BioSTL and BioGenerator
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Industry Experts Recruited to Grow Bioscience Companies in St. Louis
Entrepreneurs In Residence will advance commercialization from deep pool of local innovation
ST. LOUIS (June 22, 2012) — Four new Entrepreneurs In Residence (EIRs) have joined the BioGenerator, a nonprofit subsidiary of BioSTL, to create, lead, and support new bioscience companies St. Louis. The EIRs will work with existing start-up companies across the region to further their growth and with researchers and entrepreneurs to launch new enterprises.
In just the last two years, BioGenerator’s new programs for pre-seed funding (Spark Fund and i6 Project) and shared laboratory facilities (Accelerator Labs), along with its historical seed funding program, have supported the creation of 17 new bioscience companies in St. Louis, validating the rich supply of bioscience innovation locally. These new EIRs will help to advance the growth of existing companies and assist in the creation of additional regional startups.
The new Entrepreneurs In Residence include:
· Tom Brya: Tom brings over 20 years of experience as an executive in the biotechnology & pharmaceutical industry, in companies such as Monsanto, Pharmacia, KV Pharmaceuticals, and Cerenis Therapeutics. He has worked in business and corporate development in areas such as M&A, licensing, partnering, and corporate venture funds. His serial successes demonstrate leadership, empowerment of teams, and investor, Board/C level stakeholder influence skills, which haveh helped create over $30B in value, 8 commercial global launches, and over $2B in new product offerings in his career.
· Vijay Chauhan: Vijay is a seasoned business leader with 23 years experience in the Life Sciences/HealthCare industry and in Management Consulting. His most recent experience was as CEO of a diabetes and obesity nutrition start-up company. Vijay engaged in new business unit startup and Corporate M&A in functional foods, biotech and genomics while at Monsanto. He has raised capital from Angel, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Strategic Investors and Government entities.
· Nandini Kishore, Ph.D.: Nandini has over 25 years of experience in drug discovery, development and translational sciences. During her tenure in the pharmaceutical industry, she initiated new drug discovery projects, led multidisciplinary project teams, , and advanced clinical drug candidates in the areas of Inflammation and Immunology, Oncology and Infectious Disease. Nandini also serves as an independent consultant and advisor for several Pharma and Biotechnology companies in the area of Drug Discovery and Development.
· Alan MacInnes: Alan has 19 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry as a research and development scientist and project team leader with Pfizer Inc. in the UK and US. Alan led projects and laboratories at all phases of the drug discovery and development continuum from new drug target validation to human phase 2 clinical proof of concept. He participated in the identification of 10 drug candidates for human clinical development, led collaborations with leading academic medical centers, and performed due diligence for potential product licensing and strategic alliance opportunities.
“The St. Louis bioscience community is vibrant and the array of entrepreneurial resources is very unique to help fuel entrepreneurial success. This platform, along with BioGenerator’s strong portfolio of companies, attracted me to the opportunity,” said Tom Brya, Senior EIR at the BioGenerator. “I’ve seen St. Louis’ strengths firsthand through existing leadership roles with a few startups spun out of Washington University. These companies are advancing to fill significant unmet medical needs, and I look forward to working with researchers and entrepreneurs in the region to launch successful new companies to do the same.”
“I am passionate about the opportunity to apply my startup and extensive industry experience to help St. Louis entrepreneurs convert valuable technology into great companies,” said Vijay Chauhan, Senior EIR at the BioGenerator.
The new EIRs will join Harry Arader, Senior Entrepreneurial Advisor for the BioGenerator, who, since moving to St. Louis in September 2011, has demonstrated the value of having an individual with extensive industry and entrepreneurial experience available to work closely with start-up companies. Mr. Arader brought with him Midway Animal Health, a seed-stage company developing a product to replace antibiotics used in feed animals. Since his arrival, he has launched a second startup (Companion Pharma, Inc.), supported the growth of existing start-up companies, and advised faculty and entrepreneurs seeking initial funding. The new EIRs will expand the capacity of the BioGenerator to support bioscience entrepreneurs as they build their companies, raise capital, and develop their technology for market.
“We are very excited to have successfully recruited such a deeply experienced group, each of whom brings unique experience and talents to benefit bioscience startups in the region, enhancing their ability to thrive and be well-positioned for success,” said Eric Gulve, Ph.D., President of the BioGenerator.
The BioGenerator will recruit additional EIRs with entrepreneurial and industry experience over the next several years. In addition to medical diagnostics and therapeutics, BioGenerator is seeking additional EIRs with expertise in plant science and agricultural technology, bioenergy, and healthcare IT and services. For more information, please visit www.biogenerator.org.
The EIR positions are funded by BioSTL and the BioGenerator. Additional support for some of the EIR positions has been provided by St. Louis County’s Helix Fund and through the St. Louis Bioscience Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge grant funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Agency (EDA). Partners on the EDA grant are St. Louis County Economic Council and the Center for Emerging Technologies.
About BioSTL
BioSTL builds regional capacity and fosters collaborative efforts to advance innovation, entrepreneurship, and new company creation that capitalize on St. Louis’ world-class medical and plant biosciences. Through its work, BioSTL promotes economic growth and regional prosperity. Please visit www.bioslt.org for additional information.
About BioGenerator
BioGenerator is a privately funded, nonprofit subsidiary of BioSTL created to build successful, sustainable bioscience companies located in the St. Louis region. BioGenerator has created, nurtured, and funded 28 new bioscience companies. The $4 million of nonprofit funds invested in these companies to date has levered an additional $50 million in co-investment and follow-on funding by third parties including individual angels, venture capital firms, and corporate strategic partners. Please visit www.biogenerator.org for additional information.
About the St. Louis Bioscience Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge
The objective of the St. Louis Bioscience Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge grant is to foster job creation, new business formation, and regional economic growth by advancing the high-growth bioscience cluster in St. Louis. The grant supports the recruitment of experienced entrepreneurs to support and mentor early stage companies and entrepreneurs; outreach to minority and disadvantaged businesses interested in providing goods and services to bioscience companies; and on-the-job training for newly-created jobs in bioscience companies. The grant is a partnership between BioGenerator, BioSTL, Center for Emerging Technologies, St. Louis County Economic Council, the Minority Supplier Development Council, and the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE) with funding provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Agency, the U.S. Department of Labor Employment Training Agency, and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Contact: Kamyla Tomiser
BioGenerator
Office: (314) 615-6355
