Chris Preti has 25 years of pharmaceutical experience in research and development, marketing, sales and operations. He has a Masters of Science in Chemistry from Furman University and a Masters of International Business Studies at Darla Moore School of Business, South Carolina University along with completing Wharton’s School of Business Transformational Leadership for Executives program in Pennsylvania.
Dr. Tom Daniel is trained in biology and engineering and has been working at the interface of these domains for the past 40 years. As WRF Chief Executive Officer, he leads all Foundation grantmaking and investment activities and works closely with the Board to advance its commitment to life sciences in Washington state.
Dr. Daniel has exceptional expertise in science and technology. At the University of Washington, he was on the Biology faculty for 38 years and held the Joan and Richard Komen Endowed Chair, as well as adjunct appointments in Computer Science and Engineering, Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering. He was also the co-director of the Washington Research Foundation-supported UW Institute of Neuroengineering.
Lisa J. Brown, PhD, has been a vital part of Spokane since 1980, beginning as an Associate Professor of Economics at Eastern Washington University. She has advocated for working families, dental benefits for low-income individuals, and victims of domestic violence. She also taught in Gonzaga University's Master of Organizational Leadership program.
As a legislator, Lisa represented the Third Legislative District in both the state House and Senate for 20 years, becoming the first Democratic woman Senate Majority Leader in state history. She focused on economic growth, environmental cleanup, and job creation.
As Chancellor of Washington State University's Spokane health sciences campus, she led the development of the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. Recently, as Director of the Washington State Department of Commerce, she developed the Small Business Resiliency Network, expanded broadband access, and increased affordable housing investments.
Dr. Celestina Barbosa-Leiker is the Executive Vice Chancellor at Washington State University (WSU) Health Sciences Spokane and a Professor in the College of Nursing. She is also a member of the Committee on Cannabis Research and Outreach at WSU. Dr. Barbosa-Leiker’s primary research investigates gender differences in substance use. He research has demonstrated sex differences in the measurement of opioid withdrawal, relapse while in treatment, and predictors of relapse. Her additional line of research focuses on the transition from pregnancy to parenthood in women with substance use disorders. She is currently leading an interdisciplinary research team to assess mothers, infants, and healthcare providers in order to better care for women with opioid use disorders, as well as for women using cannabis during pregnancy. The results of these studies will help better educate healthcare providers and pregnant women, inform maternal and infant health policy, and improve standards of care. Dr. Barbosa-Leiker has methodological expertise in psychometrics and longitudinal latent variable modeling.
Niranjan Bhat, MD, MHS, is a Senior Medical Officer at the Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access at PATH, a global health nonprofit based in Seattle, Washington. His work focuses on conducting clinical research to improve access to vaccines in low- and middle-income countries. Previously, Niranjan was a Medical Officer for the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. He also held positions with Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the CDC. Niranjan received a Bachelor of Biochemistry degree from Harvard University and a Doctor of Medicine from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
Bill Cadwallader is the Vice President of Business Operations for BioNet. He received his Bachelor's degree in Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences from Eastern Washington University and his MBA in Finance from Seattle University. Bill leads the North American business negotiations for product development collaborations and licensing agreements and engages with multinational, global vaccine manufacturers, large academic organizations, and government funding organizations including BARDA, NIAID, and NCI to form product development collaborations for infectious disease and oncology related disease areas.
Dr. Greg Carter is chief medical officer at Providence St. Luke's Rehabilitation Medical Center. His career focused on researching better ways to ease symptoms of severe neuromuscular disease (NMD), including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He previously co-founded the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) / ALS Center at the University of Washington and the MDA) Regional Neuromuscular Disease Center at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, WA. The MDA recognized Dr. Carter for his work in NMD with their Excellence in Clinical Care award.
Dr. Carter was recognized for his contributions to neuromuscular and electrodiagnostic medicine education with the 2020 Ernest Johnson Outstanding Educator Award in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation from the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM). In 2019 he was given the Outstanding Preceptor Award from the University of Washington School of Medicine, MEDEX Northwest program. In 2012 he received the Distinguished Researcher Award from AANEM and was appointed to their board in 2014. He has also previously received the Best Research Paper Published by a Physiatrist award from the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (1994), as well as the Excellence in Research Writing/Best Paper award from the Association of Academic Physiatrists (1998).
As President & CEO of Life Science Washington (LSW), Marc sets the strategic direction, guides policy priorities, and directs business operations to ensure our members have the talent, investment, and partnerships needed to sustain the industry’s robust growth and solidify Washington state’s reputation as one of the top life science clusters in the nation. Marc also serves as the Chair of the Life Science Washington Institute, which is an affiliated non-profit focused on supporting life science entrepreneurs and growing start-up companies in Washington.
Before taking the helm as President & CEO, Marc served as Vice President, Public Policy & External Affairs for LSW. Prior to joining Life Science Washington, he served as Director of Policy & External Affairs for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), where he was actively involved in creating and advocating for several statewide bioscience initiatives including the Life Sciences Discovery Fund. He was also deeply involved in a range of PNNL’s philanthropic science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education partnerships and science education initiatives. Prior to moving to Washington state, Marc held a variety of policy and consulting positions in Washington, D.C.
As the Executive Director to Life Science Washington Institute Rich works on connecting entrepreneurial support resources across the state and leads the development and delivery of new Institute programs and services. Additionally, he is Chairman of the Board for the Bioscience Association of West Virginia, and was the founding CEO of Valtari Bio.
Prior to joining LSWI Rich held Director level positions at two venture capital firms, was the chief operating officer of a biotech company in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and the Chief Science Officer for the New Jersey Center for Biomaterials at Rutgers University. He has helped companies secure over $100 million in federal funding, tax, and relocation incentives and written over $15M in successful SBIR/STTR applications.
Dr. Bronwyn (Bonnie) Gunn is a viral immunologist who specializes in the study of antibody responses against infectious diseases. Her research focuses on analysis of antiviral mechanisms of humoral immunity, and specifically focuses on understanding how recruitment of innate immune effector functions via the antibody Fc domain shapes immunity and disease outcome. Her current research is focused on the comprehensive analysis of antiviral humoral immunity against zoonotic pathogens across several viral families including filoviruses, coronaviruses, and bunyaviruses in human and animal hosts to help identify mechanisms of humoral immunity that can be used to develop therapeutics and guide vaccine design.
Dr. Kitana Kaiphanliam is the Co-Founder and CEO of a Ananta Technologies, dedicated to revolutionizing cell therapy manufacturing with the CentriFLEX bioreactor. Ananta is on a mission to enhance the efficiency, scalability, and accessibility of these life-saving treatments. As CEO, Dr. Kaiphanliam oversees fundraising, customer discovery and acquisition, team building, and outreach, driving the company towards its innovative goals. She holds a doctorate in Chemical Engineering from Washington State University, where she developed her expertise in bioprocess engineering and cell culture technology. Her leadership and vision position her at the forefront of advancing cell therapy manufacturing.
Jary Krauser approaches his work with open curiosity, creative energy, and a well-honed strategic sense. For -30 years, he has been the driving force behind StratusG, building a team with a targeted biotech skillset and a strong belief in collaboration and completion. More than 100 clients have trusted him to give them direct and inventive guidance to address their challenges, solve their problems, and grow their companies.
As CEO, Jary focuses on ensuring smooth and satisfying customer experiences for new and continuing clients, motivating clients and consultants alike to think boldly, and leading his team to find innovative solutions to challenging situations.
His in-depth experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries coupled with experience in all phases of the product development pipeline from concept through research, development, commercialization, and beyond–has given him the insight and wisdom needed to partner with biotech leaders both in the U.S. and across the globe.
Jary serves on the board of Life Science Washington and as a mentor to MBA students at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business. He holds a BS in Business Administration and Computer Science from Oregon State University, where he also ran track and cross country for five years. He is an outdoor enthusiast and still runs at least twice a week.
Yves Leurquin is a seasoned business leader and vaccine expert with more than 30 years of experience in Marketing, Sales, and Government Affairs. His unique strengths include identifying new business opportunities, acquiring companies, and then developing and launching new vaccines in collaboration with public sector clients. Prior to Inventprise, Yves held senior leadership positions in Commercial & Govt. Affairs at Takeda Pharmaceuticals Int., GSK Biologicals, and Janssen. He also served as EVP of Int’l. and Gov’t. Affairs at Johnson & Johnson (Crucell), where he led engagements with UN organizations and was responsible for commercial interests in Latin America, Middle East, Africa and Asia.
In his current role, Yves Leurquin leads partnerships, capital formation, and structural growth at Inventprise, which is currently focused on bringing their 25-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to market. A Belgian native, Yves now resides in Washington. He holds a BS degree in Computer & Human Sciences from Université libre de Bruxelles and a Master’s degree in Business Engineering from ICHEC Brussels Management School.
Joseph Longworth is the Head of Technical Services at Jubilant HollisterStier Contract Manufacturing. With over 12 years in sterile injectable contract manufacturing, he oversees Technical Services at the Spokane, WA, and Montreal, QC sites. A graduate of Eastern Washington University in molecular biology and biochemistry, Joseph is also a Fellow of the Whitworth Institute of Leadership. He has managed significant expansions at both sites and helped bring the first COVID therapeutics to market in the U.S. As an executive leader and longtime Spokane resident, Joseph enjoys skiing, mountain biking, and outdoor activities in the Pacific Northwest.
Scott Maloney is an executive and multiple division leader with experience in Fortune 500 companies and $1B+ startups. He serves as the Director of Innovation and Private Sector Research Engagement for Washington State University with responsibility of moving technologies into industry through partnership negotiations and ventures.
Scott has worked as the CEO and Co-Founder of Seed Worthy, a technology platform for developers that amassed users around the world. Prior to that he was VP of Strategy and Operations for @Pay, a mobile payment startup where he led the Product, Production, and Creative teams, and provided direct leadership for all strategic initiatives. Before that, Scott was the Senior Operations and Strategy Manager for LivingSocial, where he was responsible for leadership of several operational and strategic teams, and he was a key driver of growth for one of the company’s fastest growing divisions. LivingSocial was acquired for a publicly undisclosed amount. Scott ran R&D finance and planning for Human Genome Sciences prior to their acquisition by GlaxoSmithKline for $3.5B. Prior to that Scott was finance lead to the Emerging Markets Unit at Pfizer where he provided business development and financial efforts for nearly $400M in partnerships deals and international operations. Throughout his career Scott has successfully raised significant investment rounds from Angels, VCs, and funds.
Scott holds degrees in Genetics and Cellular Biology from Washington State University and an MBA from Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, a Top 20 MBA program.
Scott is a third-generation entrepreneur, guest lecturer at major universities, keynote speaker, consultant, Innovator-In-Residence to a major startup incubator, and board member for several large
Lindsay Pino, PhD, is the co-founder and CTO of Talus Bio. She leads the development of Talus’s screening platform, guiding and coordinating scientific efforts across automated proteomics sample preparation and high-throughput mass spectrometry data acquisition and analysis. She has built and leads a team of multi-disciplinary scientists encompassing the breadth of scientific work at Talus, including chemical biologists, protein chemists, and computational biologists. Lindsay received training from the Broad Institute, Penn, and the University of Washington.
Rachel Rawle is a professor of biotechnology at Shoreline Community College in Shoreline, WA, and the program coordinator for Shoreline’s biotechnology and biomanufacturing programs. She has a PhD in microbiology (Montana State University, Bozeman, MT), where her research focused on utilizing high-throughput technologies for analysis of biological systems, including mass spectrometry and transcriptomics. She has a College Teaching Certificate (Montana State University) and industry experience working as a quality control microbiologist for a contract manufacturing company (Pharmatech, Lindon, UT).