PANEL 4 • 1:35-2:25pm
Dr. Strause is the Principal and Founder of Strategic Clinical Consultants. She has decades of expertise in global clinical operations, phase 1 through 3 studies, and drug and device development with emphasis in oncology and ethical considerations for subjects with life-threatening disease. Her clients range from early stage start-up companies to companies enrolling subjects into phase 3 trials. Dr. Strause has held executive management positions at biotechnology companies, site management and healthcare research organizations, and at a global CRO. In addition, Dr. Strause has served as (1) President, Ei.Ventures, advancing the science of psychedelics, both therapeutic and nutraceutical products and (2) Co-Founder of G. Randall and Sons, Inc./Randy’s Club, co-founded with her two sons, Tyler and Brendon, and whose mission is to encourage a healthy lifestyle by providing proprietary hemp-formulated products made with 100% organic hemp materials. Dr. Strause has been a Professor of Human Nutrition at UC San Diego since 1980 where she teaches an Introduction to Human Nutrition course to over 350 undergraduates/quarter.
For over 27 years, Andrew has achieved a significant track record of success within three critical areas of healthcare innovation: overseeing and advancing novel therapeutics and medical technologies from inception to NDA approval; executing complex corporate development transactions including capital formation, alliance management, and acquisitions; and venture finance and initial company creation.
Prior to founding Health Innovation Capital, Andrew was a Partner at Excelyrate Capital Fund I, during which time he was responsible for: 1) building a pipeline of potential investment opportunities; 2) expanding and managing syndicate relationships,; 3) creating a healthcare centric venture portfolio that yielded significant returns to LPs, established a collection of investments that are either standards of care or best in class within their respective therapeutic areas. During his tenure, he created a proprietary set of integrated search, evaluation, and risk assessment methodologies and tools that have received praise within both the entrepreneur and venture communities. As a Principal investor with Essex Woodlands, the Michigan Economic Development Corp’s Life Science Venture Fund, and Excelyrate Capital, Andrew’s investing experience included the execution of 11 investments with 10 Exits that achieved a track record for providing significant collective net cash on cash returns for investors and exits that included 7 IPOs and 3 acquisitions.
Sharon F. Terry is President and CEO of Genetic Alliance, an enterprise engaging individuals, families and communities to transform health. As ‘just a Mom’ with a master’s degree in theology, she co founded PXE International, a research advocacy organization for the genetic condition pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), in response to the diagnosis of PXE in her two children in 1994. She is the author of 150 peer-reviewed papers, of which 30 are clinical PXE studies. Her story is the topic of her TED Talk and TED Radio Hour. In her focus at the forefront of consumer participation in genetic research, services and policy, she serves in a leadership role on many of the major international and national organizations. Terry is an Ashoka Fellow. She is an avid student and facilitator of Gestalt Awareness Practice. Her joy in life is her daughter and son, their wives, and her granddaughter.
Wendy Benson is a business strategy and technology executive specializing in unlocking the power of partnership to create shared, exponential value. She serves as the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine where she has been since 2016. Her career extends across large multinational industry leaders such as Johnson & Johnson, Roche Diagnostics, Illumina and Thermo Fisher Scientific, where she served in a variety of executive roles overseeing strategic planning, product marketing, clinical market development and business development.
Wendy has extensive experience working with start-up and mid-sized companies in the emerging molecular diagnostic field. She is a passionate leader and champion for patients and is at the forefront of bringing innovative diagnostic products and solutions to market to serve pediatric rare disease patients. Her focus is centered on increasing disease detection and forging a path to enable the development of rare treatments and therapeutics. Her expertise and strategic vision continue to propel the field of precision medicine forward.
Kristin Stephenson joined St. Jude in 2021 to lead the Office of Strategy & Alliances in the Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Initiative (PTNI). Immediately before joining St. Jude, Kristin served as EVP, Chief Advocacy and Clinical Services Officer for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Prior to her tenure in the non-profit space, Kristin served as an attorney in the health care litigation practice groups of Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP (now Norton Rose Fulbright) and Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld, LLP, and as a business consultant in the healthcare practice of Arthur Andersen, LLC.
