BioPathways
Featuring prominent Midwest VCs and/or Founders in a Fireside Chat
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TOM DENISON
Tom is Co-founder and Chief Relationship Officer at SmartHealth Catalyzer, the hub for Midwest Biomedical Venture Creation. SmartHealth builds and seed funds startups around the most promising biomedical innovations being developed at the top 50 Midwest Universities and Research Hospitals. SmartHealth draws upon the Ops Team, a pool of 150+ elite bioentrepreneurs, to build our startup teams. Each member of the Ops Team has decades of industry experience and expertise across therapeutics, diagnostics, and medical devices.
RYAN BROWN
Ryan Brown is the president of CHIentist and a dedicated advocate for the scientific community in the Chicagoland area. Graduating from Grinnell College in 2016 with a BA in biological chemistry and a neuroscience minor, Ryan's passion for cancer treatment led him to focus on prostate cancer research post-graduation. His background in academia has fostered deep empathy and understanding for the challenges faced by those advancing our collective understanding of the world. Through his work in leadership roles throughout the Chicago nonprofit ecosystem, Ryan has become a beacon for scientists striving to make a difference. Through his tenure at CHIentist, where he joined in 2018 and was elected president in 2020, Ryan has consistently worked to elevate the voices and support systems for scientists on the frontlines of discovery. Ryan's relentless commitment to empowering scientists underscores his mission to drive meaningful change within the scientific community in Chicago.