Meet the Tech Exec: Claire Weston, Founder and CEO, Reveal Biosciences

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text]To download the full magazine and read the full interviews, click here.

Dr. Claire Weston is an accomplished and dedicated scientific leader with a track record of success in cancer research. She was awarded a PhD in from Cambridge University in the UK and has lead teams and projects focused on cancer biomarkers in both large pharma and start-up environments. Claire founded Reveal Biosciences in 2012 and has since demonstrated strong year-on-year growth. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in leading journals including Science, and is a respected member of multiple professional organizations including the Digital Pathology Association.

Reveal Biosciences is a computational pathology company focused on tissue-based research.

Why did you decide to explore biotechnology?

When I was a child I went to a local science day and watched a scientist pour liquid nitrogen onto the floor. The liquid nitrogen changed from liquid to gas, something I’d never seen before, and I thought it was amazing! It really initiated my interest in science. I love biotechnology because it's at the interface of science and technology, and solves real world problems.

How was the idea of Reveal Biosciences born?

Several years ago I was working at a different company developing a biomarker-based test for breast cancer. As part of that test, we sent a set of 150 patient slides to three different pathologists to review and provide a diagnosis. We then compared those results to our quantitative biomarker test. What really struck me at the time was the variation in the results that we got back from the pathologists. These are all very qualified, experienced pathologists, yet they didn't agree on the results for all the different patients. This is important because the way the patients are treated is often dependent on the way that the pathologist reviews the slide. It became clear that taking a quantitative, computational approach could help provide more accurate and reproducible data to benefit patients. This became one of the driving missions of our company.

In simple words, how do you help people?

We provide data from microscope slides or pathology samples that can benefit research, clinical trials, and patients. For example, we generate quantitative pathology data to help pharmaceutical companies develop therapeutic drugs, we use it for clinical trials to increase precision and stratify patient groups, and we're also in the process of building pathology data applications to help pathologists diagnose disease in a way that will ultimately benefit patients.

Click here to watch more videos.

How are your services different from other similar companies in the market?

We are fairly unique in that we have a scientific team in the lab doing pathology and a computational team of data scientists and software engineers who are developing our AI-based platform. Our ImageDx platform includes models to generate very quantitative data and diagnostic outputs that can be applied to many different diseases. The products that we are working on are unique and differentiate us, but the main driver is the quantitative pathology data that we generate.

How did you marry artificial intelligence with pathology?

We've been using traditional machine learning to identify and quantify cells from images for a while, but in the last few years AI has advanced significantly. It's impressive to see how well it works in pathology images. We've made the natural evolution from more traditional machine learning into AI. Compute power is now more readily available which means that we can generate data from one patient slide in minutes rather than the days or weeks it used to take. This sea change in computational speed means that the data we generate is more meaningful and relevant to routine pathology workflows.[/vc_column_text][grve_video video_link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apAy6ZRi11w"][vc_column_text]Click here to watch more videos.

You are planning to use cloud-based technology to deliver accurate diagnosis and to address medical needs worldwide. How does that work?

There's a huge shortage of pathologists worldwide. Even in the US where we have very highly qualified pathologists we’re heading for a retirement cliff, and less pathologists are coming through residency to maintain their numbers. This is particularly evident in rural areas where there's a real shortage of expertise. Having a cloud-based approach will help address some of those problems.

I'm excited by the potential for AI in a cloud-based platform to bring advanced pathology expertise to anywhere with internet access. Hospitals or pathology labs throughout the world could upload an image from a microscope slide into the cloud, and that image can be analyzed to generate advanced diagnostics. Countries with limited resources often have the ability to generate the most basic kind of microscope slide, but they sometimes lack the ability to do the more advanced diagnostics. The possibility to do so is going to revolutionize pathology and be impactful for healthcare globally. This should also benefit patients in the US by helping to lower the cost of healthcare.

How is AI impacting pathology?

The application of AI in pathology is a very new thing. We've been developing this for a while and we're launching the first products in the clinic for patients in 2019. We are also building more enhanced pathology models by integrating other data sources. We’re finding that we can use AI to detect aspects of cancer that are not obvious just by looking down a microscope. For example, we're detecting small changes in the texture of the nucleus of cells or small cellular changes that you wouldn't necessarily notice by eye but can be predictive or prognostic of disease. I think this is going to be really impactful for personalized medicine.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column heading_color="primary-1"][vc_empty_space][grve_callout title="Tech Spotlight Interviews" button_text="Learn more" button_link="url:http%3A%2F%2Finfo.managedsolution.com%2Fc-level-interview-registration||target:%20_blank|"]IT is a journey, not a destination. We want to hear about YOUR journey!
Are you a technology innovator or enthusiast?
We would love to highlight you in the next edition of our Tech Spotlight.[/grve_callout][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Meet the Tech Exec: Denise Bevers, Co-Founder, President, and Chief Operating Officer, Kindred Biosciences

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text]To download the full magazine and read the full interviews, click here.

Denise Bevers, Co-Founder, President, and Chief Operating Officer of Kindred Biosciences is an experienced pharmaceutical executive with a distinguished career in clinical operations, medical affairs, and scientific communications. With over 20 years of pharmaceutical and research experience, she has successfully managed dozens of product launches and development programs from Phase I through Phase IV. Bevers previously held leadership positions at Elan Pharmaceuticals, Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, Quintiles, and SkyePharma. Prior to co-founding KindredBio, she was President and Founding Partner of SD Scientific, a full-service medical affairs and communications company.

KindredBio is a leading veterinary biotech company in the world that develops breakthrough medicines for our best friends: cats, dogs, and horses.

Watch more videos here.

How was the idea of KindredBio born?

KindredBio was born from the understanding that our pets need access to the same caliber of medicines to which we have access as humans. When my partner, Dr. Richard Chin, and I were working in human drug development, we decided we wanted to develop cutting-edge products for cats, dogs, and horses. We formed KindredBio to develop these drugs, specific for each species, and have them approved for use by the FDA and/or other relevant regulatory agencies, for veterinary use.

How do you help pets?

At KindredBio, we identify drugs and biologics that work in humans, and we develop veterinary versions for cats, dogs, and horses. We lovingly say that we will not test any products on animals that have not been tested in humans first! By adapting the research and development from existing human products, we both increase the chance of success and decrease costs and timelines. We can develop these product candidates for an average of $5 to $8 million in 3-6 years. This is a phenomenal feat if you consider that human drugs may cost over $1 billion and take over a decade to develop. At KindredBio, we have approximately 20 product candidates in our pipeline and hope to make a tremendous difference in the lives of pets and pet owners by providing products to veterinarians.

What has been you biggest professional challenge so far and how did you overcome it?

After nearly 25 years working in human drug development, it was a big leap to start a company focused in veterinary medicine. As I have done throughout my career, the number one step was to surround myself with the most talented people in the industry. We hired the top veterinarians, protein engineers, and drug developers in the business. As a result, we developed an incredible pipeline and ended up taking the company public (Nasdaq: KIN) in just 14 months after founding. It was one of the fastest IPOs in biotech history. We are proof that, with the most talented and motivated team members, anything is possible!

What is the most important role of technology in biotechnology?

As a virtual company with remote employees across the US, we need to collaborate at all levels of the business daily. Our IT team believes the technology should be transparent so whether we’re in virtual conferences, sharing information or collaborating on documents, or crunching data for research – our teams should be working as seamlessly as if we were all working in the same physical location. The good news for companies like us is that the tools we have today, which were unattainable 5 or 10 years ago, are cost-effective and work quite well.

Watch more videos here.

What has been the biggest technological breakthrough for your company?

Our real technological breakthrough has been the development of specific monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins for cats, dogs, and horses. We are walking in lock-step with biotech innovation, such as immunotherapy, on the human side. We have hired world-renown protein engineers and have the some of the most sophisticated manufacturing in all of biotech. We are developing first-in-class, cutting-edge product candidates for cats, dogs, and horses. We can manufacture very sophisticated products at a much lower cost, which for us was the key to starting the company. Before we start to develop any product, we need to know that we can manufacture it at a cost that the pet owner can afford. And that really was what drove us to be able to start the company, the incredible advancement in biotechnology and manufacturing technology. Our goal is to truly revolutionize veterinary medicine.

You have held leadership positions at numerous professional organizations, what advice could you offer other professionals in STEM fields to help them become good leaders?

One of the important messages that I like to communicate to young women (and men) is that you can have a career in STEM without being a bench scientist, engineer, or mathematician. I am a great example of that. While I have a BS in biology, I am not a scientist, yet I have managed to surround myself, throughout my career, with the best scientists in the world. I get so much gratification from a career in STEM. For leaders, I particularly encourage them to work on their communication skills. For technical talent, it is critical to be able to discuss the technology to many stakeholders, from non-technical employees, to management, and likely even to investors. The ability to tailor communication is a cornerstone to great leadership.

Innovation is the essence of KindredBio. Can you give us an example how you innovate with medicine for pets?

In 2018, we received FDA approval for our first product which is a transdermal ointment for cats. Until recently, a human drug was used off label. The owner was dispensed a little white pill and he or she had to cut it, typically into eights, and then pill that cat. Which, if you’ve ever had the pleasure of doing so, is really not fun. We worked very closely with our scientists to make a product that penetrates the skin of the ear. So, you rub some in the ear, and the transdermal ointment penetrates the skin and works as well as if you were taking a pill. And that’s how we use innovation to create value for the pet owner and veterinarian.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column heading_color="primary-1"][vc_empty_space][grve_callout title="Tech Spotlight Interviews" button_text="Learn more" button_link="url:http%3A%2F%2Finfo.managedsolution.com%2Fc-level-interview-registration||target:%20_blank|"]IT is a journey, not a destination. We want to hear about YOUR journey!
Are you a technology innovator or enthusiast?
We would love to highlight you in the next edition of our Tech Spotlight.[/grve_callout][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Meet the Tech Exec: Holly Smithson, CEO, Athena

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]To download the full magazine and read the full interviews, click here.

Holly Smithson is Chief Executive Officer of Athena. She is responsible for creating, communicating and implementing the organization's vision, mission, and overall direction and serves at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

Smithson previously served as Vice President, Business Strategy at the California Life Sciences Association, the nation’s largest statewide advocacy organization for the life sciences sector. Prior to that, she served as President and Chief Operating Officer at Cleantech San Diego, one of the first cleantech industry associations launched to establish the region as a global hub. Smithson worked in public policy as a Presidential Appointee in several federal agencies and as a registered lobbyist for industry in Washington, D.C.

Athena is a professional development organization dedicated to empowering women in the STEM workforce. Will you share with us some of the challenges that women working in STEM companies are experiencing?

Athena has been providing leadership development, mentoring and research for women in STEM for 20 years. In 2018, we’re at an exciting intersection in our journey towards gender equity. Some call it the year of the woman, I submit it’s the decade of the woman. We have an enormous responsibility to mobilize and execute around this seismic shift in society on what the new norms are for gender diversity in the workforce. Biased recruiting, interviewing and hiring techniques, pay disparity and inflexible work policies are among the many elements that work against a diverse and inclusive corporate culture.

How does Athena support women in STEM?

For our 20th Anniversary, Athena launched its premier thought leadership piece indexing the percentage of women in STEM in San Diego and nationally. We are driving the national dialogue around gender diversity with a data-driven approach to not only discover the root cause of the gaps but how best to close them. Athena’s 5000 supporter community views Athena as a safe harbor to learn how to navigate the inherent biases, to gain greater awareness of the power of the network and how to invest in their career versus the job.

Do you see any challenges specific to the San Diego region?

As a global STEM hub, we assumed San Diego would be ahead of its competitors. As the data reveals however, women represent 23% of San Diego’s STEM workforce compared to 25%, nationally. Although the gap is nominal, we have higher expectations of this region and Athena is positioned to now empower STEM companies with data and strategic capital.

How will Athena change these statistics?

Athena is honored to form its newest alliance with the United Nations and the UN Global Compact. We will be announcing our formal collaboration on December 6 in San Francisco. Launched in 2000, the UN Global Compact is the world’s largest multi-stakeholder initiative dedicated to driving business awareness and implementation of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, also known as Agenda 2030: www.unglobalcompact.org/sdgs. Sustainable Development Goal # 5 is focused on "Gender Diversity" and that’s where Athena steps in. Through this UN partnership, Athena will leverage its 20-year convening power and market access and facilitate implementation efforts on SDG # 5.

What is the state of women working in the tech sector?

We know the biggest creation of wealth is unarguably the tech sector and yet women are leaving the tech workforce at a 50% exit rate. This calls for a dramatic course correction. Women influence 80% of consumer purchasing. Women hold 60 % of the US personal wealth. Women comprise 51% of the world population. When we look at the statistics, we need to get to the root cause of this huge disconnect inside the tech sector and challenge our assumptions and hypothesis. The UN partnership will set that flywheel in motion as Athena helps companies create an inclusive environment that celebrates the business and societal rewards stemming from gender equity.

What is next for Athena?

We want to empower one million women working and leading in STEM workforce by 2030. This audacious goal will require a sophisticated digital communications campaign, so we can effectively reach all those women and women champions ready and willing to contribute to society through STEM.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column heading_color="primary-1"][grve_callout title="Tech Spotlight Interview" button_text="Learn more" button_link="url:http%3A%2F%2Finfo.managedsolution.com%2Fc-level-interview-registration||target:%20_blank|"]IT is a journey, not a destination. We want to hear about YOUR journey!
Are you a technology innovator or enthusiast?
We would love to highlight you in the next edition of our Tech Spotlight.[/grve_callout][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Meet the San Diego Community of Women in Technology (WIT) by Tina Rountree

Tina Rountree and Sonya Meline, San Diego Community of Women in Technolog at the 2015 AITP Holiday Mixer

Meet the San Diego Community of Women in Technology (WIT)

By Tina Rountree, Business Development Manager, Managed Solution and President of the San Diego WIT Community

My career began in the finance industry, but I am proud to say I’ve been working at Managed Solution, a full service technology firm, for over two years now. Since my career in technology began, I’ve been focused on not only learning the ropes, but continuously educating myself on existing and new technologies so I could educate our customers. Technology is exciting in that it is a chance for me to have a real impact in my customers daily experience and I am passionate about helping small businesses flourish, so I’m proud to now consider myself a “Woman in Technology” and I’m excited to celebrate female leaders everywhere.

I have recently been called to sit on the board of IAMCP – San Diego as the chair for Women in Technology. I am very excited and jumping in with both feet to be a part of creating a community that provides women in technology networking opportunities and as importantly reaches out to the young women in our community to encourage them to explore their dreams and pursue careers in this field.

The San Diego Community of Women in Technology’s mission is to connect creative, innovative and hardworking women for the purpose of providing mutual support in achieving professional and personal goals.
Currently we are inundated with headlines that are illuminating the wage gap between men and women. We are also seeing more awareness around the culture of technology companies and how they can produce a very challenging culture for women. Yet, I’ve found several articles citing that women are the fastest growing category and biggest users on every social networking site except for LinkedIn. Women are also more likely to be using their cell phones and spending more time on them than their male counterparts. I know I am guilty of this.

So, I’ve joined forces with two powerhouse women (Sonya Meline and Heather Atkins) to start a community providing more space for women to come together, to support each other, to share ideas and to honor each other’s achievements.
We are excited to share with you our first event, it is a screening of the movie Big Dream and is scheduled to take place today, December 10th. We will be honoring both facets of our mission with an afternoon event hosting young ladies looking to pursue careers in technology from Hoover’s Academy of Information Technology. Later this evening we are rescreening the film for anyone in the community who would like to attend, (bring your daughters!) as a networking opportunity and also showcasing two women CIO’s working locally in San Diego Alicia Fettinger of VOXOX and Leslie Jefferies of California Coast Credit Union. Learn more about the event and register here.

San Diego Community of Women in Technology (WIT) Members

	Tina Rountree, President of the San Diego WIT Community Tina is a lifelong learner and expert at multi-tasking between work and being a mom to four teenagers. She fills multiple roles in the office and on the home front such as coach, teacher, cheerleader and motivational speaker to name a few. Tina's career started in Finance where she spent decades developing and managing relationships with large accounts such as Enterprise Rent A Car. She's now passionate about being a student of technology and says she eats, drinks and breathes Microsoft. With fifteen years of experience working with the small business community here in San Diego Tina has a deep understanding of how the right technology and systems can have a profound impact on the growth of an organization. Tina lives in the Rancho Penasquitos area and loves spending time with her husband, children, cats and their dog - her and her family are huge animal lovers
	Sonya Meline – Vice President of the San Diego WIT Community Sonya is a consummate organizer, group facilitator, and motivator with an entrepreneurial flair and a passion for sharing the tools for success with others. She currently champions sales and marketing for Effortless, a cloud technology firm based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Originally from Colorado Springs, Colorado, Sonya has had an interesting and varied career, which includes starting and growing her own California coffee shop joint venture franchise; consulting as a professional corporate organizer and efficiency coach; working as executive assistant to motivational guru, Tony Robbins; and serving as Paralegal and Executive Assistant to the JAG Officer & Command Master Chief of a Texas Naval Base. During her tenure in the U.S. Navy, she helped fundraise over $100,000.00 for the 9/11 fund, and was distinguished as a recipient of the Presidential Service Award.In her free time, Sonya enjoys spending time with her husband on their permaculture ranch in Southern California, and wilderness trekking with her pack-goats. She is the Vice President of IAMCP Women in Technology’s San Diego Community, Mentorship Committee-Member for Women in the Channel, and Board Chairwomen of Friends in Deed Helping Friends in Need (aka Friends 5o1c3). She supports the Moyer Hospice Foundation and its Camp Erin, and gives freely of her time and talents to the Breast Cancer Fund. She hopes to be remembered by those who know her as a dedicated and compassionate woman of enthusiasm and integrity.
	Heather Atkins – Secretary of the San Diego WIT Community Heather has spent two decades on the front lines of technical sales, product innovation, and customer program management. In that time, she has helped some of the world’s leading technology companies grow their analytics, data, and collaboration products through a combination of technical depth and direct customer engagement. She has deep expertise in Federal- and State-level sales, as well as in document management, search, and workflow solutions; creating complex demonstration environments; and working with technical teams to define and test new product functionality. Heather has a BA from the University of Virginia and an MBA from George Mason University along with numerous technical certifications starting with an MCSE on Windows NT 3.51. She lives in Point Loma in San Diego with her son, her partner, and three very energetic dogs.

Today Future Leaders of the Information Technology Academy from Clairemont High School Attended a Job Shadow Event at Managed Solution Headquarters

Clairemont HighSchool

Ninth grade students from Clairemont High School attended a Job Shadow event at Managed Solution today to learn more about various job positions at a technology firm. View the full press release here. More photos and videos coming soon.

Clairemont High School Students Learn Critical IT Skills Through Managed Solution and Junior Achievement Job Shadow Initiative

The collaboration kicks off Computer Science Education Week which encourages students to pursue careers in STEM-related industries

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – In honor of Computer Science Education Week (Dec.7-11), Junior Achievement of San Diego and Managed Solution are partnering to impact the lives of 60 students from Clairemont High School by teaching critical IT skills and encouraging them to pursue careers in STEM-related industries.

The job shadow event is Tuesday, Dec. 8 at Managed Solution, located at 9655 Granite Ridge Drive, Suite 550 from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM.

While spending a day at the business site, students will be exposed to real-world learning and technology. In addition to presentations on the various job positions at Managed Solution, one of the fastest growing IT companies in Southern California, employees will share life experiences and career advice through six project-based activities during the workday.

“In the world of technology we are constantly learning, so exposing our students early to real-world educational experiences is key,” said Sean Ferrel, President and CEO at Managed Solution. “I believe industry themed curriculum that incorporates career and technical courses with real-world application really prepares younger generations for careers in the industry.”

The job shadow program helps students recognize the link between academic subjects and actual workplace skills. The students learn dressing and speaking professionally, being on time and working as a team, are just as important as a strong academic foundation. In fact, providing young people with real-world learning experiences can be key to improving U.S. high school graduation rates. The experience allows students to spend quality time with a professional in a workplace setting, and to make valuable contacts for future employment prospects.

“Junior Achievement is excited to team up with Managed Solution on this important initiative,” said Marla Black, President and CEO at Junior Achievement of San Diego County. “Both organizations remain focused on how to drive impact and equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to be college and career ready.”

The educational program will include the following six breakout stations:

Video Editing & Filming
The session will introduce why videos are important in every industry and how Managed Solution uses them for marketing, as well as, creating “how-to videos” to show clients how to use certain technologies. During the exercise, students will film a portion of the day, upload and edit the video with the goal of creating an overall recap of Clairemont IT Day. Students will use a Cannon EOS 6D DSLR camera to record other breakout sessions and/or briefly speak about their experience at the event. They will then upload the video to the computer and edit it in Adobe Premire Pro. The final edited video will be uploaded to Youtube to showcase their workday experience.

Project Management

Students are challenged to create their own project management plan. They will be responsible for providing and setting-up a plan for a client to watch all the sports games from the office conference room. Students must provide insight into how long it’s going to take, and how much it will cost.

Coding/Web Design

At the coding/web design station, students will look at the elements of current web design trends and how third parties like WordPress are making it feasible for those without coding experience to create a website. Students will also see why knowing CSS is critical to making their own website template.

Partner Marketing

The station will give an overview of partner marketing and why it is valuable for an IT company to leverage partnerships. Students will then create their own partner program.

App Development / Go to Market Strategy</h3<

The station will cover the steps of building a successful mobile app - from conception to the go-to market strategy. This course is designed to show students what steps they need to take to create great cross-device mobile web experiences. This activity will focus on the discovery phase of App Development where they will brainstorm, conceptualize, design/lay out, and then create a marketing plan for their app.

Technical

The station will cover a brief overview of cloud services and how cloud technology is changing the marketplace for technical roles. Students will get to utilize cloud services and watch a demo for cloud on demand.

About Managed Solution

Managed Solution is a full-service technology firm that empowers business by delivering, maintaining and forecasting the technologies they’ll need to stay competitive in their market place. Founded in 2002, the company quickly grew into a market leader and is recognized as one of the fastest growing IT Companies in Southern California.

About Junior Achievement of San Diego County

Since 1950, Junior Achievement of San Diego County has provided life-changing programs to more than 730,000 youth—in the classroom and after school—to foster an understanding of how the “real world” works. To ensure youth are prepared for their future, JA teaches them how to get a job, start a business and how to manage money. Home to the popular McGrath Family JA BizTown and Mission Fed JA Finance Park, JA of San Diego will reach 70,000+ youth from 36 school districts during the 2015-16-calendar school year. JA San Diego receives support from more than 5,200 volunteers annually, including 48 board members, and has a staff of 22 and a budget of $3 million. For the latest news and information, please visit: jasandiego.org

Download the PDF press release here.

Contacts:
Danielle Hamra
Managed Solution
858.429.3067
dhamra@managedsolution.com
@MSMarketingTeam

Kristi Zimsky
Junior Achievement of San Diego
619.906.4926/office
404.944.0414/cell
kzimsky@jasandiego.org
@JASanDiego

Sign up to receive our educational industry newsletter:

From Ada Lovelace to Marie Curie, LEGO is aiming to represent more women in ‪#‎STEM‬ and get young girls excited for any ‪#‎career‬ or dream they might have.

LEGO Adds Even More Female STEM Minifigs, & You Can Vote for Lovelace, Curie, & Others!

by Jill Pantozzi

We feel that showing kids you can aspire to any career, regardless of gender, is important. That’s why we’re always excited when we see LEGO sets depicting female minifigs in a variety of careers, especially STEM. Take a look at some items currently available in the LEGO store while perusing some of the new Ideas projects worthy of your votes!