Four new Entrepreneurs In Residence have joined the BioGenerator, a nonprofit subsidiary of BioSTL, to create, lead and support new bioscience companies St. Louis. The Entrepreneurs In Residence (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 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. These new EIRs are expected to help 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. He has 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 moved to St. Louis in September 2011. 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 are expected to 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, 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.
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
