Mentors-in-Residence
Barbara Araneo
Program Manager for Technology Commercialization at USTAR
Barbara recently joined the team at USTAR as Program Manager for Technology Commercialization. Barbara most recently served Novo Nordisk, Inc as a Director of External Innovation Sourcing for the company’s Global Research Unit. Barbara served on the faculty of the University of Utah’s Department of Pathology as Associate Professor. In addition to her academic career, she was Vice President of Development at StemCells Inc., where she was responsible for directing the effort to bring the company’s neural cell-based product candidate from the exploratory and preclinical proof of principle stages into clinical development under the FDA regulatory process. Prior to joining StemCells,Barbara was a scientific co-founder and Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Pharmadigm, a privately held biopharmaceutical company with several products discovered at the company and developed for various stages of clinical development for inflammatory conditions. Barbara obtained her doctorate in Cellular Immunology from the University of Rochester and completed postdoctoral training at Washington University School of Medicine and the Department of Microbiology at UCLA. In addition to a doctorate degree, Araneo holds certification in US Regulatory Affairs.
Prem Bodagala
Director, Invest Michigan
Prem leads the life sciences sourcing, diligence and portfolio management functions at Invest Michigan, an early stage investment fund, where he joined as Director in 2017 after successful tenures in venture capital, investment banking, valuation and economic development. In his most recent full-time role prior to Invest Michigan, Prem managed a portfolio of 20 startups & 3 venture funds. He also created and co-authored the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s first internal valuation summary for its $140 MM equity and loan portfolio. Before the MEDC, Prem sourced investment opportunities, triaged deal flow and researched market intelligence while working as an Associate for a $15 MM life sciences focused early-stage venture capital fund. He led the diligence team in performing deep market, financial and organizational analysis on 15+ deals, resulting in the fund investing $9.75 MM along with 31 co-investors in 7 portfolio companies for a total equity raise of $160 MM. Prem launched his career in finance as an associate at an investment banking firm serving the middle market, where he led the analysis, research and project management functions across the buy-side, sell-side, valuation and capital raise practice for the firm’s healthcare, furniture, automotive, defense, nutraceutical, oil & gas and facilities management clients resulting in transactions totaling over $100 MM.
Ward Detwiler
Principal, Sextant Innovations
Ward has spent his career commercializing and growing early stage technologies and companies across a range of industries. As the founder and principal of Sextant Innovations, he helps early stage healthcare technology companies with all aspects of commercialization and growth. Previously, he served as Associate Director of Innovations at Henry Ford Health System, where he led the development and commercialization of the System’s digital health portfolio. Prior to Henry Ford, Detwiler was on the management team of two startup technology companies in digital advertising and predictive analytics, where he managed product design, business development, and capital attraction. Detwiler has also worked in Google’s Business and Industrial Markets team. He holds an MBA from University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and a BA in Economics from Northwestern University.
Patti Glaza
Vice President, Invest Detroit
Ms. Glaza joined Invest Detroit in 2014 with more than 20 years of experience in the development, implementation and commercialization of advanced technologies. She manages Invest Detroit’s venture funds and portfolio of investments. Patti leverages her broad industry relationships and operational experience to serve as a resource to nurture and promote technology startup companies. Prior to joining Invest Detroit, Ms. Glaza was with Arsenal Venture Partners, a multi-stage national venture capital firm focused on IT, energy and industrial technologies.
Francis Glorie
Entrepreneur in Residence, TechTown
In more than 25 years of executive leadership, Francis has participated in multiple technology startups, four large-scale turnarounds and three large financial exits and post-merger restructurings in the IT and MedTech sectors. Throughout, he gained a reputation as a skilled strategist, negotiator and business developer, driving partnerships and large transactions. Francis is currently an entrepreneur in residence at TechTown Detroit, a board member at New Enterprise Forum in Ann Arbor supporting many Southeast Michigan technology startups as an acting CEO, coach or board member.
Pratik Patel
Strategic Innovation Analyst, Becton Dickinson
Pratik is currently a core member of the Strategic Innovation Group at Becton Dickinson focusing on identifying significant growth opportunities for BD Medical’s largest business unit (>$3B annual revenues). His projects range from early explorations (leveraging a needs driven innovation process) into adjacent or new markets all the way to downstream prioritization of R&D projects during annual portfolio reviews. The outcome of these projects may include acquisition of startups, licensing of technology from universities, starting new R&D program(s) within BD, and/or partnership with other healthcare companies. Prior to joining BD, Pratik co-founded Glyscend out of the Johns Hopkins Center for Bioengineering Innovation & Design. As the Chief Technology Officer at Glyscend, Pratik worked closely with clinicians and all other relevant stakeholders in the healthcare environment (FDA, CMS, etc.) to rapidly iterate on the early concept and secure >$1M of non-dilutive funding from state (MII), federal (NSF), and corporate strategic partners (J&J).
Emmanuelle Schuler, PhD, MBA
President, Corallis Consulting LLC
As the founder and president of Corallis Consulting LLC, Emmanuelle offers strategic management services to the biotech and life science industry. She brings over 15 years of expertise in the development and management of intellectual assets, strategic alliances, and joint ventures. Her focus is on bringing together executives, investors, entrepreneurs, thought leaders, clinicians and inventors to create innovative solutions that impact patients’ lives and healthcare delivery. Prior to founding Corallis Consulting LLC, Emmanuelle was the Founding Head of Johnson & Johnson’s life science incubator in the Texas Medical Center, the Founding Director of the Center for Industrial Partnerships at the University of Houston, a Founding Mentor of the University of Texas System’s Venture Mentoring Services.
Taryn Simon
Director, Henry Ford Health Systems Innovation Institute
Taryn Simon is the Director of the Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) Innovation Institute in Detroit, Michigan. She is primarily responsible for managing the operations for the Innovations business unit including technology transfer activities, intellectual property management oversight, compliance, and overall commercial opportunity evaluation for innovations developed by HFHS. Ms. Simon oversees the integrity of the HFHS technology management program and corporate innovation projects resulting from collaborations between HFHS and selected partner enterprises. She regularly works to develop med-tech related co- development opportunities with early stage companies in the sector in conjunction with HFHS by working with internal teams to provide product modification, validation, and potential market entry into the region. Prior to serving with HFHS, Ms. Simon has held various positions in the automotive sector at General Motors and Robert Bosch Corporation as well as financial and operations management roles in the advertising industry at Campbell-Ewald. Throughout these positions, she provided financial oversight for corporate capital investment and new product manufacturing initiatives with combined budgets in excess of $100 million.
Ayse Zamboglu
Life Science Angels
Ayse Zamboglu is an angel investor, a member and one of the past Co-Chairs of the Device&Digital Screening Committee at Life Science Angels. Ayse has extensive medical device and pharmaceutical industry experience at start-ups, technology transfer offices and with multiple clients. She comes with a diverse product portfolio history and expat experience. Ayse advises and mentors start-ups in life sciences, healthcare and digital health. She is also interested in IoT and EdTech companies. Her focus areas are product development and management, fundraising strategies, and helping start-up companies refine their value proposition for the best product-market fit.
Guest Speakers
Dr. Christie Canaria
Program Manager, National Cancer Institute
Dr. Christie Canaria is a member of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Development Center at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). She provides programmatic support to small businesses applying to the SBIR and STTR programs and has areas of expertise in biological imaging, biosensors, and nanotechnology. Dr. Canaria is a central figure in planning special center initiatives, conducting outreach activities, and coordinating communications. In 2014, she played a leading role in launching the Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) at NIH Pilot, a program designed to support training to help project teams at NIH-funded small businesses overcome key obstacles along the path of innovation and commercialization. Additionally, Dr. Canaria was awarded the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship, managed an optical microscopy facility at DOE Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as an imaging expert and neurobiologist, and was a coordinator and imaging expert at the Caltech Biological Imaging Center. Dr. Canaria earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology and a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, San Diego. Source
Stephen Goldner
Founder and President, Regulatory Affairs Associates
Steve is the founder and President of Regulatory Affairs Associates (RAA), a worldwide leader in getting medical devices and drugs approved by FDA and in other countries. A forensic toxicologist and lawyer, Steve has more than 40 years experience as a regulatory professional. Steve began his career at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in New York, developing the first reliable drug screening tests for many drugs, and launching the Drug Screening industry. He then developed the drug methadone, getting FDA approval and managing that start-up company. Earning his law degree and serving the medical device and pharmaceutical industry as FDA expert advisor in large and small companies. Steve has developed a strong track record of success and close working ties with FDA, NIH, state regulatory agencies and multiple regulatory agencies outside of the USA. These interactions include work on NDA/ANDA, 510k, PMA and IND submissions, QA/QC validation and GMP compliance. Source
Charles F. Gray
Patent Attorney, Varnum Law
Charlie focuses on patent and trademark prosecution in both the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions. He works with clients to file and prosecute patents in a broad range of mechanical and electrical art fields, including automotive components, consumer products, medical devices, and industrial machines. Charlie also drafts software, trademark and patent license agreements and assists in due diligence related to intellectual property for mergers and acquisition agreements. He regularly conducts and analyzes novelty, state of the art and patent clearance searches and prepares freedom to operate and novelty opinions. Prior to his legal career, Charlie worked as an electrical controls engineer. Source
Richard “Rick” Hoeg
The Hoeg Law Firm / Of Counsel, Honigman
Rick Hoeg focuses his practice in the area of general corporate governance with particular emphasis on venture capital representation and mergers and acquisitions. He also works extensively with start-up enterprises, including those in the life science and software fields. After receiving his undergraduate degree in Economics from Hillsdale College, he attended the world-renowned University of Michigan Law School where he graduated in the top five of his class while focusing on corporate governance and transactional law. In 2005, Rick joined the Ann Arbor office of Miller Canfield Paddock and Stone, where he worked on venture capital transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and entrepreneurial law. In 2007, he helped start the Ann Arbor office of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, where he continued representing venture capital funds and their portfolio companies, as well as technology and biopharmaceutical spin-offs of the University of Michigan. Source
Dr. Joe Miller
Physician, Henry Ford Health Systems
Dr. Miller is the Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine at Wayne State University and the Henry Ford Hospital. He completed his MD at Indiana University, and has a Master’s in clinical research design and statistics from the University of Michigan. Dr. Miller has 7 years experience working with pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, and the NIH on clinical trials.
Roshunda Price
Partner, Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss
Roshunda Price is a partner in the Southfield office of Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss. She is a member of the Firm’s Corporate, Real Estate and Emerging and Growth Practice Groups and focuses her practice on advising clients on a variety of corporate and real estate matters including selection and structure of business entities, financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, joint venture and strategic alliances, real estate development, the acquisition and disposition of commercial and residential real property, construction transactions and landlord/tenant leasing arrangements. She also has experience in healthcare law and is a Certified Public Accountant. In addition to her law firm experience, Ms. Price’s prior experience includes serving as Vice-President, Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of the Detroit Medical Center and academic training as a law professor and director of a clinical law program at the University of Michigan Law School. Roshunda earned her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business Administration and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School. Source
Paul Riser
Managing Director, Technology Based Entrepreneurship
Paul Riser is the Managing Director of Technology Based Entrepreneurship at TechTown. He is a Detroit native and graduate of Cass Technical High School, with nearly 20 years of experience in technology. He was a project manager for Sun Microsystems Inc. before founding his own consulting firm, Riser Group LLC, in Northville in 2002. Prior to TechTown, he was chief technology officer at Innovative Health Technologies LLC, a Detroit-based biotech startup. He is also co-owner of Ferndale-based BLAC magazine (black life, arts and culture).
Michael Tomavosich
Director of Business Development, Regulatory Affairs Associates
Michael is RAA’s Director of Business Development, and is a Regulatory Project Manager. He is involved with project analysis and implementation, vendor selection and management, project planning and project launches, and submissions, strategies and Agency interaction. He also maintains data integrity for more than 3000 records and develops data maintenance policies. Michael manages the day to day client operations that make the organizations one of the most cost effective consulting operations in the healthcare field. Prior to joining RAA, Michael worked as a paralegal for LegalTech, a web-based legal provider, the law office of McCall and Trainor and the Ann Arbor City Attorney Office, and as an adjunct professor at Eastern Michigan University. He has a B.S. in paralegal studies from Eastern Michigan University and a Master’s from Northeastern University in Regulatory Affairs. Source