as the Dean for Precision Medicine and Professor in Predictive Health and Computational Biology. Here, he continues to leverage existing and growing stores of NGSbased genomic and other multiomic data, longitudinal clinical data, and digital health information to better enable patients in partnership with their physicians to receive precision medicine/health as the standard of care. His work continues to focus on constructing predictive models of disease that link molecular biology to physiology to enable clinical medicine.
2019 ENTREPRENEURS OF THE YEAR SEAN MACKAY,
M.B.A.
Sean MacKay was CEO and co-founder of Branford-based IsoPlexis (NASD: ISO). At the time, he was honored for raising $40 million in growth capital for the then venture-backed startup, and more than $10 million in grants. He led IsoPlexis, which developed cell-based proteomic systems and biomarkers that help predict cancer patient response to various novel immunotherapies and cellular therapies, through building a team and board, product development, commercialization, IPO, and its eventual sale in 2023.
Today, MacKay is an operating partner at Casdin Capital, LLC, a New York-based research investment firm focused on innovations in molecular medicine currently reshaping Life Sciences and healthcare. In addition, he is a co-founding board director of Abbratech Inc., founded in 2020 in Branford, Connecticut, by a team of experienced and successful life science industry researchers.
Passionate about engaging the scientific and medical community, he has co-authored 20 peer-reviewed scientific publications, including multiple publications in Cell, Nature Medicine, and Science Translational Medicine, and presented key findings at numerous conferences.
ERIKA SMITH, M.B.A.
While CEO of ReNetX Bio, Erika Smith received the award. Smith was cited for raising more than $25 million in capital for ReNetX and for her leadership in advancing the company’s technology to treat spinal cord injuries into clinical trials. Today, Smith is the CEO of EpiTET Therapeutics which is focused on Immunology and Inflammation selectively targeting pathogenic macrophages using molecular glues. She holds board roles at BioCT and BIO, as well as chairing the Bioscience Collaborative. In addition, Smith is an invited TedX presenter, received an Innovation
THEY NOW?
Award from Senator Chris Murphy, and co-authored a playbook for best practices of “Empowering Women Entrepreneurs” sponsored by JPMorgan Chase (INBIA).
Over the last 25 years, Erika successfully advanced dozens of companies and technologies in life sciences by leading the launch of three investment funds: the Blavatnik Fund for Innovation at Yale, the YEI (Yale) Innovation Fund, and the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) BioLife Fund in partnership with Johnson & Johnson.
2018 ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
JOHN G. HOUSTON, PH.D.
Dr. Houston received the award while President and CEO of Arvinas (NASD: ARVN), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing first-in-class protein degradation therapeutics for cancers and other difficult-to-treat diseases. Under his leadership, Dr. Houston has substantially grown the company and expanded its employment base in New Haven. He now serves as Chairperson of the Board in addition to his leadership roles.
Previously, he was Chief Scientific Officer and President of Research and Development at Arvinas, and before that, he was an executive at Bristol-Myers Squib, where his career spanned 18 years. Dr. Houston currently serves on the boards of NextCure, Inc., Oerth Bio, Cybrexa Therapeutics, and BioCT.
2017 ENTREPRENEURS OF THE YEAR
JENNIFER GOOD
Jennifer Good is a co-founder of Trevi Therapeutics (NASDAQ: TRVI), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing the investigational oral therapy Haduvio™ (nalbuphine ER). Since the company’s inception in March 2011, she has served as a member of the Board of Directors and as President and Chief Executive Officer. Good has served on the board of Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company, since June 2019. Previously, Good served on the board of Juniper Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly traded healthcare company, from September 2017 until Catalent, Inc. acquired it in August 2018. Good has also served as a board member of Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA), a patient advocacy group advancing treatments for the cure of Friedreich’s Ataxia, since 2011.
WHERE ARE
VLAD CORIC, M.D.
Dr. Coric, CEO and Director of Biohaven, has led the company in the pursuit of its bold vision from an entrepreneurial startup to a modern, publicly traded company listed on the NYSE (BHVN). His leadership translated into dramatic growth for the company, from its initial pre-money valuation of about $6M to the sale of the company for $13B in total considerations. The company focuses on scientific innovation and has a broad therapeutic portfolio of early- and late-stage product candidates targeting neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases, including rare disorders, with few or no treatment options. These include epilepsy, pain and mood disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA), and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). In February 2022, Dr. Coric led Biohaven’s acquisition of a novel Kv7 channel targeting platform — adding the latest advances in ion-channel modulation to Biohaven’s neuroscience portfolio.
Since July 2001, Dr. Coric has continued to serve as an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine. He previously served as the inpatient chief of the Yale Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit and the director of the Yale Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Research Clinic. He has served as president of the Connecticut Psychiatric Society.
2016 ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
MICHAEL WEINER, PH.D.
Dr. Weiner received the award while with Abcam (NASDAQ: ABCM), the leading supplier of protein research tools to life scientists. Currently, he is the founder and CEO of Abbratech and Precision Biotools, developing recombinant antibodies with a targeted precision not obtainable using any other available means.
Dr. Weiner is a serial scientific entrepreneur, having founded or been among the first scientists at several biotechnology companies, including RainDance Technologies, 454 Life Sciences, Affomix, AxioMx, GnuBio, and Encodia. He received the Citetab Lifetime Achievement award in 2019.
Through his companies and professional activities, during his 16 years living in Connecticut, Dr. Weiner has contributed time, energy, and resources to training and mentoring numerous bioscience and biobusiness professionals who are enriching the Connecticut bioscience cluster. Michael’s company AxioMx was purchased by Abcam in 2015.
THEY NOW?
2015 ENTREPRENEURS OF THE YEAR MILIND DESHPANDE, PH.D.
Dr. Deshpande received the award for his company, Achillion Pharmaceuticals’ work in developing a new drug targeting the Hepatitis C virus.
Deshpande joined Achillion Pharmaceuticals in 2001 and previously was the President of R&D and Chief Scientific Officer there. Before joining Achillion, he headed the early discovery programs in Infectious Disease and Neuroscience at Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Currently, Dr. Deshpande is a Venture Partner with RA Capital Management, LLC, Board Member of Clear Creek Bio, Founding CEO and Board Member of TRIANA Biomedicines, Chairman of the Board of Avilar Therapeutics, Founding CEO and President of Nayan Therapeutics, and Board Member and prior Chair of Spero Therapeutics.
PATRICK FOURTEAU
Patrick Fourteau also received the award while CEO of New Haven Pharmaceuticals.
WHERE ARE
2014 ACADEMIC ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR CATO T. LAURENCIN,
M.D., PH.D.
Dr. Laurencin patented a device under Soft Tissue Regeneration, Inc., a New Haven-based company he co-founded.
Dr. Laurencin is the University Professor and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UConn. He is also a Professor of Chemical Engineering, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Professor of Biomedical Engineering. He also serves as the CEO of The Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering and the Director of the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Center for Biomedical, Biological, Physical and Engineering Sciences.
His innovations in regenerative engineering and his impact on biomaterials, nanotechnology, and stem cell science have had an immeasurable impact. As the leading international figure in polymeric biomaterials chemistry and engineering, he has made extraordinary scientific contributions while, at the same time, he has had profound contributions to improving human health through the technologies and products he has invented.
Dr. Laurencin is the first surgeon elected to the four major national academies in the United States (the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, and the National Academy of Inventors). He received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, America’s highest honor for technological achievement, in ceremonies at the White House in 2016.
2014 BUSINESS ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR JOSEPH W. REILLY,
C.P.A., M.B.A.
Joseph Reilly received the award while President and CEO of Soft Tissue Regeneration, Inc., which developed and tested a breakthrough technology for soft tissue regeneration of the knee’s anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The product is called the L-C Ligament® for ACL reconstruction.
2013 ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
CRAIG M. CREWS, PH.D.
In 2013, Dr. Crews received the inaugural Entrepreneur of the Year award, recognizing his longstanding commitment to entrepreneurship and the translation of fundamental basic research into new medicines. At the time, he founded New Haven biotechnology startup Arvinas (NASD: ARVN), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing first-inclass protein degradation therapeutics for cancers and other difficultto-treat diseases. Arvinas leverages the same technology that led to the development of the multiple myeloma drug Kyprolis by Crews’ first startup, Proteolix, founded in 2003 and sold in 2009 for $851 million.
Dr. Crews then founded Halda Therapeutics, a venture-backed biotech based in New Haven. Halda is developing platform technologies to target cancer cells selectively, thereby creating the next frontier of lifechanging therapeutics for patients diagnosed with cancer. In 2021, Dr. Crews founded Siduma Therapeutics to advance completely novel heterobifunctional concepts with broad utility in drug development.
Dr. Crews is the John C. Malone Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at Yale, where he has taught since 1995, and holds joint appointments in the departments of Chemistry and Pharmacology. In addition, he is behind BioLaunch, a state-funded partnership of local biotech companies, which hopes to develop a local workforce and create local, well-paying technical jobs that do not require a college degree or other out-of-pocket training costs.