From Idea to IPO: The Technology Venture Course

Speakers

Organizers

Monica Kerr, PhD

The New York Academy of Sciences

Monica Kerr earned her PhD in cell and developmental biology from the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program at Harvard Medical School. Here she worked with Lewis Cantley, who discovered PI 3-kinase, identifying a new component in the PI 3-kinase pathway through a proteome-wide screen for novel phosphoinositide binding proteins. She then explored the role of this previously uncharacterized protein in Norbert Perrimon's laboratory, employing functional genetic techniques in Drosophila.

Leaving the bench but remaining at Harvard, Monica subsequently moved over to the Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Department to focus on higher education as an instructor and curriculum fellow. She taught and developed science-based curricula for undergraduate, graduate, and medical school science courses, as well as led career advancement initiatives for science PhDs. Throughout her tenure at Harvard, Monica founded a new professional development series for life scientists, received two teaching awards, and was selected to participate in the Harvard Macy Institute's Program for Educators in Health Professions.

Monica joined the New York Academy of Sciences in February 2010 as the Director of Science Alliance, an international career development program for graduate students and postdocs in the sciences.

Amber Schaub

The New York Academy of Sciences

Speakers

Jahan Ali, PhD

New York City Investment Fund

Jahan is Senior Vice President at the Partnership for New York City Fund and manages the Fund's investments in the health care sector, including the BioAccelerate NYC Prize competition, and the NY digital health accelerator (NYDHA).

Prior to joining Partnership Fund, Jahan ran her own technology commercialization consulting business, where she worked with entrepreneurs and not for profit organizations, including the International AIDs Vaccine Initiative and the Prostate cancer consortium. Prior to that, Jahan was the Director of Technology Transfer at the Hospital for Special Surgery, where she focused on creating partnerships and licensing in the orthopedic sector. Before that, Jahan was with Mojave Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing therapeutic vaccines, with heat shock protein delivery technology. At Mojave, she successfully identified synergistic partnership opportunities, research collaborations and competitor market research. Prior to that, Jahan was at Mount Sinai School of Medicine's Office of Industrial Liaison. Jahan has a Ph.D from New York University School of Medicine in growth factor receptors.

Laila Kobrossy Audi, PhD

Blue Highway, Inc.

Laila's experience as a molecular biology and biochemistry researcher spans over 11 years. After graduating from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, with a Master of Science in Biology, Laila completed her PhD in Biochemistry at the McGill Cancer Center at McGill University in Canada. Her graduate project focused on understanding the epigenetic mechanisms involved in central nervous system development during embryogenesis. Laila's graduate work resulted in two, first author peer-reviewed publications as well as a first author book chapter contribution published by Landes Biosciences. Following completion of her PhD, Laila spent two years as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Molecular and Cellular Biology department at Harvard University, where she focused her research on identifying key epigenetic mechanisms involved in maintaining stem cell identity, as well as gaining a better understanding of gene regulation during the development of Leukemia and Lymphoma.

Laila moved back to Lebanon in 2008 and was an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Balamand, where she expanded her teaching in the fields of biochemistry, clinical chemistry, clinical genetics, genomics, and applied molecular biology. As a member of a diverse faculty body, Laila's multidisciplinary research projects ranged from Asthma Pharmaco-genomics to Molecular Epidemiology of Anti-microbial Drug Resistance. Upon relocating to Syracuse, Laila joined the Technology Commercialization Law Program at Syracuse University, where she also was a Research Associate at the University's biology department.

At Blue Highway, Laila is currently responsible for ensuring and facilitating the translation of newly developed technologies into commercially viable products. She is also involved in developing and managing Blue Highway's educational and professional services. Laila is highly committed to the local community where she serves as a member of the board of directors at several non-profit organizations, including the Museum of Science and Technology, InterFaith Works of Central New York, and the Red House Arts Center.

Larry Chaityn

Kaminski Partners

Larry is Managing Director & Head, Global Healthcare Banking at Kaminski Partners, a Middle Market investment bank. He is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the bank including deal sourcing, deal review, due diligence investigation and client facing operations.

Larry is the founder and past President of the New York Tri-State Chapters of The Keiretsu Forum (www.keiretsuforum.com), the largest global private equity investment network of accredited angel investors, venture capitalists, and corporate/institutional investors, with 950+ investor members and 23 global chapters.

From 1999 through 2006 Larry held senior level positions at Cap Gemini, Ernst & Young and Oracle Corporation successfully guiding the companies’ largest Life Science clients.

From 2006 through 2009 Larry founded and grew True North Global Partners, a Middle Market turnaround company. True North worked with Private Equity and Venture Capital companies helping accelerate portfolio companies.

Larry is an active member in the Venture Capital and Angel Investment Community, National Association of Health Services Executives, New York Academy of Sciences, and The Institute for Healthcare Improvement, He often speaks on topics of raising venture capital, change, systems thinking, effective communication, and causal problem analysis.

David Eilers

Blue Highway, Inc.

For 30 years, Dave Eilers has been an enterprise leader in both the consumer and healthcare industry. A graduate Syracuse University, Dave began his career in marketing management; leading key accounts at Eric Mower and Associates, Cowley Associates,TenaZ Import/Export Corporation and Syracuse China Corporation.

In 1998, Dave entered the healthcare industry as the Vice President of Sales & Marketing at B.G. Sulzle, Inc., a member of the Marmon Group of companies. Over the course of 15 years, Dave pioneered new products, opened new international markets and developed new business models for the healthcare industry through his work with InterV Medical Group/Roundtable Healthcare Partners and NextTech Consulting. In 2008, Dave applied his interest inOpen Innovation business models to the co-founding of Blue Highway (originally a Welch Allyn company). With over 40 master research agreements worldwide, Blue Highway is dedicated to creating innovative, intellectual capital regarding early detection and diagnosis of adverse health conditions in order to enhance clinical outcomes.

Throughout his product development career, Dave has observed a variety of clinical procedures at severalpre-eminent medical centers in over 50 different countries.

Outside of the office, Dave serves on the MedTech NYBoard of Directors, is active in the American Telemedicine Association and often speaks to groups interested in open innovation, and technology commercialization.

Stephen Goodman

Pryor Cashman LLP

Stephen M. Goodman is co-head of the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice at Pryor Cashman LLP. He has extensive experience representing technology-based companies in public offerings; private placements; limited liability company, partnership and joint venture agreements; and complex arrangements for the acquisition, sale, development and commercialization of patents, copyrights and trademarks, in particular for drug compounds and formulations, software and other technology. He has also written on topics ranging from export controls relating to biotechnology research to raising seed capital for entrepreneurial companies and has lectured on various aspects of pharmaceutical/biotech collaboration agreements. Mr. Goodman is a 1977 graduate of New York University School of Law, where he was Order of the Coif and Articles Editor of the Annual Survey of American Law.

Chris Hayter, PhD

The New York Academy of Sciences

Christopher S. Hayter, PhD serves as Director of the Policy, Evaluation & Transformation group at the New York Academy of Sciences where he leads the group's work in program evaluation, higher education and science policy, and entrepreneurship research. He also serves as the project lead for Academy's capacity-building and evaluation partnerships with the governments of Malaysia and Qatar. He has more than ten years of experience managing complex science and innovation policy projects at organizations such as National Governors Association, Council on Competitiveness, National Academies' Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy (STEP). He also worked for five years in the private sector establishing and managing new resort ventures for a large hospitality company. Prior to joining the Academy, Dr. Hayter served as Visiting Lecturer of Public Policy at the US Coast Guard Academy. He holds a PhD from George Washington University in Science Policy and Economics and has (co)authored numerous policy and peer-reviewed publications.

Arthur Klausner, MBA

Domain Associates and Pappas Ventures

Mr. Klausner currently serves as CEO of two biopharmaceutical start-up companies: Jade Therapeutics (local delivery of sustained-release versions of already-approved drugs for ophthalmology) and Gem Pharmaceuticals (non-cardiotoxic doxorubicin analog vs. cancer). Previously, he spent a total of 18 years as a life sciences venture capitalist at Domain Associates and Pappas Ventures. During that time, he was involved in the investment in and subsequent nurturing of a variety of biotechnology, specialty pharmaceutical, and medical device companies. Klausner has been a board member at Santarus (IPO in 2004, Nasdaq: SNTS), X-Ceptor (acquired by Exelixis in 2004), Orexigen (IPO in 2007, Nasdaq: OREX), Altea Therapeutics, CeNeRx BioPharma, Gentis, and Syndax Pharmaceuticals, and a board observer at Peninsula Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2005), Cerexa (acquired by Forest Laboratories in 2007), and Optherion. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Neurotez, and he is on the Advisory Boards of Edge Therapeutics, Northeast Securities, and FCG Advisors. He is also on the Life Science Investment Review Board for the New York University Innovation Venture Fund.

Aaron Rabinowitz, JD

Woodcock Washburn LLP

Aaron Rabinowitz is an intellectual property attorney with Woodcock Washburn LLP in Philadelphia, where he focuses on every step of patent law, from drafting and prosecuting complex patent applications to litigating granted patents in federal trial and appeals courts. Aaron has experience with patent validity and infringement opinions as well as with due diligence and licensing matters.

Aaron works with a broad range of technologies, including DNA manipulation and sequencing, genomic analysis, microarrays, nanotechnology, alternative energy technologies, fuel cells, wound dressings, medical instrumentation, beverage container technology, pharmaceutical formulations, building materials, and printable electronics. Aaron also directs prosecution of international patent portfolios for a diverse group of clients, and has prosecuted numerous patents to completion in the United States and abroad.

A chemical engineer by training, Aaron holds degrees from Princeton University (undergraduate), the University of Pennsylvania (graduate), and Temple University (law school). Before coming to Woodcock Washburn, Aaron served as a law clerk to Judge Franklin S. Van Antwerpen of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and to Judge Jan E. DuBois of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Aaron is also an adjunct professor of patent law at Temple University School of Law.

Donna See

Columbia Technology Ventures

Raphy Soussan, CPA

CBIZ MHM, LLC

Raphy Soussan is based in the New York, NY office of Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C. Raphy has 16 years of extensive experience in both auditing and accounting as well as providing consulting services to publicly and privately held companies in the technology, consumer products, apparel, wholesale distribution and life sciences industries. He joined the organization in February 2002. Prior to joining the firm, Raphy spent a year in the marketing and operations business at Berkely Care, a subsidiary of Aon, a global insurance company. In addition, he served a combined ten years as an assurance manager in the New York offices of Ernst & Young LLP and PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he dealt primarily with publicly held and privately owned middle market companies and assisted them with their report requirements.