The Commons: Recent Episodes
Wexford Science & Technology
Conversations featuring researchers, innovators, artists, entrepreneurs, community builders, and thought leaders who are improving the human condition in their own backyard and across the globe.
At conferences like BIO, breakthrough science commands the spotlight. But behind every successful healthcare company is another story; one of founders, investors, mentors, and the difficult journey from promising research to investable business.
In this episode of The Commons, host Thomas Osha welcomes Anne Mazet, Chief-of-Staff at Xcellerant Ventures, for a candid conversation about what separates great science from companies capable of attracting investment and creating lasting impact.
Anne shares why venture investors often place as much emphasis on founders as they do on technology, why researchers should engage investors earlier than they think, and how coachability, strategic planning, and the willingness to build the right leadership team can dramatically improve a company's odds of success.
The discussion also explores Phoenix's collaborative innovation ecosystem, the evolving venture capital landscape, and Xcellerant's innovative Jetstream Venture Fund, which is expanding access to venture investing through a more inclusive investment model. Along the way, Anne offers practical advice for university spinouts, startup founders, and anyone navigating the challenging path from laboratory discovery to commercialization.
Whether you're building a startup, supporting technology transfer, or simply curious about how healthcare innovation reaches the marketplace, this episode provides valuable insights into the people, partnerships, and investment decisions that turn promising ideas into successful companies.
The promise of cell and gene therapy is extraordinary. But between a scientific breakthrough and a patient receiving a potentially life-changing treatment lies one of the most complex, precise, and largely invisible networks in healthcare.
Recorded live from the BIO International Convention, host Tom Osha sits down with Melissa Marlow, Vice President of Clinical Services and Biotherapies Lab at Vitalant, to explore the infrastructure behind advanced cell therapies and why that infrastructure is critical to expanding patient access.
With roots stretching back to a Phoenix blood bank founded more than 80 years ago, Vitalant has built a national network capable of supporting the collection, handling, storage, and delivery of increasingly complex therapies. Melissa takes us behind the scenes of that network, where cells may need to be stored below -150 degrees Celsius, timing is measured in critical windows, and a single patient therapy can touch more than 100 people on its journey from collection to manufacturing and back to the patient.
Unlike a traditional pharmaceutical product, many of today's cell therapies are autologous, created from a patient's own cells specifically for that patient. There is no replacement batch sitting on a shelf. Every product is truly one of a kind.
Tom and Melissa also discuss the next frontier: moving therapies like CAR-T beyond treatments of last resort and expanding access to patients outside the nation's largest academic medical centers.
It's a conversation about science, logistics, culture, and the remarkable human infrastructure required to turn breakthrough medicine into patient care.
Scientific discovery is only the beginning. The real challenge is transforming breakthrough research into products and companies that improve lives.
Recorded live at BIO, this episode of The Commons features Leith Martin, Executive Director of the Pacific Desert Innovation Hub for NSF I-Corps, a program that is reshaping how researchers approach innovation and entrepreneurship across the Southwest. He is also Executive Director of the Troesh Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Lee Business School at UNLV, where he oversees entrepreneurship programs and the academic entrepreneurship curriculum.
Originally developed by the National Science Foundation, I-Corps has helped thousands of scientists and engineers learn a deceptively simple lesson: before building a company, you have to deeply understand the problem you're trying to solve. Through customer discovery, market validation, and entrepreneurial training, researchers learn to test assumptions, engage potential users, and refine their ideas long before launching a startup.
In our conversation, Leith explains why some of the world's most promising technologies never reach the marketplace, how I-Corps is helping bridge the gap between discovery and commercialization, and why entrepreneurial thinking has become an essential skill for today's research community. We also discuss the role programs like the Pacific Desert Innovation Hub play in strengthening regional innovation ecosystems and accelerating the translation of research into economic and societal impact.
Whether you're a scientist, entrepreneur, investor, or simply interested in how great ideas become real-world solutions, this conversation offers valuable lessons about the future of innovation.
Phoenix is one of the most closely watched innovation markets in the country, but growth at this scale does not happen by accident. In this episode of The Commons, recorded live as part of our special series spotlighting Arizona’s bioscience and innovation economy, Tom Osha sits down with Ryan Touhill, Director of Economic Development for the City of Phoenix.
Together, they explore how Phoenix is translating long-term vision into measurable momentum across life sciences, advanced industries, entrepreneurship, and place-based economic development. Ryan shares how the city is thinking beyond traditional business attraction, focusing instead on building the conditions that allow innovation ecosystems to thrive over time.
The conversation examines the role of public leadership in creating environments where research institutions, startups, established industry, and developers can align around shared growth. Ryan also reflects on Phoenix’s emergence as a national bioscience hub, the importance of strategic partnerships, and how the city is investing in the infrastructure, talent, and community assets required to sustain innovation.
From district-scale development to economic competitiveness, this episode offers a candid look at how cities can move from ambition to execution, and why Phoenix’s next chapter may be even more consequential than its last.
Our special BIO series begins with a conversation that challenges how we think about health, disease, and discovery.
In this episode of The Commons, we sit down with Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz, professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and director of the Translational Women’s Health Research Program, whose work is helping uncover the complex relationship between the microbiome, immunity, and women’s health outcomes. Her research focuses on how microbial communities and host biology interact in the female reproductive tract — with implications for infection, cancer prevention, diagnostics, and earlier intervention.
Together, we explore one of the most fascinating frontiers in bioscience: how understanding the body’s hidden ecosystems may transform the future of medicine. We discuss the evolution of translational science, why women’s health represents one of the most important opportunities in modern research, and what it takes to move discoveries from the laboratory into meaningful impact for patients.
Recorded live during BIO, this conversation also reflects a broader story unfolding across Arizona — where researchers, institutions, and innovators are building an ecosystem designed to accelerate discovery and improve health outcomes at scale.
This special series of The Commons comes to you live from BIO, where the world’s leading biotechnology companies, researchers, investors, and ecosystem builders gather to shape what’s next in health and life sciences.
Across a series of conversations, we explore a bigger question: What does it take to build a world-class bioscience ecosystem?
From breakthrough therapeutics and emerging startups to commercialization strategies, talent pipelines, and statewide collaboration, this series highlights the people and ideas helping define Arizona’s next chapter in innovation.
Featuring leaders from research institutions, foundations, startups, and industry, these discussions examine how discoveries move from lab to market, how regions compete on a global stage, and why the future of bioscience depends as much on connection and place as it does on scientific excellence.
Throughout the series, we spotlight Arizona’s growing momentum, from translational research and entrepreneurship to the partnerships and infrastructure needed to accelerate impact and improve health outcomes.
Whether you are an entrepreneur, researcher, policymaker, investor, or simply curious about where the future of health is heading, these conversations offer a front-row seat to the ideas and relationships shaping tomorrow.
When people talk about Arizona's emergence as a bioscience leader, the conversation often focuses on Phoenix. But the state's success story is much larger than any single city.
In this episode of The Commons, host Thomas Osha welcomes Mary O'Reilly of the Flinn Foundation for a discussion about the Arizona Bioscience Roadmap and the unique role it has played in advancing innovation and economic development across the entire state.
For more than two decades, the Roadmap has provided a shared framework for strengthening Arizona's bioscience sector through strategic investments, collaborative partnerships, talent development, research growth, and commercialization. Unlike many economic development initiatives that focus on a single metropolitan area, Arizona's approach has sought to connect assets and opportunities across the state, aligning universities, healthcare systems, research institutions, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and policymakers around a common vision.
In this conversation, O'Reilly explores how the Roadmap was developed, why it has endured through changing economic and political environments, and how it continues to serve as a catalyst for statewide collaboration. She discusses the measurable impact the strategy has had on research capacity, workforce development, startup formation, healthcare innovation, and Arizona's growing reputation as a center for bioscience and technology-driven growth.
The discussion also examines a broader question facing regions throughout the world: how can communities sustain a long-term innovation strategy that extends beyond individual projects, leaders, or election cycles?
As The Commons prepares to broadcast from the Arizona Pavilion at the BIO International Convention in San Diego, this episode offers an important perspective on the value of statewide thinking and the power of patient, coordinated leadership.
What does it take to build a world-class bioscience ecosystem?
While many regions aspire to become centers of innovation, few have sustained a coordinated strategy long enough to produce transformative results. Arizona is one of the exceptions.
In this episode of The Commons, host Thomas Osha is joined by Matt Ellsworth, Chief Operating Officer of the Flinn Foundation, for a conversation about the Arizona Bioscience Roadmap—one of the nation's most enduring and influential regional innovation strategies.
Developed more than two decades ago, the Roadmap was created to help Arizona diversify its economy and strengthen its position in the life sciences. Since then, it has served as a guiding framework for collaboration among universities, healthcare systems, research institutions, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, philanthropies, and government partners across the state.
The results have been significant. Arizona has emerged as a growing center for bioscience research, commercialization, healthcare innovation, and talent development, with the Phoenix Bioscience Core becoming one of the most visible manifestations of that progress.
In this discussion, Ellsworth reflects on the origins of the Roadmap, the leadership and partnerships that have sustained it through multiple economic cycles, and the lessons learned from more than 20 years of ecosystem building. He also explores how the Roadmap continues to evolve in response to new opportunities in precision medicine, biotechnology, workforce development, and innovation-driven economic growth.
In this episode of The Commons, host Thomas Osha sits down with Steve Potts, CEO of Breakthru Medicine, to explore what it actually takes to turn scientific insight into life-changing therapies. With multiple FDA-approved drugs in his track record and a newly closed $60 million Series A, one of the largest early-stage financings in Phoenix’s bioscience ecosystem, Potts brings a rare perspective on building in a field defined by uncertainty, long timelines, and high stakes.
The conversation moves beyond the headlines to unpack the mechanics of innovation. Potts shares how experience, judgment, and data come together to identify which ideas have real potential, and which don’t. He explains Breakthru Medicine’s patient-first, tumor-agnostic approach, and the emerging science behind molecular glues, small molecules, and next-generation antibody-drug conjugates.
Osha and Potts also step back to examine the broader system: why so many therapies fail, how startups and large pharma play complementary roles, and why new geographies like Phoenix are becoming credible centers of biotech innovation.
At its core, this episode is about decision-making under uncertainty—how leaders place bets when the outcomes matter deeply and the answers aren’t clear. For anyone interested in the future of medicine, innovation, or building at the edge of what’s possible, this conversation offers a clear-eyed look at how breakthroughs actually get built.
What does it take to move ideas out of the laboratory and into the world, at meaningful scale, with purpose, and without losing the soul of academic discovery?
In this episode of The Commons, host Thomas Osha sits down with John Swarthy, Chief Innovation Officer of the University of Pennsylvania, to explore how Penn has spent the last two decades intentionally reshaping its approach to innovation, commercialization, and partnership.
Penn is widely recognized for breakthrough discoveries—from CAR-T cell therapy to the mRNA platform that enabled COVID-19 vaccines—but those successes did not happen overnight. As John explains, they are the result of sustained leadership, cultural change, and a deliberate shift away from a purely transactional model of “tech transfer” toward a deeply integrated, relationship-driven innovation enterprise.
The conversation explores why basic research remains essential even in an era of tightening federal funding and growing industry pressure for near-term results, and why translational research alone is never enough to deliver truly game-changing breakthroughs. John and Tom discuss how universities must balance curiosity-driven discovery with commercialization pathways, and why partnerships with industry, startups, and regional institutions are now central to that mission.
Listeners will also hear how Penn has leveraged reinvestment of licensing revenues under the Bayh-Dole framework to strengthen the entire research enterprise, support interdisciplinary institutes, and help catalyze an innovation district in West Philadelphia where academia, healthcare, startups, and global industry converge.
From mRNA platforms and interdisciplinary engineering-medicine collaborations to the role of talent, capital, and place, this episode offers a candid look at how one leading research university is navigating the future of innovation and what that future may demand from institutions everywhere.
If you’re interested in the evolving role of universities, the economics of innovation, or how ecosystems turn discovery into impact, this conversation offers rare insight from someone who has helped build the system from the inside.
In this episode, University City Science Center CEO, Tiffany Wilson joins host Thomas Osha, to explore the changing role of intermediary organizations; the importance of translational science in a moment of accelerating discovery; the challenges of building a truly inclusive innovation ecosystem; and what the next decade holds for regions trying to compete on a global stage. It’s a discussion about leadership, but even more, it’s a discussion about intentionality: how we design the spaces, the programs, and the partnerships that make discovery matter.
In this episode of The Commons, host Thomas Osha talks with Nate Hommel, Director of Planning and Design at University City District (UCD) in Philadelphia — a place where experimentation, partnership, and humility redefine what public space can do.
Unlike most business improvement districts, UCD operates as a voluntary collaboration among universities, hospitals, developers, and neighbors within just two and a half square miles of West Philadelphia. It’s a compact but complex ecosystem — home to research towers and historic rowhomes, students and long-time residents, innovation and inequity — and it’s exactly that mix that fuels Nate’s approach to design.
Nate and his team see the city as a prototype, not a finished product. Through projects like The Porch at 30th Street Station and The Lawn at UCity Square, they test ideas with temporary materials — moveable furniture, container bleachers, and pop-up decks — to learn what truly works for the community before making anything permanent.
Thomas and Nate explore how iteration, listening, and trust can transform a construction site into a commons, a district into a community, and a set of buildings into a place of belonging. It’s a conversation about designing with, not for, and how the most vibrant cities grow not from grand plans, but from the everyday act of trying, learning, and doing better together.
In this episode of The Commons, host Tom Osha sits down with Dr. Charles Cairns, the Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Dean of the Drexel University College of Medicine, to explore how medicine is being reimagined — from how students are trained to how discoveries move from the lab to the bedside.
Dr. Cairns, a national leader in emergency medicine and medical research, shares how Drexel is pioneering new models of collaboration through partnerships with hospitals and regional campuses across Pennsylvania, Delaware, and California. These initiatives are creating new opportunities for education, research, and care delivery — and positioning Drexel at the forefront of a rapidly evolving medical landscape.
Together, Tom and Dr. Cairns discuss the changing nature of medical education, the role of partnerships in driving innovation, and what it will take to prepare physicians not only to treat patients, but to lead in an era defined by technology, data, and discovery.
Whether you’re in healthcare, higher education, or simply curious about how medicine is adapting to the future, this episode offers a thoughtful look at how collaboration and innovation are shaping the next generation of care.
Season 5 kicks off as host Tom Osha sits down with Matt Homann, President and CEO of Filament, to explore what really brings people back to the workplace—and how to make those interactions matter. Together they unpack the elements that drive meaningful collaboration, why most meetings fail, and how Filament’s “Dream, Debate, Decide, Do” framework helps teams turn conversation into action.
https://www.meetfilament.com/
Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life
https://www.theringer.com/podcasts/the-rewatchables
We are midway through 2025, and today’s innovation landscape can be called anything but stable.
Universities are grappling with a combination of macro challenges— slashed research budgets, shrinking state support, punitive immigration policies and the arrival of the long-anticipated demographic cliff that’s forcing campuses across the country to rethink who they serve… and how.
Meanwhile, venture capital — once the fuel behind every big idea — has been sitting on the sidelines since 2021. Unless you’re building something in AI, the money isn’t flowing.
Meanwhile, Big Pharma is staring down a patent cliff – over 70 drugs, each bringing in over $1 billion in revenue are coming off patent protection by 2030.
And, 4 years later, many return-to-office initiatives have failed — weakening the very cultural glue companies need to attract, retain, and inspire top talent, not to mention the impact that fewer workers have had on the vibrancy of city centers of all sizes.
In short, we are living through a period of transformation and turbulencenot seen in over 50 years.
And that’s exactly why The Commons is back for Season 5.
I'm your host, Thomas Osha, and this season, we’re diving headfirst into this uncertainty.
We’ll talk with those who are building through the chaos.
The researchers, founders, corporate executives, university leaders, artists and policy makers.
We’re bringing you into candid conversations with guests who lead by example and with purpose.
You’ll hear from Nobel-winning scientists and early-career researchers working on next-gen therapies and sustainable tech.
You’ll meet corporate innovation leaders who are betting big on partnerships with academia — and doing it differently.
Artists and designers will share how they’re reframing our understanding of place, memory, and culture in innovation spaces.
And we’ll sit down with policymakers, philanthropists, and university presidents who are fighting to ensure the innovation economy remains open, inclusive, and generative.
And through it all, we’ll ask the hard questions:
What does it take to sustain innovation in an age of scarcity?
How do we fund what matters — and turn ideas into impact?
And what new models can carry us forward — across academia, industry, and the civic commons?
Because now more than ever, we need bold thinking, shared insight, and collective action.
This season, we're not just highlighting what's broken — we're lifting up what works. And we’re inviting everyone — from lab bench to boardroom to our studio — and in many cases, bringing the studio to them. The Commons will hit the road – visiting Knowledge Communities in Charlotte, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Phoenix, and Sacramento.
So join me for Season 5 of The Commons.
Let’s make the case — together — for why innovation still matters, and why the places that power it deserve our attention and investment.
Host, Thomas Osha, visits The Penn Institute for RNA Innovation and sits down with directors Dr. Drew Weissman and Dr. Jim Hoxie.
Dr. Weissman's was recently awarded the Nobel Prize for groundbreaking work that has fundamentally transformed our understanding of genetic science and has played a pivotal role in the development of mRNA vaccines, which have been instrumental in combating the global COVID-19 pandemic.
We discuss the science behind RNA innovations, explore what's next for this exciting field of medicine, and highlight the importance of serendipitous collisions in science.
https://rnainnovation.med.upenn.edu/
Host, Thomas Osha speaks with, Julie Bauke, one of the foremost authorities on the business imperatives and the psychological factors that play into shifts in the talent and career landscape. Julie has worked with corporate executives, professional athletes, and everyone in between during her more than 30 years as a career coach and talent expert. She is the author of Stop Peeing on Your Shoes: Avoiding the 7 Mistakes that Screw Up Your Job Search.
Julie is a keen observer of generational trends in the workplace. As we navigate an era marked by rapid demographic shifts, we'll explore how these changes are reshaping the workforce landscape. From the influx of Millennials and Gen Z to the evolving roles of Boomers and Gen X, the interplay of these generations is creating both opportunities and challenges.
https://thebaukegroup.com/
Host, Thomas Osha sits down with Mara Aspinall, partner with Illumina Ventures to discuss the current state of venture capital in life sciences, Genomics 3.0, and other innovation topics.
This is the final "live" interview from the BIO International Conference 2024 in San Diego June 4-6, 2024.
https://www.illuminaventures.com/
https://chs.asu.edu/degree-programs/biomedical-diagnostics
Commons host, Thomas Osha, catches up with serial entrepreneur, Steve Potts, to discuss his latest venture, SLAM BioTherapeutics. Slam Bio is developing a platform of first-in-class monoclonal antibody therapies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) targeting cancer, beginning with blood cancers.
The conversation took place at the BIO International Conference 2024 in San Diego June 4-6, 2024.
https://slambio.com/
Mayo Clinic’s mission is guided by an expression of the vision and intent of its founders, to ensure that the values of respect, compassion, integrity, healing, teamwork, excellence, innovation and stewardship are reflected in its attitude and behavior toward all patients, visitors and colleagues.
The Commons host, Thomas Osha, sits down with Dr. Rahul Pannala and Dr Steven Lester of Mayo Clinic Arizona to discuss these values, how they form the Three Shields of Patient Care, Education, and Research, and how they manifest themselves in current initiatives such as the Mayo/ASU MedTech Accelerator and the coming Discovery Oasis innovation hub.
The conversation took place at the BIO International Conference 2024 in San Diego June 4-6, 2024.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide/arizona
Host, Thomas Osha, catches up with Scarlett Spring, Executive Director of the Phoenix Bioscience Core for a discussion of its history, current exciting developments and impactful future.
The Phoenix Bioscience Core is a 30-acre life sciences innovation district in the heart of Downtown Phoenix. Home to the highest concentration of research scientists in the state, the PBC’s anchor institutions include Arizona’s three public research universities — Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona — leading genomics pioneers including the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), part of the City of Hope; the International Genomics Consortium; Exact Sciences; several of Phoenix’s major health care systems, such as Banner Health, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Dignity Health and Valleywise Health; and a growing number of emerging life science companies.
The conversation took place at the BIO International Conference 2024 in San Diego June 4-6, 2024.
https://phoenixbiosciencecore.com/
Host, Thomas Osha, chats with Stacey Metzler, from the Phoenix Children's Genomics Lab about the critical work they do to bring state-of-the art genomic testing to patients and their families. Genomic testing can be used across many specialties to diagnose and help guide treatment and management for patients affected with a variety of medical conditions.
https://www.phoenixchildrens.org/pathology-laboratory-medicine/programs-services/clinical-genomics-lab
Host, Thomas Osha, interviews, Pat Dino of RoddyMedical, a women-founded and operated company focused on developing innovative medical devices that improve clinical safety & patient outcomes.
Its signature product, SecureMove®, has just been awarded the Audience Choice at Mayo Clinic | Arizona State University MedTech Accelerator. SecureMove provides a new standard in medical line securement and is designed to vastly improve patient safety & mobility.
The conversation took place at the BIO International Conference 2024 in San Diego June 4-6, 2024.
www.roddymedical.com
Host, Thomas Osha, discusses workforce development, community engagement, and economic development with City of Phoenix Councilwoman, Kesha Hodge Washington.
Councilwoman Hodge Washington represents District 8 which includes the Phoenix Bioscience Core and several of the research and innovation assets within the City.
The conversation took place at the BIO International Conference 2024 in San Diego June 4-6, 2024.
https://www.phoenix.gov/district8
Arizona is home to one of the fastest growing life science industries in the U.S. The Commons host, Thomas Osha, speaks with Joan Koerber-Walker, CEO of AZBio.
As the statewide advocate and industry association for Arizona’s bioscience industry, AZBio provides the connections, resources, and leadership needed to keep the industry growing at an ever increasing rate.
https://www.azbio.org/
Host, Thomas Osha, chats with Dr. Guy Reed, Dean Emeritus of the University of Arizona Medical School in Phoenix and now Chief Science Officer for Translational Sciences Inc.
Dr. Reed started Translational Sciences Inc as a platform for moving discoveries from his lab to the marketplace.
The interview was conducted during the 2024 BIO International Conference in San Diego.
Host Thomas Osha catches up with Ben Pricer and Spencer Perry of Schott MiniFab at the BIO International Conference 2024 in San Diego, CA.
Schott MiniFab specializes in in vitro diagnostics and life science research tools, that support product developers in pursuit of diagnostic tools to improve patient care and the next generation of research tools that will accelerate our understanding of human diseases.
https://www.schott.com/en-gb/minifab?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9vqyBhCKARIsAIIcLMFAWWHg8mPXrxmAUZT-KELKI7o2QbXPsd4k7bVUeU-PU6vG9Zp_9koaAgHuEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Welcome, everyone, to a series of special live episodes of The Commons broadcasting straight from the heart of the life sciences industry—the Bio International Convention 2024 in beautiful San Diego, California!
Over the course of the next three days, I’ll be sitting in the Phoenix, Arizona pavilion on the show floor and speaking with guests about the latest trends in biotech, hear about some of the amazing science happening across Phoenix, and even get a chance to chat with a few of the brilliant individuals who are making waves in the industry.
https://phoenixbiosciencecore.com/
https://www.investinphoenix.com/
Richard and Menguistu Koillor are two brothers from West Side Philadelphia who have transformed their passion for brewing into a beacon of hope for their community. Their brewery, aptly named "Two Locals," is more than just a place to enjoy a cold one. It’s a place where researchers, innovators, artists and others cluster and connect in Two Locals new taproom at 3675 Market Street, within uCity Square.
Richard and Menguistu started with a simple idea: to bring quality craft beer to their hometown. But their vision quickly expanded. They wanted to create jobs, support local suppliers, and provide a safe, welcoming space for people to gather.
Their new brewery and taproom does just that and so much more. Drop by any evening around happy hour and you are likely to meet everyone from a lab team in one of the many cell and gene therapy companies within uCity Square, to professors from Penn or Drexel, to West Philadelphia residents meeting old friends and making new ones.
https://www.twolocalsbrewing.com/
Daniel Lunz, CEO of Previse is someone who understands the importance of service and supporting the patient in their care journey – because he has lived it, both as a veteran and as a patient himself.
But, Previse can equip patients and physicians with the information needed to both avoid unnecessary procedures, yet fully monitor conditions, providing early detection if they develop into cancer.
https://previsedx.com/
It is hard enough navigating the start-up world. Imagine doing so as a refugee, fleeing the ravages of war in your homeland, to find opportunity in a foreign country.
My guest, Mustafa Al-Adhami, CEO of Astek Diagnostics, has done just that.
His journey is one of courage and perseverance, navigating through adversity to forge a new path. But his story doesn't end there.
Determined to make a difference, he turned the traumatic experience of his grandfather into fuel for innovation.
And now he has founded a groundbreaking company that's changing the landscape of urinary tract infection diagnosis and treatment.
https://astekdx.com/
Imagine a world where the outdated and often uncomfortable methods of contraception are replaced by a groundbreaking innovation that is safe, effective, and empowering.
After years of research and development, the start-up – 3Daughters - has created a device that promises to offer women greater control over their reproductive choices, without the hassle and discomfort associated with traditional methods like the intrauterine device (IUD).
www.3daughtershealth.com
Join me for a conversation with Marco Chacon, who leads a team of brilliant minds at Irazu Oncology , tirelessly working to develop a next-generation cancer vaccine platform. This platform holds the promise of providing novel treatment options for a broad range of patients, transforming the landscape of cancer care as we know it.
https://irazubio.com/
In honor of the Annual tradition of BockFest – one of the largest of which is in Cincinnati, I travelled to Gabby’s Cafe to spend a few hours with Joe Cornella, Head Brew Master to learn about Bocce Brewing, the microbrewing industry, the brewing process, and of course, to sample a few Bocce beers along the way.
https://boccebrewingcompany.com/
https://gabbyswyoming.com/
Host, Thomas Osha sits down with KaloCyte’s CEO – Elaine Haynes in the company’s lab at the University of Maryland, Baltimore and UMB BioPark to discuss their groundbreaking bio-inspired artificial red blood cells and what’s next for this very interesting start-up.
For more information, visit: https://kalocyte.com/
George Davis, Fund Manager of the Wexford SciTech Venture Fund visits with host Tom Osha about the state of seed funding in biotech and the role that firms who combine mission and return can play in helping move discoveries from university labs to becoming the start-up stars of tomorrow.
I'm thrilled to announce that Season 4 of The Commons, kicks-off this week; your favorite podcast where curiosity meets creativity, and where you can find the most extraordinary people at work to improve the human condition. We’ll be on location in labs, breweries, art studios, conference floors, downtowns, and even in front of a live audience.
Vicki Palmer, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of University Research Parks (AURP) joins host, Tom Osha, to discuss AURP’s numerous programs designed to help leaders of university-centric innovation districts and research parks share best practices in partnerships, programs, and operations.
The interview was conducted during Day 3 of the Association of University Research Parks 2022 International Conference held in Toronto Sept 19 - 22.
For more information, please visit: https://www.aurp.net.
Derek Newton, Assistant Vice-President, Innovation, Partnerships and Entrepreneurship at theUniversity of Toronto speaks with host, Tom Osha, about the ingredients necessary to build successful partnerships between industry and U of T and the importance that talent and place play in such collaborations.
The interview was conducted during Day 3 of the Association of University Research Parks 2022 International Conference held in Toronto Sept 19 - 22.
For more information, please visit: https://research.utoronto.ca/partnerships/partnerships.
Sean Flanigan, Director of Technology Transfer for King Abdullah University of Science and Technology speaks with host, Tom Osha, about KAUST’s research park strategy, including intellectual property management, research business development, and the strategic investment of resources in technology development.
The interview was conducted during Day 3 of the Association of University Research Parks 2022 International Conference held in Toronto Sept 19 - 22.
For more information, please visit: https://innovation.kaust.edu.sa/industry/park.
Josh Mitchell, former Managing Director Real Estate with the University of Toronto speaks with host, Tom Osha, about Uof T's new "Four Corners" strategy, which is focused on developing housing, innovation space, retail, and other income producing assets that contribute to the academic mission and provide a return to the University, as well as contribute to the vibrancy of the Toronto innovation ecosystem.
The interview was conducted during Day 3 of the Association of University Research Parks 2022 International Conference held in Toronto Sept 19 - 22.
For more information, please visit: https://www.utoronto.ca.
Greg King, Associate Vice President, Economic Development for Georgia Tech, speaks with host, Tom Osha, about the importance of talent and corporate partnerships to the success of Technology Square and the growing Atlanta innovation ecosystem.
The interview was conducted during Day 3 of the Association of University Research Parks 2022 International Conference held in Toronto Sept 19 - 22.
For more information, please visit: https://www.gatech.edu/tech-square.
Phil Hockberger, Consultant, Waymaker Group speaks with host, Tom Osha, about how mid-size cities can organize their anchors, resources and stakeholders to create innovation districts in often overlooked regions of the US.
The interview was conducted during Day 3 of the Association of University Research Parks 2022 International Conference held in Toronto Sept 19 - 22.
For more information, please visit: https://www.waymaker-group.com.
Mark Romney, Chief Industry Alliance Officer of Aggie Square at UC Davis speaks with host, Tom Osha, about the progress of the development of Phase 1 and the importance of Aggie Square to the City of Sacramento as well as the University community.
The interview was conducted during Day 3 of the Association of University Research Parks 2022 International Conference held in Toronto Sept 19 - 22.
For more information, please visit: https://aggiesquare.ucdavis.edu.
Joe Carley, Director of Economic Development for Indiana University speaks with host, Tom Osha, about efforts to create an innovation district outside the gates of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane and the opportunity to create a place where companies and entrepreneurs can interact with the Navy, outside of the secure facility and lessons for anyone working with the military or national labs.
The interview was conducted during Day 3 of the Association of University Research Parks 2022 International Conference held in Toronto Sept 19 - 22.
For more information, please visit: https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Warfare-Centers/NSWC-Crane/ or https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/in-depth-overview/naval-support-activity-crane
Hala Madanat, Vice President for Research and Innovation, for San Diego State University, speaks with host, Tom Osha, about SDSU’s Mission Valley Innovation District and the critical innovation and community-serving activities that will emerge as the district is developed.
The interview was conducted during Day 3 of the Association of University Research Parks 2022 International Conference held in Toronto Sept 19 - 22.
For more information, please visit: https://missionvalley.sdsu.edu/explore/innovation-district
David Adams, Commissioner, Indiana Department of Workforce Development, and former Chief Innovation Officer of the University of Cincinnati, speaks with host, Tom Osha, about the importance of talent attraction the innovation ecosystems of Ohio and Indiana.
The interview was conducted during Day 3 of the Association of University Research Parks 2022 International Conference held in Toronto Sept 19 - 22.
For more information, please visit: https://www.in.gov/dwd/ and https://innovation.uc.edu
Josh Siegel, Director, Real Estate, Administration, and University Technology Park for Illinois Tech, speaks with host, Tom Osha, about the university – its architectural history and significance and the redevelopment of a historic building into an epicenter of innovation at the University Technology Park.
The interview was conducted during Day 2 of the Association of University Research Parks 2022 International Conference held in Toronto Sept 19 - 22.
For more information, please visit: https://www.iit.edu/utp
Laura Bleill, Director of External Engagement for the University of Illinois Research Park, speaks with host, Tom Osha, about the university – student focus and growth of the Research Park in Urbana-Champaign as well as the innovation ecosystem across Illinois.
The interview was conducted during Day 2 of the Association of University Research Parks 2022 International Conference held in Toronto Sept 19 - 22.
For more information, please visit: https://researchpark.illinois.edu
Jeff Johnson, Director Tech Center Research Park at Virginia Tech speaks with host, Tom Osha, about Tech Center in Newport News and the intersections between entrepreneurial activity and the community as well as the innovation ecosystem in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
The interview was conducted during Day 2 of the Association of University Research Parks 2022 International Conference held in Toronto Sept 19 - 22.
For more information, please visit: http://innovateattechcenterva.com
Kimberly Gramm, Chief Innovation & Entrepreneur Officer for Tulane University speaks with host, Tom Osha, about the Tulane Innovation Institute and the emerging innovation ecosystem in New Orleans.
The interview was conducted during Day 2 of the Association of University Research Parks 2022 International Conference held in Toronto Sept 19 - 22.
For more information please visit: https://innovation.tulane.edu.
Katy Boren, President and CEO of the Oklahoma City Innovation District speaks with host, Tom Osha, about the innovation ecosystem in OKC and their growing innovation district.
The interview was conducted during Day 2 of the Association of University Research Parks 2022 International Conference held in Toronto Sept 19 - 22.
For more information, please visit https://okcinnovation.com.
Leah Burton, Director, Office of Partnerships at NC State University, speaks with host, Tom Osha, about NC State’s Innovation, the Centennial Campus, and her year as President of AURP.
The interview was conducted during Day 2 of the Association of University Research Parks 2022 International Conference held in Toronto Sept 19 - 22.
For more information, please visit https://www.ncsu.edu/partnerships/ or https://www.ncsu.edu.
Ryan Lilly, Global Ventures Program Manager, speaks with host, Tom Osha, about Florida Atlantic University’s Research Park, Global Venture Companies, and the growing innovation ecosystem around Boca Raton, FL.
The interview was conducted during Day 2 of the Association of University Research Parks 2022 International Conference held in Toronto Sept 19 - 22.
For more information, please visit https://www.research-park.org or https://www.fau.edu.
Kaethe Beck, Associate Vice President of Operations in the Office of Innovation, speaks with host, Tom Osha, about The University of Cincinnati's impactful innovation spaces, including the 1819 Innovation Hub and the Digital Futures building.
The interview was conducted during Day 2 of the Association of University Research Parks 2022 International Conference held in Toronto Sept 19 - 22.
For more information, please visit https://uc1819.com or https://innovation.uc.edu.
Kay Tindle, Interim Associate Vice President, Strategic Initiatives & Innovation and Assistant Vice President, Research Development, speaks with host, Tom Osha, about Texas Tech University and The Innovation Hub and the importance Life Science, Agritech, and Energy to the Lubbock, TX innovation ecosystem.
The interview was conducted during Day 2 of the Association of University Research Parks 2022 International Conference held in Toronto Sept 19 - 22.
For more information, please visit https://www.depts.ttu.edu/research/research-park
The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) is recognized as an international leader in translating scientific discovery into clinical therapies.
Leading WFIRM is Dr. Tony Atala, whose research, innovation, and thought leadership have shaped the field of regenerative medicine for over two decades.
Physicians and scientists at WFIRM were the first in the world to engineer laboratory-grown organs that were successfully implanted into humans. Today, this interdisciplinary team that numbers about 400 is working to engineer more than 40 different replacement tissues and organs, and to develop healing cell therapies – all with the goal to cure, rather than merely treat, disease.
Dr. Atala joins Thomas Osha, the host of The Commons, for a conversation highlighting the science, progress, and promise of regenerative medicine. To learn more about WFIRM, please visit: https://school.wakehealth.edu/Research/Institutes-and-Centers/Wake-Forest-Institute-for-Regenerative-Medicine.
This is the first in a series of conversations with leading researchers around North America, exploring the breadth of research being conducted at leading Knowledge Communities.
Brian Darmody, CEO of the Association of University Research Parks speaks with host, Tom Osha, about the 35 year history of the organization and the importance and impact of the Communities of Innovation represented by its members.
The interview was conducted during Day 3 of the Association of University Research Parks 2021 International Conference held in Salt Lake City Oct 18 - 21.
For more information, please visit www.aurp.net.
Laura Frerichs, Executive Director at the University of Illinois Research Park and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Economic Development, speaks with host, Tom Osha, about The University of Illinois' Research Park and the importance of student engagement in corporate innovation activities.
The interview was conducted during Day 3 of the Association of University Research Parks 2021 International Conference held in Salt Lake City Oct 18 - 21.
For more information, please visit www.researchpark.illinois.edu
Jonathon Bates, Executive Director for Real Estate Administration for the University of Utah, and this year's host for the AURP International Conference, speaks with host, Tom Osha, about The University, of Utah's innovation district strategy and the emerging innovation ecosystem in Salt Lake City.
The interview was conducted during Day 3 of the Association of University Research Parks 2021 International Conference held in Salt Lake City Oct 18 - 21.
For more information, please visit www.realestate.utah.edu.
Saul Behar, General Counsel and Senior Vice President Strategic Initiatives for the University City Science Center speaks with host, Tom Osha, about the Four C's: Commercialize, Convene, Cultivate, and Capital and the history of the Science Center as the oldest urban research park in the country
The interview was conducted during Day 3 of the Association of University Research Parks 2021 International Conference held in Salt Lake City Oct 18 - 21.
For more information, please visit www.sciencecenter.org and www.uCitySquare.com.
Jim Currie, Operations Director of the University of Cincinnati's 1819 Innovation Hub speaks with host, Tom Osha, about the 1819 Innovation Hub, the Cincinnati Innovation District, and of course, Bearcats Football.
The interview was conducted during Day 2 of the Association of University Research Parks 2021 International Conference held in Salt Lake City Oct 18 - 21.
For more information, please visit www.uc1819.com and www.cincyid.com.
Leah Burton, Director of Partnerships for NC State University speaks with host, Tom Osha, about the Centennial Campus, corporate partnerships and economic development.
The interview was conducted during Day 2 of the Association of University Research Parks 2021 International Conference held in Salt Lake City Oct 18 - 21.
For more information, please visit www.ncsu.edu/partnerships
Dr Stephen Farrow, Executive Director National Diabetes & Obesity Research Institute speaks with host, Tom Osha, about the mission of NDORI and the desire to create an innovation district in Biloxi.
The interview was conducted during Day 2 of the Association of University Research Parks 2021 International Conference held in Salt Lake City Oct 18 - 21.
For more information, please visit www.ndori.org
Keith Marmer, Chief Innovation & Economic Engagement Officer at the University of Utah speaks with host, Tom Osha, about the PIVOT Center, Lassonde Studios and university led economic development initiatives.
The interview was conducted during Day 2 of the Association of University Research Parks 2021 International Conference held in Salt Lake City Oct 18 - 21.
For more information, please visit www.pivotcenter.utah.edu and www.lassonde.utah.edu
Mark Romney, Chief Industry Alliance Officer at the University of California Davis speaks with host, Tom Osha, about Aggie Square, UC Davis' Innovation District in Sacramento.
The interview was conducted during Day 1 of the Association of University Research Parks 2021 International Conference held in Salt Lake City Oct 18 - 21.
For more information, please visit www.aggiesquare.ucdavis.edu
David McDonald is a healthcare anthropologist and entrepreneur and the CEO and co-founder of LIFT a research and design agency focused on patient engagement and empowerment. His firm helps healthcare and life science companies better understand the people they seek to serve by approaching product marketing and patient education & empowerment through a human-centered lens.
In June, he published his first book, What’s Their Story? Anthropology, Design Thinking, and the Rebirth of Healthcare Marketing.
The value of a patient-centered approach to healthcare design and strategy is clear, yet many healthcare professionals lack a fundamental understanding of the principles that foster stakeholder understanding important to better outcomes, clinically and economically. In this book, David McDonald shares insights imperative to illuminating patient realities and designing impactful patient experiences. Without the concepts presented in this book, healthcare professionals genuinely interested in the human condition are flying blind.
There has never been a better time to define context around what it means to advocate on behalf of the patient. In this timely book, McDonald illuminates the biopsychosocial model and tackles the value of design and anthropology in patient education and empowerment—bringing an important conversation to the forefront with fresh and compelling perspectives. You’ll learn a brief history of the patient-centered concept and begin to understand two important tools that fuel stakeholder understanding: anthropology and design thinking.
The Commons host Tom Osha and Wexford Science & Technology Chief Community Officer, Travis Sheridan, cover a wide range of questions regarding racial equity, social justice, and economic mobility with Kirk Sykes, Managing Director of Accordia Partners, LLC, a Boston based real estate investment and development company.
Sykes is also a former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston where he was instrumental in creating the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion. The conversation also explores opportunities and programs for making real estate development a more inclusive industry.
As part of the BIO International Conference taking place this week – as a virtual set of webinars and video meetings – The Commons interviewed several members of the Phoenix bio ecosystem to learn more about the research, resources, and opportunities taking place in this rapidly emerging life science and biotechnology ecosystem.
Here is the full interview with Thomas Schumann, Executive Director, Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation, Gateway Community College, and Doug Woodruff, Senior Vice President and Western Region Executive, Wexford Science & Technology.
Additional Resources:
Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation
CEI LabForce
Wexford Science & Technology
850 N. 5th Street Brochure
As part of the BIO International Conference taking place this week – as a virtual set of webinars and video meetings – The Commons interviewed several members of the Phoenix bio ecosystem to learn more about the research, resources, and opportunities taking place in this rapidly emerging life science and biotechnology ecosystem.
Here is the full interview with Oncomyx Therapeutics CEO, Steve Potts.
Additional Resources:
Oncomyx Therapeutics
As part of the BIO International Conference taking place this week – as a virtual set of webinars and video meetings – The Commons interviewed several members of the Phoenix bio ecosystem to learn more about the research, resources, and opportunities taking place in this rapidly emerging life science and biotechnology ecosystem.
Here is the full interview with Arizona State University's Rick Naimark, Associate Vice President for Program Development Planning.
Additional Resources:
Arizona State University
ASU Biodesign Institute
As part of the BIO International Conference taking place this week – as a virtual set of webinars and video meetings – The Commons interviewed several members of the Phoenix bio ecosystem to learn more about the research, resources, and opportunities taking place in this rapidly emerging life science and biotechnology ecosystem.
Here is the full interview with Phoenix Mayor, Kate Gallego, and Community and Economic Development Director, Christine Mackay.
Additional Resources:
- Phoenix BIO Overview
- Phoenix: Where newcomers connect and thrive
- 2020 BIO Digital International Convention City of Phoenix Delegates/Companies
As part of the BIO International Conference taking place this week – as a virtual set of webinars and video meetings – The Commons interviewed several members of the Phoenix bio ecosystem to learn more about the research, resources, and opportunities taking place in this rapidly emerging life science and biotechnology ecosystem.
Here is the full interview with Tammy McLeod, CEO of the Flinn Foundation.
Arizona's Bioscience Roadmap:
https://flinn.org/bioscience/arizonas-bioscience-roadmap/progress/current-report/
Tom Osha, senior vice president of innovation and economic development at Wexford Science & Technology speaks with guest, Julie Wagner, president of The Global Institute on Innovation Districts, on the roles of Innovation Districts in restarting the economy in the post-COVID world.
What is an Innovation District?
Innovation Districts are compact geographies of innovation primarily found in cities or urbanizing areas that are anchored by the immediateness of institutions such as universities and medical institutions, companies, start-ups, community spaces, and intermediaries such as accelerators and incubators. In addition to that, they are strengthened by a range of other kinds of mixed-uses such as housing, retail and an array of programming.
Innovation District Research
- “The Rise of Innovation Districts,” The Brookings Institute: https://www.brookings.edu/essay/rise-of-innovation-districts/
- “The Evolution of Innovation Districts: The New Geography of Global Innovation,” The Global Institute on Innovation Districts: https://www.giid.org/the-evolution-of-innovation-districts-download/
- “Positioning Innovation Districts as a Road to Recovery – Five Insights for National and State Governments,” The Global Institute on Innovation Districts: https://www.giid.org/positioning-innovation-districts-as-a-road-to-recovery-five-insights-for-national-and-state-governments/
- “Take 2: Additional Innovation Districts Advancing Research to Fight COVID-19,” The Global Institute on Innovation Districts: https://www.giid.org/take-2-additional-innovation-districts-advancing-research-to-fight-covid-19/
For additional information on the Global Institute on Innovation Districts and Julie Wagner visit www.giid.org.