Founding Team and Advisory Board

Mike Russell | CEO

Mr. Russell has over 30 years’ experience in the medical device industry developing and managing initiatives for Fortune 100/500 companies, as well as start-up and early-stage companies.

He served in areas of increasing responsibility at Pfizer, Bard-BD, Stryker, Medtronic, and Maquet achieving top performance awards for each company he was with.

He then entered the start-up world serving as VP Sales & Marketing for Inceptio Medical Technologies. At this company and many since, he helped raise capital, developed and launched multiple device product lines, and defined and managed global sales growth initiatives. He’s been instrumental in growing and preparing many companies for successful acquisitions. 

Mr. Russell founded a successful medical device distributor servicing areas of surgery, vascular access, medical diagnostics, and other areas of the hospital and acute care settings before becoming an industry strategy consultant.

Joe Nowoslawski | Board Chairman

Dr. Nowoslawski earned a bachelor's degree in Biology from Wayne State University and a Medical Degree from Michigan State University. He completed his residency in one of the first Emergency Medicine programs in the country at the Medical College of Pennsylvania.

With over 40 years of experience as a medical doctor and healthcare executive, Dr. Nowoslawski founded American Hospital Services Group (AHSG), a national healthcare delivery and staffing company. He served as AHSG’s Medical Director, overseeing healthcare delivery systems under healthcare reform initiatives, and successfully led the company in securing contracts with the United States Air Force exceeding $1 billion.

Dr. Nowoslawski led his company’s first strategic sourcing contract in Pennsylvania, overseeing all state-operated healthcare services. He also founded companies in other sectors, including American Clini Surety, Inc., a property and casualty insurance company.

His professional affiliations span various organizations, such as the International Society for Computer Biology, Licensing Executives Society, Salt Lake City Angels, Nashville Healthcare Council, and the Royal Society of Medicine. Additionally, he holds nonprofit board positions with the Society for the Protection of the Health of Patients (SPHP), Premier Government Services in Hawaii, and the Confederated Tribes of Goshute Sacred Circle Health Clinic.

After selling his healthcare companies, Dr. Nowoslawski became actively involved as a startup mentor and angel investor, with a focus on the Pennsylvania and Utah communities.

Advisory Board

  • Nicholas Schafer

    ADVISOR

    Nicholas is a biophysicist with expertise in computational and experimental methods. His past academic work focused on several areas of protein biophysics including molecular mechanisms of disease, membrane proteins, misfolding and aggregation, and evolution and design.

    He holds a Ph.D. in Physics from Rice University, was a Postdoc at Aarhus University, and is a visiting scientist at the Center for Theoretical Biological Physics. As CEO and co-founder of Constantiam Biosciences, Nicholas is focused on improving the state-of-the-art in genetic variant interpretation.

  • Luis Jimenez

    ADVISOR

    Luis E. Jimenez is a Systems Technology and Reliability Manager with over 20 years of experience in product design and development for the medical imaging industry, specializing in Class II medical devices.

    He has expertise in project management, product lifecycle development, and medical system design, with a focus on technical risk management and team leadership. He has also contributed to regulatory compliance, design transfer, and strategic resource planning. Luis holds advanced engineering degrees, including a Master of Engineering (Electrical) from the University of Florida.

  • Jolene Aderson

    ADVISOR

    Managing Director for VectorPoint Ventures, LLC; Skilled advisor for seed and early stage companies in: life science, consumer wellness, clean tech, energy, material science and digital health.

    Holding diverse experience as entrepreneur/founder of global wellness company, corporate wellness media and business development; investor relations for public company, senior real estate executive, public speaker at industry trade shows and guest editor for trade journals. Mentor/advisor for impact, veteran led, minority led companies, student entrepreneurs. Board member for charitable orgs.

  • BOSCO B. BAE

    ADVISOR

    Dr. B.B. Bae holds a PhD in the Interdisciplinary Study of Religion from the University of Durham, an MA in Philosophy from the University of Amsterdam, and dual BAs in Anthropology from the University of Utah and in Philosophy and Psychology from Boston University.

    With experience as an independent consultant and a postdoctoral research fellow, Dr. Bae has worked internationally, including with the Medu Arts Ensemble in Botswana and the Human Economy Programme at the University of Pretoria. Dr. Bae's research and publications focus on topics like healing justice and traditional healers in South Africa.

  • Alex Kravets

    ADVISOR

    Alex Kravets has experience across a diverse set of industries spanning technology, consumer products, and national security. Alex has successfully launched businesses, consulted both startups and Fortune 100 companies, and run a computer vision AI/ML program for the Department of Defense.

    In 2013, Alex founded CogniTea, a functional tea company that has one of the best selling sleep teas on Amazon and regularly consults technology, defense, and CPG startups. Alex received his undergraduate degree from Babson College and his Master’s degree from Georgetown University.

  • Elizabeth Baker

    ADVISOR

    Elizabeth Baker, Esq., is the director of research policy for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, leading a team dedicated to advancing human-specific research methods and reducing animal use in medical testing.Since joining in 2015, she has worked with a wide range of stakeholders to improve drug development processes and champion nonanimal approaches. Notably, she played a key role in passing California's Cruelty-Free Cosmetic Act in 2018. Elizabeth frequently presents at conferences and has published extensively on FDA policy and human-based science, earning recognition for her ethical and innovative contributions to the field.

  • Michael Savvides

    ADVISOR

    Michael Savvides, Co-Founder of Imagine Biotech, leading efforts at the intersection of biotechnology and machine learning, focusing on de-risking investments by improving early assessments and molecular compatibility.

    Previously, as VP of Operations at Quickmed Diagnostics, he contributed to its rapid growth and success of the high complexity laboratory network across 3 states.

    Also previously served as Director of Startup Grind in Los Angeles, fostering the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.