Jim has more than 33 years of device, diagnostic, drug, and biologics experience. He is currently CEO of Relay Life Science. Most recently he served as COO for BioMimetic Therapeutics for 12 years; leading growth from four to 100 employees. He has broad experience in commercial operations, supply chain management, product development, tech transfer, quality, regulatory, IT, and facilities management for drug, device, biologics, combination products, and bulk drug products. His experience spans early stage research through all phases of development, product launch, and routine commercial operations. Jim is also head of the LifeScienceTN Mentor program and a member of NueCura, an angel investment network in Brentwood, TN.
The Entrepreneurship Advisory Council is composed of experienced members of the business community who advise the Center of Technology Transfer and Commercialization (CTTC) regarding new venture creation and entrepreneurship – increasingly important aspects of the commercialization process at Vanderbilt. The Council meets with CTTC members and others at Vanderbilt on a regular basis. The Council members’ diversity and depth of business experience as well as their commitment to facilitate the growth of a more entrepreneurial culture at Vanderbilt are invaluable catalysts of the commercialization process.
Mats Bjoerkman, MBA
Mats Bjoerkman is the Chief Financial Officer at August Bioservices, a contract development and manufacturing organization serving the bioscience industry. He is responsible for overseeing the company’s financial strategy and operations, ensuring its financial health while supporting continued growth and innovation. Mr. Bjoerkman brings more than 25 years of experience in finance roles across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Mr. Bjoerkman has extensive expertise in financial controlling, cash management, business strategy, acquisitions and divestitures, risk management, and investor relations. He has led and managed large, global teams, implemented internal systems and controls, optimized cash flow and budgeting processes, and delivered board-level presentations and reporting. He has also demonstrated experience in crisis management and corporate turnaround situations, as well as driving growth initiatives and strategic partnerships.
Mr. Bjoerkman holds an MBA and is passionate about supporting innovative, customer-focused solutions within the bioscience industry.
Christopher Booker
Christopher Booker is a partner with Frist Cressey Ventures (FCV), a Nashville-based healthcare venture firm. He joined FCV in 2016 and is responsible for acquisition, divestitures and providing unique value to the fund’s partnerships as a member of the fund’s Investment Committee. Mr. Booker leads the firm’s investment team and has served on the Board of Directors of numerous healthcare companies. He is a current director of FCV’s portfolio companies Valify, Monogram Health, Seven Springs Orthopaedics, Regroup Therapy and 180 Health Partners. In addition to his responsibilities at FCV, he is also a member of the Board of Directors for WhoUWith Ministries and Woodland Street Partners.
Barbara Cannon, MBA
Barbara Cannon serves as Chief Operating Officer of NuSirt Sciences Inc., d/b/a NuSirt Biopharma. NuSirt Biopharma has developed a breakthrough platform technology that combines natural compounds with various pharmaceutical agents. Areas of focus include diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity and NASH (Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis); the later garnering Fast Track Status with the FDA. IP Portfolio includes 15 US issued or allowed, with broad international coverage.
George Dunbar
Mr. Dunbar has extensive healthcare and life sciences operating experience, and has served as a Director or CEO with private and public companies in Diagnostics, Specialty Pharma, Cell Therapy, and Biologics, two where he led initial public offerings (IPOs).
Shawn Glinter
Shawn Glinter is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pendant Biosciences, Inc., an advanced materials company based in Nashville, Tennessee, with additional offices in Toronto, Ontario, and Houston, Texas. He leads the company’s strategic direction and operations, focusing on the development of innovative drug delivery technologies and surface coatings utilizing a proprietary polymer-based platform. Pendant Biosciences is focused on therapeutic applications in infectious diseases, ophthalmology, and orthopedics, while also advancing long-acting formulations across multiple therapeutic areas.
Mr. Glinter is a successful serial entrepreneur with more than two decades of experience working with startups and early-stage companies. His expertise includes building and scaling companies, guiding proof-of-concept validation, acquiring customers, raising capital, and developing core business strategy. He is also actively engaged in mentoring entrepreneurs, with a focus on human behavior, leadership, and the practical challenges of growing early-stage ventures.
Mark Harris, MBA, Ph.D.
investment groups. He frequently speaks at healthcare, genetics, and technology industry events.
In 2010, before founding Concert Genetics, Mark worked for Athena Diagnostics, leading a team that designed one of the first implementations of a Next Generation Sequencing platform for a commercial lab. He earned his PhD in Cancer Biology and a Master of Business Administration from Vanderbilt University.
Amr El-Husseini
Amr El-Husseini is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lodestone Advisory Group, a boutique management consulting and venture capital firm centered around business innovation and transformation, growth and acceleration, entrepreneurial ecosystem development, venture capital, international business and cross-border transactions, market-entry strategy, business and corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and business turnarounds. Throughout his career, Amr has been involved in investments and business transactions in 20+ countries covering sectors such as financial services, technology, healthcare, real estate, telecom, energy, education, and infrastructure.
Jonathan Lehman
Jonathan (Jon) Lehman is an accomplished executive and academic leader with a diverse career spanning health care, technology, media, and education. Currently serving as CEO and Director of Duet Biosystems, Inc., an AI-driven tool developer for combination drug development.
Jim Monsor
Brian Moyer
Brian is a tech entrepreneur, founder, board member and advisor. He is listed on the Nashville Business Journal’s 2020 and 2021 Power 100 list of most influential business leaders in Nashville and ranked #5 on the @RiseGlobal Top 100 Thought Leaders in IT. Brian studied Economics and Engineering Management at the Missouri University of Science and Technology before leaving to launch his first startup. He is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Information & Management Systems and is a HIMSS Fellow.
Glenn Perdue
Glenn has been retained as an expert witness in over 100 cases. Industry experience includes work in information technology, life sciences, healthcare, media/entertainment, manufacturing and a variety of service industries. Glenn holds an undergraduate degree in finance, and MBA (Vanderbilt '95) and professional credentials as a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), Master Analyst in Financial Forensics (MAFF), and Certified Licensing Professional (CLP).
Joe Rando
Joe Rando’s career spans over 30 years and includes work at all levels of management with Fortune 1000 companies, as well as the founding of and leadership of early stage start-ups. Mr. Rando has managed companies through the early years of development, during fast-paced years of explosive growth, through the challenges of acquisitions, and through the later stages of maturity, optimization, and stabilization.
Rob Readnor
Dr. Readnour is a Managing Partner at Mountain Group Partners in Nashville Tennessee leading the firm’s Ag Tech investments. Dr. Readnour currently serves on or has visitation rights for eight Animal and Human health biotech companies. Prior to joining MGP, Dr. Readnour worked at Elanco Animal Health for 27 years. During his Elanco tenure, he held several senior management positions in which he was responsible for developing and executing Elanco’s Research and Development strategies for entering several new business areas (companion animal pharmaceuticals, vaccines and enzymes).
Peter Rousos, J.D.
Mr. Rousos is currently a founder of The Innovation Studio, a venture studio is an enterprise that founds, operates, manages, and sells startup companies. The Studio partners with large companies to identify pressing industry-wide problems that can be solved using industrial artificial intelligence. Prior to that, he was the Director, Economic and New Venture Development, in the Vanderbilt Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization. That group launches and supports new companies in which Vanderbilt holds equity resulting from a license or a direct investment. Mr. Rousos is also an investor, an entrepreneur, and has served on a number of for-profit, non-profit, and trade association boards of directors. Prior to that, Mr. Rousos served in senior-level business and legal positions with large companies and startups and practiced law. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
Jackie Shrago, MBA
Jackie Shrago's career spans 30 years in technology-based executive management positions. These include two start-up companies that became multi-million entrepreneurial enterprises - ThinkLink Learning in education acquired by Discovery Channel in 2006 and Telco Research in telecommunications acquired in 1986 by NYNEX (now Verizon). Her current activities are centered around volunteer activities that make a difference in our community, state and nation. Most recently she has been involved at Martha O'Bryan to get Internet access into several housing projects within Nashville and working across the state to implement the Affordable Care Act through Get Covered Tennessee. Jackie Shrago's career spans 30 years in technology-based executive management positions. These include two start-up companies that became multi-million entrepreneurial enterprises - ThinkLink Learning in education acquired by Discovery Channel in 2006 and Telco Research in telecommunications acquired in 1986 by NYNEX (now Verizon). Her current activities are centered around volunteer activities that make a difference in our community, state and nation. Most recently she has been involved at Martha O'Bryan to get Internet access into several housing projects within Nashville and working across the state to implement the Affordable Care Act through Get Covered Tennessee.
Jim Stefansic, MBA, Ph.D.
Jim Stefansic is the Director of Corporate Development at Cumberland Emerging Technologies (CET). His responsibilities include sourcing, evaluating, and negotiating for new biopharmaceutical product and technology opportunities, in addition to contributing to the management and expansion of CET's university collaborations. An accomplished healthcare entrepreneur, Dr. Stefansic has years of experience launching and growing numerous healthcare technology businesses. Dr. Stefansic was previously Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Pathfinder Therapeutics, Inc., where he helped bring two industry-leading image-guided surgical products to market. He was instrumental in raising more than $17 million in venture capital and SBIR funding to support Pathfinder’s growth, as well as in the eventual sale of the company to Analogic (NASDAQ: ALOG). Dr. Stefansic was involved in every facet of the business, from investor road shows, R&D, clinical trials and regulatory approval to business development, financial management, pricing and commercialization. He currently serves as a Director at Raiven Healthcare, an artificial intelligence healthcare company he co-founded in 2015.
