5 Nov 2014 07:00
For immediate release
Media contact:
Christine Dunn
ArcPoint Strategic Communications
617.484.1660, x101
cdunn@arcpointstrategy.com
Allied Minds Appoints Donna See as Vice President to Lead the Development of Technology Transfer Partnerships with U.S. Universities
· Donna See joins Allied Minds from Columbia University's Technology Ventures group, an internationally recognized leader in the field of academic tech transfer.
· With the ABLS team, Donna See will lead sourcing and identification of opportunities for Allied-Bristol Life Sciences (ABLS), a joint venture of Allied Minds and Bristol-Myers Squibb established to identify promising therapeutic opportunities.
· Donna See will also work closely with the company's Allied Minds Federal Innovations (AMFI) group to enhance the technology pipeline from national laboratories and federal research centers.
Boston (Nov. 5, 2014) -- Allied Minds (ALM: LSE), an innovative U.S. science and technology development and commercialization company, today announced that Donna See, former Director of Licensing and Strategic Initiatives at Columbia University's technology transfer office, has joined as Vice President to lead the firm's partnerships with U.S. research universities.
Donna brings more than 14 years of experience in academic technology transfer, public-private partnerships, and early-stage technology development. She most recently served as Director of Licensing as well as Director of Strategic Initiatives for Columbia Technology Ventures, an internationally recognized leader in the field of academic tech transfer. At Columbia, Donna oversaw a diverse portfolio of over 1,000 life and physical sciences assets, spanning therapeutics, diagnostics, medtech, electronics, imaging, data sciences, semiconductors, cybersecurity and advanced materials. Under her leadership, the team reached new heights on key tech transfer metrics, closing over 105 deals and helping to launch more than 20 start-up companies in the past two years.
"Donna brings invaluable experience that will allow Allied Minds to expand our support of the relationships we already have with top universities in the U.S., and broaden our network to include a wider universe of researchers and innovators," said Chris Silva, Chief Executive Officer of Allied Minds.
In addition to her first-hand experience negotiating over 150 licenses and option agreements and advising more than 27 start-ups, Donna has served as a reviewer for the National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and has co-authored numerous commercialization proposals, winning more than $23 million in seed stage financing for promising projects and nascent companies.
She also oversaw Columbia's nationally acclaimed Fellows Program, and was founding Director of the Columbia-Coulter Translational Partnership, one of 16 university partnerships established by the Wallace. H. Coulter Foundation to propel promising university technologies into the hands of commercial partners.
"It's a privilege to be joining Allied Minds, a firm that occupies a unique position in the growing sector of early-stage technology developers," Donna said. "Allied Minds doesn't just fund companies, the team builds companies, working side-by-side with university and national lab inventors, their tech transfer champions, and experienced entrepreneurs. As funders and operators of the companies they build, Allied Minds understands the challenges and opportunities of early-stage tech commercialization. I'm very much looking forward to working with old and new friends and colleagues from the tech transfer world, with whom I hope to build value in many other ways beyond the four corners of a deal."
Prior to Columbia, Donna was Director of Business Development and Technology Transfer at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, forging strategic alliances with government and industry partners to evaluate, develop and acquire new healthcare technologies. She also spent over a decade in global and domestic public health, working with the World Bank, Centers for Disease Control, and numerous state, local and private sector organizations to improve health-care access, delivery and quality.
Donna earned her MBA from Columbia Business School and her MPH in Health Policy & Management from Columbia University's School of Public Health. She holds a BA in the Natural Sciences from Johns Hopkins University. Donna will be based out of Allied Minds' New York office.
About Allied Minds
Allied Minds (LSE: ALM) is an innovative U.S. science and technology development and commercialization company. Operating since 2006, Allied Minds forms, funds, manages and builds products and businesses based on innovative technologies developed at leading U.S. universities and federal research institutions. Allied Minds serves as a diversified holding company that supports its businesses and product development with capital, central management and shared services. More information about the Boston-based company can be found at www.alliedminds.com.
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