Glen Gaddy, PhD
Managing Member at Robin Hood Ventures, Managing Director at Venture Fund at University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship
Glen Gaddy has experience in technology, advanced materials, real estate, consumer product development and venture funding. He has been an active angel investor since 2003, funding technology, real estate, day care and business services ventures. His prior experience includes heading a research and development laboratory for a leading building materials company, leading real estate services for the world’s largest consulting engineering firm and running a closely held real estate investment company. He has published in professional journals and has served as the Principal Investigator on over $8M of government research programs. He is an active reviewer of applied research grant applications in both the United States and abroad, an active speaker on startups and early-stage funding, and the reviewer of numerous business plans each year.
Glen holds a Ph.D., M.S.E and B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.
Jordana Barmish, DPT, MBA
Venture Consultant, Health Tech Executive, Business Development, Partnerships, and Investor Relations
Jordana has 15+ years of healthcare experience in a variety of clinical, academic, startup, and corporate roles. Jordana is currently a venture consultant for Canadian, American and international companies where she offers strategic development and operations services as a business advisor and fractional executive. Previously, Jordana managed a portfolio of med-tech and healthcare IT startups at TIAP and PCI Ventures. At TIAP, she supported the growth and funding of med tech and digital health ventures and at the University of Pennsylvania, she collaborated with clinicians, researchers, and faculty to create companies centered around their inventions. Before joining PCI Ventures, Jordana developed strategic partnerships for a corporate startup, Comcast Connected Health, which has since spun out into a joint venture with Independence Health Group. Prior to pursuing a career that fuses her interests in business, healthcare, and technology, Jordana treated patients with neurological and vestibular conditions for 7 years, as a Doctor of Physical Therapy.
Jordana graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from McGill University, a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from Duke University, and an MBA in Strategic Management from Temple University.
Jeff Cohen, MD
Chief Physician Executive at Allegheny Health Network’s Community Health and Innovation, President at Triangle Urology Group, AlphaLab Health Physicians Executive
Dr. Cohen is a serial disrupter and entrepreneur in the medical and life science fields. His 40+ years as a practicing urologist specializing in oncology, tenure as President and CEO of a 500-bed quaternary hospital in a high needs community, and leadership with one of the largest integrated health networks in the nation, have given him a 360 degree understanding of the economic, clinical, and social issues that impact the American health care system. As a physician, Dr. Cohen has developed and introduced several technologies and procedures to urology and currently holds over 30 patents in the US for these novel discoveries. As an entrepreneur and venture capitalist, Dr. Cohen has helped technology and life science start-ups develop and market products that lead to better outcomes and save time and money for the health care system. He also leads Innovation and Community Health for Allegheny Health Network where he was the driving force behind a joint venture with Innovation Works to create AlphaLab Health, a biotech and life sciences Accelerator based in Bellevue, PA. His work and passion center around leading the transition from a sickness system to a true health care system to create more opportunity for everyone.
Dr. Cohen went to medical school at SUNY Upstate Medical University, completed residency at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals of Cleveland. And then completed his fellowship at UofT MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Scott Fishman
Strategic advisor in biopharmaceuticals and medical devices, authority on biotech Investing and life science educator, Founder and CEO at Envisage Solutions
Scott has over 30 years of experience as a life science strategist across all sectors of the industry focusing on healthcare marketing research and commercial analysis. As CEO of Research by Design, a firm he started in 1989, Scott directed the evolution of the company from a bedroom startup to one of the most successful and prominent firms in the healthcare research industry. Under Scott’s guidance, RBD became a key consulting resource for virtually every major pharmaceutical company, as well as a wide range of biotechnology and medical device manufacturers and healthcare advertising agencies. Following the sale of his firm to a global holding company in 2006, Scott founded Ethos LifeScience Advisors, the parent to Envisage Solutions. Scott also co-developed, launched, and serves as consulting Program Executive for the Commercialization Acceleration Program (CAP) at the Wharton Small Business Development Center. CAP provides due diligence to Technology Transfer Offices, Incubators, and VCs to support the commercial development of intellectual property.
Scott holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s in Advertising and Marketing from the University of Texas at Austin.
Stephen Hunter, MBA
Healthcare Expert and Advisor, Start-up Funder, and VP of Innovation and Incubator Operations at Allegheny Health Network (AHN)
With over 15 years of consulting and strategy experience Stephen is a VP of Innovation and Incubator Operations at Allegheny Health Network.
He focuses on the redevelopment of AHN Suburban through standing-up programs promoting community health and building companies within AlphaLab Health. In this role he builds sustainable business models, invests in early stage businesses, manages operations for the facility, and teaches health economics. Prior to this he focused on developing and bringing Highmark Health’s long-term strategic vision to life. His concentration has been on the AHN’s $1B growth platform including Oncology, Wexford hospital, NWPA redevelopment, clinical mergers and acquisitions.
Outside of his professional work he acts as an advisory committee member for higher education as well as a board member for non-profits focused on art, education, and/or workforce development. He teaches entrepreneurship and new product commercialization at both the high- school and collegiate levels. Before coming to Highmark, Stephen worked as a management consultant for Deloitte in the technically advisory practice. During that time he performed a wide range of services focused on information technology in the areas of risk, compliance, security and privacy.
Stephen earned his MBA from the University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business, and his BA in Management Information Systems from Marietta College.
Tobias Hoppe
Management Consultant and Interim Manager at 3T3 Consulting, Senior Advisor Life Sciences at Celeri Health
"Improving Performance." Whether it is as a strategy consultant and executive for top and specialist advisory companies, as head of R&D project or resource management, or as a subject matter expert for a technology company, this has been Tobias' mantra for over 30 years. Tobias currently is a Management Consultant and leads 3T3 Consulting LLC, where he focuses on improving how life science and health-tech companies plan, operate and manage their critical assets. Tobias is also Senior Advisor for Life Sciences at Celeri Health, COO at Cartago Biotech, Industry Advisor for Senscient, and Director of US Commercialization at Concept X.
He has helped clients to increase R&D performance, optimize functions (e.g. clinical development, regulatory affairs and drug safety), develop new business models (e.g. precision medicine), and use real world evidence data to enhance development planning. Tobias has also held international leadership positions from global head of project and resource management function in R&D, to leading high performance clinical development services in Austria, Switzerland and Germany, and has been responsible for establishing and growing a US presence.
Tobias earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Barthalomew (B.A.) Jung-Sillah, MD, MBA
CBO at Avesta76 Therapeutics, Managing Partner at Kola Global, Investment Advisor - Health and Digital Health, and Executive-In-Residence: Global Healthcare Innovation
B.A. Jung-Sillah, focuses on healthcare investment and strategy for early stage companies. Currently, he serves as CBO of Avesta76 Therapeutics, a start-up focused on disrupting the cancer therapeutics sector. He is also managing partner Kola Global, a services and consulting firm dedicated to accelerating the growth of healthcare companies. Prior to Kola, B.A. worked at Militia Hill Ventures, an active build venture capital firm where he invested in biotech startups and drove R&D/financial strategy for gene therapy company Spirovant (Talee Bio). B.A. is also a review committee member for Ben Franklin Technology Partners and advisor to many of its portfolio companies. He has consulted on several business development initiatives with clients including UPHS, CHOP, Einstein Healthcare Network, and Mount Sinai.
B.A. earned an MD from UPenn Med and an MBA from Wharton. He received his Bachelor’s in Human Development and Regenerative Biology and a secondary degree in Global Health and Health Policy from Harvard University.
Norris Turner, PharmD, PhD
President & CEO at Turner Healthcare Quality Consulting, Inc. (THCQ)
Norris brings 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry coupled with deep knowledge and experience in the healthcare quality and quality measurement space. As an executive in the pharmaceutical industry, Norris has built a career across a variety of functions ranging from clinical development, medical affairs, market access and quality strategy. Norris leads Turner Healthcare Quality Consulting (THCQ) in partnering with biopharmaceutical clients to optimize strategies for market access and impact healthcare solutions. THCQ focuses on addressing “pain-points” for biopharmaceutical clients to both problem-solve and deliver value. Alongside his role at THCQ, Norris serves as senior advisor at ADVI Health and as Senior Health IT Consultant at Next Level Health Innovations.
Prior to founding THCQ Consulting, Norris served as Vice President of Strategic Alliances and Measure Implementation for the Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA). Prior to PQA, Norris served with Janssen for 12 years. His most recent position at Janssen was as Director of Health Care Quality, Neuroscience, and Infectious Diseases within the Strategic Customer Group, Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems Inc., where he focused on the overarching quality and value-based care reimbursement direction in the United States and its implications for key customer segments and business strategy.
Norris received his Pharm. D. in Clinical Pharmacy from the University of Michigan, and his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from UCSF. He also obtained a Graduate Certificate in Health Policy from Thomas Jefferson University.
Michael C. Rice, MBA
SVP, Head of Advanced Therapeutics at Lumanity
Mike specializes in value creation and competitive strategy for innovative biotechnology platforms: Human Therapeutics, Gene and Cell Therapies, Diagnostics, and AgriBiotech. Mike currently serves as Senior VP for Head of Advanced Therapeutics at Lumanity. Previously, he led Cello Health BioConsulting’s Gene and Cell Therapeutics and Rare Diseases practices and served as co-head of the oncology practice focusing on hematologic malignancies and genetically defined cancers. Prior to Cello Health BioConsulting, Mike gained over a decade of experience creating new biotech ventures from academic inventions pertaining to nucleic acids and cellular platforms applied across monogenetic diseases and oncology. Industry positions involved translational research, strategic planning, technology transfer, finance, and business development.
Mike is a member of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT), the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American Society of Hematology (ASH), the Licensing Executives Society (LES), and the American Heart Association (AHA).
Michael obtained an MBA from the University of University of Delaware, an MS in Molecular Pharmacology from from Jefferson University, and a B.S. in Biology from UDel.
Dora Mitchell, PhD
SVP, Operations and Chief of Staff at Interius Biotherapeutics
Dora Mitchell is an entrepreneurial life science leader, who currently leads Interius Biotherapeutics as Senior VP of Operations, Chief of Staff. Prior to her leadership at Interius Biotherapeutics, she served as VP of Business Development and Operations at Carisma Therapeutics. Dora built the company’s infrastructure from inception through two rounds of VC financing carrying responsibilities for fundraising, team recruitment, finance, risk and compliance management and IP management. Prior to joining Carisma, she managed the therapeutics and diagnostics portfolio companies at the University of Pennsylvania. During her time at UPenn’s UPstart program, she raised financing for 17 startup companies from various sources such as VC, angel, etc. and sourced and completed a diagnostics company exit. Through her career as a life sciences leader, Dora has held board positions at various biotech companies such as Quantaras, CytoVas, Lignemed, Linnaeus Therapeutics and more.
Dora holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from Princeton University and a BA in Biology from Reed College.
Steve Davis
CEO and Co-Founder of Cellulora Inc.
Steve Davis is a serial entrepreneur with three decades of experience in the medical industry at start-ups and large companies, working in various functions for companies from executive management, R&D, operations to sales, marketing, regulatory, reimbursement and quality systems. He is the CEO and Co-Founder of Cellulora, a company developing novel cellulose-based materials for soft tissue repair. Previously, he served as the founding CEO of Boinca Therapeutics, formed with a spin-out technology from Drexel University. He has a proven track-record raising capital, recruiting high performance teams and achieving milestones in a capital efficient manner. Steve was an integral team member in Aculux Inc. (sold to Sunoptics Surgical), Omni-Tract Surgical (acquired by Integra), Coalescent Surgical (acquired by Medtronic) and FoxHollow Technologies. Steve has worked for over a decade with multiple universities with research born technologies, bringing broad, and in-depth start-up expertise to Cellulora.
Steve holds a B.A. from Baylor University.
Donna M. Cordner Co-Founder and Managing Partner at OKM Capital, Managing Partner at Robin Hood Ventures
Donna Cordner is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner in OKM Capital, a venture firm focused on early and mid-stage integrated digital healthcare solutions. Donna is also Managing Partner of Robinhood Ventures, one of the premier angel-investing groups in the Philadelphia region and sits on a number of committees and advisory boards within the start-up community in Philadelphia and Boston. Her career spans start-ups and digital transformation, consumer products, finance, technology and operations. In addition to senior management positions at Citigroup, Société Générale, ABN AMRO, Tele2, Nortel Networks, Donna was CEO of HOFOKAM, the largest rural microfinance entity in Uganda where she introduced a range of products and innovations, which allowed HOFOKAM to become a profitable operation, which is still flourishing today.
Donna’s extensive board work includes Chair of the Audit Committee for Carlsberg Group, one of the world's argest brewers with operations in over 100 countries, independent Director for NASDAQ-100 Millicom, Director for Tele2, one of Sweden’s largest public companies. Donna also serves on the board for Lia Diagnostics, a start-up with an FDA approved flushable pregnancy test and Beckon Ice Cream a premium lactose-free ice cream taking the market by storm.
Donna holds a Master’s in Development Economics and International Development from the University of Southern Carolina and a BS in Foreign Service, International Relations and Affairs from Georgetown University.
Erika Geimonen, PhD Experienced life sciences executive with operational and business development background, President of Artek Biosciences, Board member, COO and CBO for Qnapsyn Biosciences
Erika has over 25 years of experience in business development and research. She is proficient in management, operations, business development and strategic planning coupled with extensive technical knowledge in life sciences. Currently she serves as the President of Artek Biosciences and on the Management Board for Qnapsyn Biosciences Inc. In addition, she serves on the boards of startup companies assisting them with corporate, business and financing activities.
Before joining Qnapsyn Biosciences Inc, Erika served as Head of Business Development for AgBiome leading business development including licensings for human and animal health. In addition, she led all M&A, diligence, and negotiation activities as Vice President in Business Development for Amring Pharmaceuticals. While Chief Operating Officer for Dynamis Therapeutics, she was responsible for all corporate development activities, managing operations, and raising capital for the company. Previously, Erika held business development positions at XBiotech, Luitpold Pharmaceuticals/Daiichi-Sankyo and Schering-Plough. Erika’s early career included high-impact publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Erika earned her M.S. in Biology and Ph.D. in Biology and Biochemistry from Moscow State University in Russia and an M.S. in Management and Policy from the College of Business at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, USA.
Harvey Z. Hoffman Founder and Principal, HZH Strategy LLC
Harvey has founded and helped lead several companies in the Philadelphia region over the past 35+ years. His expertise is diverse, spanning various sectors including manufacturing, distribution, direct marketing, e-commerce, product development, technology and strategic consulting. The same is true of his roles and responsibilities which include Managing Principal, CEO, CFO, VP-Finance and General Manager. He started his first company after an early career in accounting, finance, and management. He considers himself a true “business generalist” with broad experience and has had success in many settings. Harvey is currently involved as a mentor, advisor, Board member and investor to start-up and early stage companies. He takes on projects and roles as a strategic and financial advisor to owners and executives of businesses at various stages of their life cycle from growth to mature to exit. Harvey contributes his time to several organizations and programs including the Temple Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute (IEI), Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies (PACT) Mentor Connect and several area universities including UPenn, Drexel, and Villanova.
He is a proud Temple alumnus, graduating with a B.S. degree in Accounting and Finance.
Eckart W. Schwarz, MD
President at Quantocks Consulting, and Senior Pharmaceutical Executive
Dr. Eckart Schwarz is a seasoned senior pharmaceutical executive with an impressive 30+ year track record of leading global strategic initiatives and building/managing large teams & budgets transnationally. Dr. Schwarz is currently the President of Quantocks Consulting, a broadly encompassing bespoke Life Science and Drug Development consultancy. A long-term Senior Vice President in various pivotal roles in GSK, he has been recognized for his transformational leadership in designing and building global strategic and operational solutions and teams, in most of the disciplines involved in drug development. Trained as a physician / anesthesiologist in the UK, Eckart has an impeccable academic pedigree which includes an Honorary Fellowship of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians (London, England). His stance is resolutely global, having worked and lived in Europe, the UK, Singapore, India and the US. He is a dynamic leader with exceptional analytical capabilities, deep and broad experience and expertise, strategic visionary outlook, high personal energy and compelling communication skills.
Dr. Schwarz earned his MD at Bristol University and his MPhil on the History of Medicine from Cambridge University.
Michael S. Rosen, MBA
Managing Director, Innovation and Research Park and Helix 51 Incubator for Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Michael S. Rosen is Managing Director, Innovation and Research Park and Helix 51 Incubator for Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (RFUMS) in North Chicago, IL. Michael also leads his company, Rosen Bioscience Strategies LLC, a life science economic development consultancy focused on the development of science parks, incubators and eco-systems centered around research-based universities. Previously, he was a consultant to and then Senior Vice President, New Business Development for the Science + Technology Group at Forest City Realty Trust, a NYSE-traded Fortune 500 U.S. real estate development company which built science parks at Johns Hopkins University, MIT, and Illinois Science + Technology Park; he successfully brought numerous international life science ventures into these parks. Michael spent many years in the life science industry including 20 years in senior management positions with Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Searle/Monsanto, while living in Latin America, Japan, and Europe, and worked extensively in Canada, India and Asia. Additionally, he spent 12 years as President/CEO of European and U.S. biotech and medical device companies, one of which he took public.
He received his B.A. in Sociology and International Relations from Beloit College and an M.B.A. in International Business from the University of Miami . He has did his graduate and post-graduate studies at Northwestern University, Sophia University (Tokyo, Japan) and the Adolfo Ibañez University and School of Business (Santiago, Chile).
Navin Vij, MD, MSC
Regional Medical Director, Hospital and Community Care – PA and OH
Dr. Navin Vij is committed to system-wide change in population health and healthcare delivery. With over a decade of experience, he has played a pivotal role in systemic enhancements in healthcare access, and evidence-based value, with a focus on complex and vulnerable patient groups. Currently serving as Regional Medical Director for Hospital and Community Care at ChenMed, Navin is accountable for leading strategy, innovation, and clinical practices across the Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio markets.
Before joining ChenMed, Navin's career was marked by significant academic and research contributions, particularly during his roles at the Institute for Research on Equity and Community Health at ChristianaCare and as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania. Beyond his clinical and research endeavors, Navin is actively involved in various advisory and leadership roles, serving on the Advisory Group on HSR Innovation, Inclusion, and Impact for AcademyHealth and the Advisory Committee for the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable. He is a recipient of the Gold Foundation’s Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award, and was named a 40 Under 40 Leader in Health by the National Minority Quality Forum and the Delaware Business Times.
Navin received his BA from Rice University and MD from Baylor College of Medicine and was a Hansard Scholar at the London School of Economics. He completed his residency in Med-Peds at Case Western Reserve University. Navin also holds an MS in Health Policy Research from the University of Pennsylvania.
Beth Cohen, JD, MBA
Director at Mid-Atlantic Diamond Ventures, Investor at Portfolia - former executive, entrepreneur and international corporate attorney
Beth currently serves as a director at Mid-Atlantic Diamond Ventures, a leading venture forum. She has led many international venture capital and strategic partnering conferences, as well as the first Impact Summit in the Philadelphia region to educate and connect social impact entrepreneurs and investors. Her experience includes strategic marketing, business development and law. Beth launched the first US emerging growth/ entrepreneur-in-residence program at several global law firms, providing holistic services to early stage companies. She has worked with companies from around the world to provide advice on US market entry, growth and capital raising. Beth has been recognized as one of the top startup lawyers in Philadelphia. In addition to her professional career, Beth is a leader in the local community. She is a board member and past president of the Philadelphia Israel Chamber of Commerce, a board member of the Philadelphia Green Capital Corp., and a former member of the Forum of Executive Women. In the past, Beth was a board member of The Enterprise Center.
Beth earned her MBA from The Wharton School, where she received the Wharton Distinguished Alumna Award. She earned her JD from Rutgers Law School, where she was Associate Editor of the Rutgers Law Review, and her BA, Magna Cum Laude from Brandeis University.
Adam Dakin, MBA
President and CEO of Keriton, Healthtech C-Level Operator & VC
Adam is President and CEO of Keriton, a healthcare startup which has developed the most advanced inpatient feeding management platform today. Adam is also a Partner at Dreamit Ventures, a Philadelphia based venture fund, where he leads the healthtech practice. Dreamit is one of the most active early stage health tech investors, focusing on late Seed and Series A digital health and medtech companies. Adam’s career has focused on building early stage venture-backed companies. He co-founded five health technology companies and served as CEO of three. He has raised significant venture capital and led several M&A transactions. Adam has also published numerous articles and videos (MedCity News Influencer and Dreamit Dose series) covering fundraising, investor pitch decks, and governance.
Adam serves on the boards of Safkan Health, RightAir, and ZSX Medical. He is an active angel investor and has served as a board director for 12 startups. He is a recipient of the PACT MedTech leadership award. Adam is a named inventor on eight U.S. patents. He teaches a graduate level course on healthcare entrepreneurship within the Penn School of Medicine.
He holds a BSE from the Wharton School and an MBA from UCLA.
Rakesh Shah, MD, MBA
President of Medical Staff at St. Mary Medical Center
Dr. Shah is the President of Medical Staff at St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, Pennsylvania; a position he was elected to in 2018. His diverse background in both medical practice as a cardiologist and leadership across various roles over two decades provided the expertise to lead the next generation of medicine. As President, Dr. Shah drives the achievement of corporate and clinical objectives, some of which include reducing the length of patient stays in-hospital and reducing physician burnout. Dr. Shah is also a co-founder of the Bucks County Cares Foundation. Prior to his role as President of Medical Staff, Dr. Shah served as Chairman of Internal Medicine from 2014 to 2018. Dr. Shah also serves as CEO of A Priori Consulting a healthcare consulting firm, and serves on the board of directors for DSK Investments. Since 2002, he has been a part of the “Cooking with the Cardiologist” program at St. Mary Medical Center. In 2001, Dr. Shah started practicing cardiology and interventional cardiology with an expertise in peripheral vascular diseases and interventions. He was instrumental in starting the structural heart interventions program at St. Mary Medical Center.
Dr. Shah studied biomedical electrical engineering at Temple University, then went on to medical school and Temple University School of Medicine, internal medicine residency, cardiology and interventional cardiology fellowships, all at Temple University Hospital. He also earned an MBA from the University of Oxford.
Vered Nohi
Community builder, accelerating technology transformation and adoption
During Vered's more than 25 years of international business development career, she has mentored and guided companies on how to grow their business in the United States, Israel, and Asia. She has special affinity for healthcare, food tech, sustainability and impact technologies. Vered's career includes nearly a decade of leading the Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce and Representing the US-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation in PA, DE, and southern SNJ (2013-2022). During that time, she helped facilitate US-Israel commerce, R&D, mutual market entry, grants, access to VCs, pitch events, community building, and more. Vered worked with startups, globalists, academia, and nonprofits in multi-industry to grow collaborations and their business. Vered had the pleasure of marketing and developing international trade at the Port of Wilmington, Delaware/Diamond State Port Corporation for nearly 14 years. At the time, Wilmington was the US' top perishables/fruit/banana and juice concentrates seaport, and she contributed to its growth via international marketing, public affairs and relations, branding, and community building initiatives.
Prior, Vered was honored to serve as the Tourism Representative for the Israeli Economic Mission in Taipei, Taiwan, and she is a proud veteran of the Israeli Navy.
Vered earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and East Asian Studies from Hebrew University.
Det Ansinn
President and Founder of BrickSimple LLC
Det Ansinn is a serial entrepreneur and angel investor. As the President and Founder of BrickSimple LLC, Det developed a reputation for innovative and groundbreaking work with emerging computing technologies in healthcare, manufacturing, and entertainment. Over the past twenty plus years, Det’s technical and business startup leadership has resulted in four successful exits, and he remains committed to the startup community. Det is currently the interim Chief Executive Officer for Neuralert Technologies, a stroke monitoring medical device startup. Det is also a Founding member of the American Society for Artificial Intelligence. Beyond his work with startups, Det is the former CTO of Rogue Fitness, the leading manufacturer of strength and conditioning equipment, and now serves in an emeritus role. He currently serves as the President of Startup Bucks, a non-profit committed to supporting startups in Bucks County, PA. Det is also a member of the Delaware Crossing Investor Group.
Det has provided technology business analysis and commentary for Bloomberg Television, Business Week, MIT Technology Review, Talking Points Memo, and MTV. Det served on the Business Forward Local Leadership Council and as a member of the Obama White House Business Council. For twelve years, Det served as a local elected official, with several roles, including police commissioner. Det has an Honorable Discharge from the USAFR.
Det received his BSEE from Drexel University's Electrical Engineering program and currently serves as the Chair of the Dean’s Executive Advisory Council for the College of Computing and Informatics.
Danielle Cohn
CEO, Wave Ventures, Strategic Advisor, Fractional Executive
Danielle Cohn is a sought-out expert and facilitator in inspiring leadership and culture, innovation and growth strategies, and collaborative partnerships. She currently serves as CEO and Founding Partner at The Wave Ventures and is the Founder and Chief Inspiration Officer at My Inspirement. Companies focusing on providing invaluable insight and advising to companies, leaders and community-based organizations. She founded, built, and led the global accelerator LIFT Labs at Comcast NBCUniversal, where she was a trusted advisor and influencer to the C-suite. She grew a diverse network of more than 3,000 global founders and launched 100+ startups across the business in strategic areas such as the future of work, customer experiences, theme parks and immersive entertainment, connectivity, media, casual gaming, and sports.
Prior to her work at Comcast, Danielle was VP of Marketing and Communications (CMO equivalent) at the Philadelphia Convention + Visitors Bureau. She advised Governors, Mayors, and other elected officials; was involved in developing Philadelphia’s first startup seed fund; and on a national level, supported the go-to-market and communication strategy for TSA Pre-Check as a Committee Chair at U.S. Travel Association. She is an investor and former advisor in ProFound, accessibility advocacy platform, and limited partner in Conscience VC, a woman-led fund that invests in science that impacts humanity.
Danielle earned her BS in Communications from Temple University, and studied at Wharton’s Executive Education programs for the Blue Ocean Strategy and Comcast Women in Leadership.
Benjamin Alouf MD, MBA
Physician Executive⎮Strategic Advisor⎮Advocate
Dr. Alouf has spent 30 years in the healthcare space as faculty, attending physician and division chief in large hospital organizations. Dr. Alouf is the Fractional Chief Medical Office at the Digital Therapeutics Alliance, focusing on improving patient access to essential therapies. He also serves as Chief Medical Officer at Floreo, a research-based company that focuses on using VR experiences to teach social, behavioral and life skills to neurodiverse individuals. Dr. Alouf is also a Medical Advisor for Anicca Health, a mental health company focused on stress and anxiety reduction. Beyond his current leadership, Dr. Alouf has served as a Chief Medical Officer or Board member at a variety of healthcare start-ups. He is an invited speaker on panels at national meetings, sits on advisory boards, speaks on webinars including one by the American Medical Association as a SME, and advises domestic and international digital health companies wishing to enter the US healthcare market. He is an advocate for digital health and has attended over 50 meetings with legislators to support reimbursement policies surrounding digital health products. Prior to his work in advising, Dr. Alouf was a practicing pediatric hospitalist.
Dr. Alouf received his BA in Psychology from Brandeis University, after which he completed his medical education at Albany Medical College, followed by his residency in pediatrics at Albany Medical Center.
Ryan Anderson, PhD
Clinician Leader & Innovator of Quality Behavioral Health Care
Ryan is a clinical psychologist and subject-matter leader in behavioral health (BH) with industry and academic experience innovating and implementing evidence-based practices to drive clinical and financial outcomes, create equitable access to care, and enhance patient and provider experiences with care delivery. As an enterprise leader in BH in a large, blended healthcare organization, Ryan executed on strategy to drive innovations in clinical excellence, digital health, and business transformation, leading successful initiatives to increase capacity and capability for evidence-based psychotherapy; collaborating with digital product teams to curate a high-quality suite of tech-enabled BH solutions; and providing subject matter expertise to demonstrate financial ROI for BH and establish value-based payment models. Ryan also served as Lead Psychologist for Developmental Medicine at the UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He has collaborated with the ATN/AIR-P on ECHO telementoring and family navigation initiatives to improve access to BH care for autistic children and their families.
Ryan earned his doctorate at West Virginia University with emphasis in clinical child psychology, lifespan development, and research methods. He has expertise in treating and diagnosing a wide range of pediatric presentations with specialization in behavioral sleep medicine and evaluation and treatment of autism in preschool-age children.
Ben Williams, MBA
Entrepreneur ⎮ Operator ⎮ Product and Engineering Specialist
Ben is an award-winning entrepreneur and technologist, and is the Chief Operating Officer / Chief Product Officer of Exyn Technologies, an autonomous robotics company pioneering GPS-denied and infrastructureless autonomy in multi-modal robots. He previously co-founded and served as COO/CTO of Reelio, Inc, a venture-funded marketing automation platform acquired by Fullscreen Media, formerly a division of AT&T. Previous to that he helped build a new division within Lockheed Martin focused on commercializing deep tech research in energy systems. A former US Naval Officer and recovering engineer, Ben is also an active mentor for early stage startups and entrepreneurs, and serves as an advisor and officer for various boards and advisory groups, and tries to keep his two young sons out of trouble and the snacks cabinet.
Ben earned his BSE in Computer Engineering and MBA from the University of Pennsylvania, along with attending the Nuclear Power School, specializing in Naval Nuclear Power Training Command.
Chris Grubb
Senior VP of Sales at MOLLI Surgical
Chris leverages over two decades of sales and business development experience in the healthcare industry spanning the medical device, SAAS and capital verticals. Currently, he is the Senior VP of Sales at MOLLI Surgical, a company developing surgical tools in oncological surgery procedures such as breast cancer. He has been responsible for the go to market strategies of multiple MedTech startups in the US and Canada while establishing and managing global distribution partners. Chris has built and scaled direct sales, BD and clinical teams across North America that focus on driving early and consistent revenue growth. He is a leader who establishes repeatable sales processes and internal sales infrastructure to maintain momentum within an organization. He is passionate about mentoring and is the president of a youth athletic league, where he builds programs that encourage youth participation, increases access for at-risk youth and fosters gender equality in sports.
Chris is a graduate of Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.
Barry Smith
Founder of BSM Medical ⎮ Global Life Science and MedTech Leader
Barry Smith is a seasoned executive leader with a notable history in the Life Science and MedTech industries. His diverse experience covers the successful management of multi-national and multi-site organizations across North America, Europe, and Asia.
Predominantly operating in the Life Science and MedTech sector, Barry served as the President & CEO of CIRTEC Medical before creating BSM Medical in 2011. His leadership was pivotal in merging Texcel Medical and Circle Medical in 2009, giving life to a top-tier contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO). In 2010, CIRTEC successfully executed a liquidity event for its private equity group, yielding a noteworthy 45% IRR under Barry's stewardship. Further, Barry's strategic acumen was instrumental as a founding member of a management buy-out team that successfully integrated companies across the United States, Germany, Italy, and China into a comprehensive solution for the on-site gas market. Barry's multifaceted skill set includes business and product development, technical and operational management, quality systems, and financial management. He excels in translating complex business scenarios into tangible, strategic action plans. His ability to revitalize under-performing companies and foster growth in both startups and mature organizations is notable. Known for routinely outperforming stakeholder expectations, Barry's board memberships include tenures at Synectic Product Development, CIRTEC Medical, and US Spine.
Barry holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University at Buffalo.
Sunil Joshi MSc, MBA
President of Strategius LLC | Management Professor | NACD Member
Prof. Sunil Joshi is an accomplished BioPharma executive with three decades in BMS, Bayer, Onyx, Halozyme and Gradalis Inc. He is an experienced thought leader in the commercialization of pharmaceutical medicines, clinical and commercial strategy, and M&A due diligence. Sunil is a marketing and strategy executive with enterprise leadership from Phase 1 to post launch. He is currently president of Strategius LLC, a consultancy focused on advising biotech companies in pre and post launch commercialization and teaches about the Pharma and Biotech industry at Rutgers University. He also serves as a strategic advisor for the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Technology Development Fund and is Head of Global Strategy, Business Development and Customer Relations for Primoko an IT consultancy focused on app-based innovations. As former head of Strategy & Cell Therapy Unit for Oncology at Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Prof. Joshi has broad experience, from running drug development organizations developing Phase I-III assets, to running sales and marketing organizations in launching today’s modern, innovative precision medicines. His therapeutic area expertise includes Metablolic diseases, Anti-infectives and Oncology having launched multiple products such as Vitrakvi, Aliqopa, Erbitux, Sprycel, Yervoy. Sunil also has experience raising capital and championing resource allocation for drug development.
Sunil earned his MBA from the University of Akron and his MSc in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Mumbai.
Wayne Weiner, PhD
Strategy and Business Development Executive
Wayne Weiner has 35 years of experience in strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions and business development, with focus on pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing (CDMO), drug delivery technologies, medical devices, and nutritional ingredients. He is the president and founder (2017) of Pharmatech Solutions LLC, a consultancy providing strategy, business development, and M&A advisory services. Prior to founding Pharmatech Solutions LLC, Wayne was the Chief Operations Officer at MORRE-TEC, a company which manufactures and distributes proprietary ingredients for the nutrition and personal care industries. At MORRE-TEC, he led corporate development and sales along with quality and regulatory functions. Wayne was the former VP Corporate Development for Patheon (2014-2017), where he led multiple strategic growth projects. Prior to Patheon, Wayne was the VP business development for DSM’s North American CDMO business and played a key role in the $700m merger of this business with Patheon in 2014. Wayne is an active member of BioNJ, the Licensing Executive Society USA and Canada, and Life Sciences Pennsylvania, among other industry organizations.
Wayne earned his Ph.D. and B.Sc. degrees from the University of California at Berkeley and Los Angeles, respectively, the latter including studies at Georg-August University, Goettingen, Germany. He was also awarded an American Cancer Society post-doctoral fellowship at Columbia University.