This month we are celebrating the incredible people who contribute their time and expertise to BioBuilder as members of our Board. These folks draw on their personal experiences and professional networks to help BioBuilder thrive.
Sharing a vision for synthetic biology education
Board members who will continue their service with BioBuilder are (clockwise) Valerie Tutson, Katie Hart, Natalie Kuldell (Founder and Executive Director), Rebekah Ravgiala, and Mary Tamer (Board Chair).
Their longstanding commitment to this work has been vital to its success!
A particular note of gratitude to Rebecca Millman
Rebecca served on the Board from BioBuilder’s founding in 2011. Her service included a handful of years as Board Chair where her strategic vision for BioBuilder helped sharpen its purpose, approach, and mission.
She will continue to serve on BioBuilder’s Advisory Board so her institutional knowledge can accelerate ongoing work.
Incoming Members
BioBuilder welcomes a handful of extraordinary individuals to the Board, each bringing a unique perspective, expertise, and wisdom to the BioBuilder leadership team.
Drew Endy has been leading the synthetic biology community from its earliest days. He helped launch new undergraduate majors in bioengineering at MIT and Stanford. He also co-founded the iGEM competition. His past students now lead companies like Octant and Ginkgo Bioworks.
Keira Krausz is the Chief Marketing Officer for HealthPlanOne. Keira is a direct-to-consumer expert who brings experience in branding, social media, digital marketing, and PR to BioBuilder.
Theresa Lynn is Senior Vice President of Advancement for United Way of Central Massachusetts. During her years as an entrepreneurial leader and strategic advisor for non-profits, Theresa built her expertise in driving change, building public/private partnerships, and fundraising.
Don Shobrys is co-director of MIT’s Venture Mentoring Service and past president of MIT’s Alumni Association. Don brings a wealth of business and volunteer experience helping people and companies learn how to make better and faster decisions.
Josh Zinns is the founder and Managing Principal at Botanic Properties LLC, a real estate development firm that focuses on life science research and biomanufacturing facilities around the country. Josh is also President of The Botanic Foundation where he leads and amplifies philanthropic campaigns in support of medical research, pediatric care, and education for under-served communities.
Launch of our Student Advisory Board
BioBuilder also welcomes Angela Girodier to the Advisory Board where she can lend her student perspective and help develop BioBuilder’s Student Ambassador program. You can find out more about her BioBuilder experience and the impact it had from her presentation at BioBuilder’s 10th anniversary celebration.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the professionals from many different walks of life who help us succeed and grow.
Device Dude
BioMADE has awarded $5.8 million to 16 innovative projects aimed at accelerating bioindustrial manufacturing in the U.S – and BioBuilder is one of the proud recipients!
The award is in support of our biomanufacturing curriculum and its implementation at Worcester, MA, public schools. Here is how BioMADE describes the award:
Regional Partnerships for Training the Biomanufacturing Workforce in Worcester, MA: This project will launch a credit-bearing, industry-informed, after-school program focused on training students for biomanufacturing careers, and helping build relationships between students and local industries. Member team: BioBuilder, Worcester Public Schools, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Twist Bioscience
We couldn’t be prouder to have been recognized and given this award! And we are even more excited about the impact it will have on the lives and careers of Worcester students!