Hello Tri-I Community!
Happy spooky season! We have made a change to our general body meeting times: The next SVG general body meeting will be held in-person on Monday, October 31 at 4:30 pm EST in the Bioventure eLab located at 1157 York Ave. Our meetings will be held every last Monday of the month moving forward. As always, there will be food and beverages for those who can make it!
On Friday, many of us will be attending Eclectic Convergence, an annual event at Cornell Tech hosted by Entrepreneurship at Cornell which features speakers who are inspiring, entrepreneurial role models. This event features amazing speakers, networking with fellow Cornellians from Ithaca and business executives, and some of Cornell’s awesome startups pitching their businesses.
At our general body meeting, we will be announcing our new board members, and additional events we will be hosting in November and January. Since our last newsletter, we hosted an event with Nucleate, a free and collaborative student-led organization that facilitates the formation of pioneering life sciences companies, and took a tour of The Cure biotech ecosystem, led by Deerfield Management, an investment firm focused on biotechnology. If this sounds exciting to you, please join us for more information about upcoming events.
We are always looking for more entrepreneurship opportunities to participate in and share with our community. If you want to be involved further with the Startup Venture Group (and we would love to have you), please fill out this survey to subscribe to our newsletter, join our Slack channel, or offer help here! You can also find us on Twitter (@StartupWCM) and at our website, https://svg.bio.
Sincerely,
Annalise Schweickart
President, Startup Venture Group
PhD Candidate, Krumsiek Laboratory
Weill Cornell Medicine
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If any of these events interest you or you want to get involved, please subscribe to our newsletter and join our Slack channel.
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Faculty Feature: Dr. Onyinye Balogun
For this newsletter’s Faculty Feature, Annalise Schweickart (SVG President) and Nick Bartelo (SVG Co-chair of Outreach) had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Onyinye Balogun, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine specializing in the treatment of breast and gynecologic malignancies. She is a graduate of Harvard University and Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Balogun initiated her residency training at the University of Chicago and completed her final year at New York University. She is a co-founder of Brave Little Bandits with one of her patients, Eve McDavid, a cervical cancer survivor. The company is mission driven, striving to elevate the Standard of Care by modernizing today's gynecological systems and devices to improve women's health and overall outcomes. Dr. Balogun recently placed in the Weill Cornell Medicine 2022 Business Plan Challenge and received a $25,000 award towards the development of her company's technology. Her experience as a clinician has helped her develop an impressive insight into the major problems currently impeding the advancement of care.
SVG: As a radiation oncologist, what led you to found Mission Driven Tech?
Dr. Balogun: I met Eve - 33 years old, 34 weeks pregnant, with newly diagnosed cervical cancer. With cervical cancer, there are two stages of treatment. The first stage is chemotherapy and radiation. The second part is internal radiation, a semi-surgical procedure involving a tool that causes excruciating pain upon removal. It's so uncomfortable that up to 25% of women will leave before finishing treatment. While treating her, she said, "Do you think we can do this better?" I said, "I know we can do this better. Eve, focus on getting well. Let's focus on the cancer." The deal was get to remission and then we will work on this.
The whole premise of this invention is that treatment shouldn't be about how tough you are, and how mentally tough you are to get through the pain. We should be looking actively for ways to make it more accessible, both in terms of patient comfort and not having to have as much anesthesia available when removing the device.
SVG: Your company is founded by yourself and Eve McDavid, one of your patients. How was the transition from the doctor-patient relationship to that of co-founders?
Dr. Balogun: If you're trying to be a clinician inventor, you need a great partner, because you can't do it all. With the day to day of clinical work, I need to write notes, see people, and do research. You then don't necessarily act on some ideas. I give her credit, because she's persistent. I give me credit, because I think a lot of times, medicine gets the reputation of not listening. In medicine, we have a lot of late adopters. We can be very conservative. With good reason, we want to see all the data first. But I think we drag our feet a lot.
This venture has been eye opening. You don't just design something and say, "Here, what do you think?" Eve and I are starting together and designing something from the patient perspective. We need to bring the community in from the beginning. From my position in medicine, it feels very much like there is no patient input.
SVG: You placed in the Weill Cornell Medicine 2022 Business Plan Challenge and received a $25,000 award. How did this funding help you in the next direction of your company?
Dr. Balogun: With the funding, we've vetted some engineering firms. We want to create a working prototype of the device, and then do some bench testing. Probably in the future we will do some animal testing. But with the current device, the $25,000 is going to fund part of creating a prototype because it will be expensive and more than $25,000.
SVG: What advice would you give to your younger self about entrepreneurship if you could go back in time?
Dr. Balogun: Surround yourself with like minded people by getting involved with groups that are focused on startups and bioventure. Take some formal courses. There were so many things I learned through the bioventures program including how to put together a timeline, what investors are looking for, and key phrases that make you look like you know what you're talking about. Surround yourself with the right people. Focus on networking with intention and always learning.
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Upcoming Events
eLab NYC Pitch Night
REGISTER HERE
Date: Thursday, October 20, 6 pm - 8:30 pm
Location: NYC Conference Center at Cornell ILR 570 Lexington Ave Floor 12 New York, NY 10022
eLab teams have spent their first semester honing their customer markets and refining their business strategy. Attendees will hear early-stage pitches from the cohort as they share their innovative business ideas and plans for growth. Pitches will be followed by networking and a catered reception including appetizers and bar. This year's event will also feature pitches from Runway Startup Postdoc Program.
Cornell Eclectic Convergence
REGISTER HERE
Date: Friday October 21, 8:45 am - 5 pm
Location: Cornell Tech Campus
Tickets are $25 for students, but we have a couple free tickets - first come, first serve! If interested, contact Nick Bartelo at nib4003@med.cornell.edu. The annual conference features speakers who are inspiring, entrepreneurial role models. Network with fellow Cornellians, students and business executives, and watch some of Cornell’s bright students pitch their business ideas. Networking breaks provide the opportunity to mingle with ~450 enthusiastic attendees including faculty and alumni – many of whom are active entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and angel investors.
Women in Bio - Closing the NYC Biotech Gender Gap – Access to Capital
RSVP HERE
Date: Monday, October 24
Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Location: Anassa Taverna, 200 E 60th St, New York, New York 10022
Gilan Megeed from Deerfield and Julie Wolf from 2048 Ventures to discuss trends they have been seeing in early stage financing in the life sciences (therapeutics, medical devices, research tools, digital health), particularly for companies founded by women. Women In Bio is an organization of professionals committed to promoting careers, leadership, and entrepreneurship for all women in the life sciences
HAX/SOSV SOSV Climate Tech Summit New York Reception
RSVP HERE
Date: Wed, October 26, 2022, 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Location: 335 Madison Avenue - New York, NY 10017
Join for drinks, food, and incredible conversation - they expect a convivial group of founders, investors, and friends of SOSV, so join for an evening of stimulating conversation and networking. Given this space is in a private location - they will have to adhere to capacity restrictions. Tickets are first come, first serve so please reserve a spot now if interested!
SBIR/STTR Workshop: Application Process & Funding Options for Startups
RSVP HERE
Date: Thursday, October 27 (11:00 – 11:45 am ET)
Location: Virtual
Join Kirk Macolini, President of InteliSpark, LLC for this virtual workshop providing insights into the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) application process and how to find other non-dilutive funding sources. During the workshop, Macolini will discuss and answer questions regarding writing and submitting a successful SBIR/STTR proposal, locating additional non-dilutive funding sources, and applying to the SBIR/STTR Assistance Program, which can help eligible companies based in Upstate New York hire a qualified grant writing consultant to help them develop a proposal.
SVG Careers for PhDs in Startups: Entrepreneurship and Research Panel
RSVP to be sent out next week
Date: Wednesday, November 9 from 5:00 - 6:30 pm
Location: MSK Rockefeller Research Labs building (67th St between York and 1st Aves.) in room 101
Join to hear a discussion with panelists Kate Rochlin, David Danko, Robert Barretto, and Fred Etoc. This event will consist of a panel discussion focused on sharing the experiences of these successful scientists and entrepreneurs who transitioned from an academic PhD research career and are now CTOs, CSOs, COOs, and/or Senior Directors, followed by a networking reception with the panelists. Attendees will gain a better understanding of the career options available to them if they are interested in transitioning from academia and working in the startup space, in an entrepreneurship, business, or research capacity.
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Fellowships/Internships/Programs
Ignite
Ignite is an academic research environment, gap funding provides critical support to promising technologies and innovations that have great commercial potential but are “too early” for licensing or investment to help validate the innovation and reduce risk. It is a Cornell Research Lab to Market gap funding series is overseen and managed by Center for Technology Licensing, Cornell’s tech transfer office, and supported by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation (“OVPRI”). Its purpose is to accelerate technology commercialization, venture creation and growth, and corporate collaboration, create training and career opportunities for students and researchers for entrepreneurship and advance Cornell innovation for societal impact and university mission. Multiple programs are offered.
Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator
APPLY HERE
Deadline for application: November 7, 2022
The companies selected to participate in the four-month program will receive an initial investment of $150K on a 6% post-money SAFE and the potential for follow-on funding. ERA companies are technology companies, or companies with a significant technology component. They look for companies best able to take full advantage of the New York City opportunity as a starting point to successfully enter the market for their product, service, or application.
Harvard Medical School Stealth Spinout: Fall Research, Business Development and Computational Biology Internship Opportunities
Informational Document
A Harvard Medical School stealth spinout is offering paid internship opportunities in Research, Business Development, and Computational Biology to clinical trainees, PhD, MS or final-year undergraduate students. Research Interns will chiefly focus on scientific assessment of proteins and pathways of interest, scientific literature reviews, basic patent searching and target and asset prioritization. Business Development Interns will further endeavors related to funding and partnerships, including but not limited to preparing materials and analysis for government, academic, philanthropic and venture-based grants, due diligence materials and partnership opportunities. Computational Biology Interns will design and implement algorithms to efficiently probe high-dimensional biological datasets and lead data analysis and curation efforts.
The post will require approximately 5-10 hours of work per week for a duration of 3 months, with an option for extension for exceptional performers and will be paid a competitive salary at an industry-standard rate.
SBIR/STTR Assistance Program
APPLY HERE
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are federal programs that provide non-dilutive seed funding to startup companies for early-stage product development. Both programs have three phases, with funding available to startups in Phases I and II. For Phase I proposals, CREA will match your company's contribution of $1,000 with up to $1,000. For Phase II proposals, CREA will match your company's contribution of $2,000 with up to $2,000.
NSF Innovation Corps Program
Subscribe to newsletter
In 2011, the U.S. National Science Foundation's Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) program was launched to support NSF's mission through experiential learning using the customer discovery process — allowing teams to quickly assess their inventions' market potential. I-Corps prepares scientists and engineers to extend their focus beyond the laboratory to increase the economic and societal impact of NSF-funded and other basic research projects.
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Career Opportunities
Job Postings
Many great opportunities are available using IndieBio Talent Network.
Also check out a variety of job posting with startups at BioLabs.
Cache DNA
Job opportunities here
Cache DNA has a goal to make biomolecules widely accessible and useful. They believe that biomolecules are the new bits of the 21st century, and so harnessing the information stored in them will help usher the future of precision medicine and DNA data storage. Their vision is to create a scalable and accessible platform for biomolecules with no limits on storage and retrieval by combining chemistry, biology, and computational tools.
ArrePath - Data Scientist I/II Chemical ML
APPLY HERE
ArrePath is a Princeton University spin-out Biotech company transforming anti-infective drug discovery and development by harnessing the power of imaging, computer vision (CV), and Chemical Machine Learning (ML). They utilize state of the art microscopy combined with ML and CV to identify, optimize, and deliver new anti-infectives with novel, targeted mechanisms of action. Reporting directly to the VP of Technology, you will work closely with the Technical Lead for Chemical Machine Learning to develop and implement our chemical machine learning strategy. This is a unique opportunity to join an early-stage company and be part of a growing start-up team, focused on delivering on their vision and Mission: Transforming anti-infective drug discovery through the application of innovative new technologies to improve the lives of patients.
Octant
Job Openings
They are building drugs with novel mechanisms of actions guided by massive datasets in engineered human cells that unlock insights between genetics, chemistry, biochemical function, and disease phenotypes. Their platform uses synthetic biology, high throughput multiplexed assays, synthetic chemistry, and computation to engineer and interrogate drugs, proteins, and signaling pathways.
LifeSci NYC
The LifeSci NYC Internship Program has just launched for 2022-2023. Both academic year internships and full-time job opportunities posted. Summer internship opportunities will be posted in the next couple of months. All types of positions will continue to be posted on a rolling basis, as host companies are ready to begin their hiring process. At present, there are 64 roles listed at 38 different companies. Once a student creates an application, they may view job descriptions for all of these roles in our job portal, and may submit cover letters for those that interest them. Students who have not yet applied for our program may view all of our academic year and full-time roles at http://bit.ly/altopps, and may then submit a program application in order to apply for listed roles. Summer internships will only be shared with students who have submitted a program application, so students will need to apply in order to access those listings.
New York Stem Cell Foundation
NYSCF Research Institute is a non-profit accelerator looking to develop cures for the major diseases of our time through stem cell research and they have a few open positions.
Satellite Bio
Job opportunities here
Satellite Bio is pioneering the development of a proprietary, groundbreaking technology that can turn cells into an engineered, implantable tissue therapeutic, thereby providing a transformative option for patients with serious disease. Building on 25 years of work in award-winning labs at top academic institutions, the platform is supported by a strong IP portfolio and is backed by a top tier syndicate, led by Polaris Partners, Lightspeed Ventures, and aMoon.
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What We're Listening To (or Reading!)
New York Bio Breakfast Series
Register to listen to the New York Bio Virtual Breakfast Series hosting conversations every Tuesday at 9:00 am with leading life science professionals. Check out past episodes: Listen Here
Is Venture Capital the Secret Sauce of the American Economy? Freakonomics Radio
The U.S. is home to seven of the world’s 10 biggest companies. How did that happen? The answer may come down to two little letters: V.C. Is venture capital good for society, or does it just help the rich get richer? Listen here.
Startup Cornell Podcast
Ever wonder how a young Cornell entrepreneur got their first idea? Or when they decided to just go after it? Wonder what they do first thing in the morning? Or if there’s a book they read that changed their life? Listen to Startup Cornell, the new podcast from Entrepreneurship at Cornell that explores the bold entrepreneurial ideas coming from our students, faculty, staff and young alumni.
In each segment, you’ll hear a Cornell entrepreneur tell their story of success, failure, wins and losses. They’ll also offer actionable advice for building and growing your own business.
Currently 11 episodes have been recorded: Listen Here
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Startup/Entrepreneurship resources in the Tri-I community:
Already an inventor and need advice for what’s next? Check out the Center for Technology Licensing at Cornell University, which manages Tech Transfer for all of Cornell University’s campuses, including Weill Cornell. If you’re at MSK, you can go to the Office of Technology Development.
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If any of these events interest you or you want to get involved, please subscribe to our newsletter and join our Slack channel.
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