Program Overview:
What doesn’t require giving up equity, can provide some validation of your team and technology and gives you a cash influx? Non-dilutive funding of course! For healthcare innovators, a government or foundation grant can provide a jumping off point for starting your company, and even funds to scale it later down the line.
In this workshop, we’ll discuss ways to progress your research without giving up a portion of your company. You’ll hear from a panel of experts on navigating non-dilutive funding programs, grant writing tips and do’s and don’ts for a successful application, which can enable you to develop an informed non-dilutive funding strategy for your company.
Interested in scheduling a 20 minute one-on-one meeting with Xiao or Chris-
Xiao-Wei Zhu, Commercialization Advisor at NIH, NSF, NIST and DOE
Chris Penland, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Matthew Kroe is the Capital Programs Manager at Connect with San Diego Venture Group. He leads the organization’s efforts to connect local venture-ready startups with capital and is tasked with building the annual San Diego Innovation Report. Matthew obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from San Diego State University, and joined Connect in 2018 prior to their merger with San Diego Venture Group.
Xiao-Wei Zhu is a Commercialization Advisor at NIH, NSF, NIST and DOE for phase I and phase II SBIR grantee companies, help awardees build business models with optimal financial structure and establish market positions through effective go-to-market strategies.
Prior to her current advisory role, Wei held executive positions in a wide range of commercial entities from multi-billion dollar publicly traded corporations, to mid-size growth companies and early stage startups, with responsibilities in P&L, strategic alliance, corporate development, marketing and sales. Some of her success include negotiate and establish joint venture and strategic partnerships in US and oversea markets, grow profitable business from $0.5M to $30M in three years and achieve 30+% annual channel/OEM/ISV revenue growth.
Xiao-Wei holds a PhD in mathematics from The Johns Hopkins University and completed the executive programs in Business Analysis and Valuation at Harvard Business School.
Dr. Natalie Castellana is CEO of Digital Proteomics, a biotechnology company reimagining antibody discovery science. She leads the development of four platform technologies for antibody sequencing and discovery. In total Digital Proteomics has received 3 Phase I SBIRs and 2 Phase II SBIRs from the NIH for technology development. Natalie obtained her PhD in Computer Science from the University of California - San Diego, and joined Digital Proteomics in 2012.
Chris Penland, Ph.D.- completed his doctoral studies at East Carolina University in the Department of Physiology where he examined ion transport of bronchiolar tissues. A postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University followed where Dr. Penland was part of a larger team seeking to identify a naturally occurring primate model of cystic fibrosis. Although no such animal was identified Dr. Penland was given a chance to further his efforts in CF, this time behind a desk rather than at the bench, when he joined the US Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as Director of Research in 1999. For the next 15 years Dr. Penland oversaw the basic science investments the Foundation made and served on the advisory committees of numerous drug discovery and development projects. In 2015 Dr. Penland transitioned to a new role at the Foundation where he now facilitates relationships between it and biopharmaceutical companies engaged in CF-related drug discovery and development. A significant portion of the CF Foundation’s >$200M annual research and development budget is devoted to advancing promising therapies for the benefit of persons with CF.
Dr. Kleckner has 28 years of experience in operations and business development in the life sciences, healthcare, oil & gas, and cable television. He has advised over 115 emerging and Fortune 100 companies with corporate planning and strategy, commercialization and public policy throughout Europe, Asia & the Americas. He participated as founder or early-stage employee in five venture start-ups with two successful exits. He was a co-founder/Senior Vice President of RefluxMD.com, a Health 2.0 Internet company specializing in gastroesophageal reflux disease and Senior Advisor to Respiratory Technology Corporation (ResTech), which has developed a laryngopharyngeal pH testing technology for upper esophageal disorder detection. He was co-founder of U P Laboratories in San Diego for the development of proprietary synthetic peptides (excitation secretion uncoupling peptides) as an alternative to botulinum neurotoxin (BoTox®) for topical anti-aging/wrinkle inhibition and hyperhidrosis. Earlier he was an investor and lead business development for RegeneMed, a company creating three dimensional (3D) engineered liver tissue for use in drug discovery research; co-founder and Chief Business Officer for Salvino-Flex LLC wherein he managed the research and development of a chest tube insertion device, ultimately selling the company. He was also Director of Development for Science & Engineering Associates for the commercialization of a companion diagnostic technology for cervical, ovarian and oral/pharyngeal cancers and SpyFinder, a hidden camera locator (used in a 2004 episode of CSI Miami). He has also provided commercialization advisory support and grant proposal review for the National Institutes of Health, Drexel Foundation, and Coulter Foundation. He received his PhD and MA in Public Policy from the University of California and MBA at the UCLA Anderson school.
