Board of Directors
Noubar Afeyan, PhD
Founder, Chairman
Dr. Afeyan is Managing Partner and CEO of Flagship Ventures, a firm that manages over $600 million in early-stage funds across the sectors of Therapeutics, Life Science, and BioEnergy/Cleantech. A technologist, entrepreneur and venture capitalist, Dr. Afeyan has co-founded and helped build over 20 successful life science and technology start-ups during the past two decades. In addition to Joule, he is a director and co-founder of Flagship portfolio companies Affinnova, BG Medicine, Ensemble Discovery, Genstruct, Helicos BioSciences (NASDAQ:HLCS), and LS9. Previously he was a member of the founding team, director and investor in several successful ventures including Chemgenics Pharmaceuticals, Color Kinetics, Antigenics, EXACT Sciences and Adnexus Therapeutics.
Graham Allison, PhD
Board Member
Dr. Allison is Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University, and a leading analyst of US national security and defense policy. As Assistant Secretary of Defense in the first Clinton Administration, Dr. Allison received the Defense Department's highest civilian award, the Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, for "reshaping relations with Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan to reduce the former Soviet nuclear arsenal." He was also Special Advisor to the Secretary of Defense under President Reagan. Dr. Allison has served as a Director of the Getty Oil Company, Natixis, Loomis Sayles, Hansberger, Taubman Centers, Inc., and Belco Oil and Gas, as well as a member of the Advisory Boards of Chase Bank, Chemical Bank, Hydro-Quebec, and the International Energy Corporation.
David Berry, MD, PhD
Founder, Board Member
Dr. Berry is a Partner at Flagship Ventures, where he focuses on investing in and founding early-stage life science and cleantech ventures. Prior to starting Joule, he co-founded and helped launch LS9. Dr. Berry’s work has led to 11 peer-reviewed publications, over 50 patents and applications, as well as over 25 awards and honors including the prestigious Lemelson-MIT Student Prize in 2005 for invention and innovation. Dr. Berry was also named Innovator of the Year by Technology Review in its 2007 TR35 list of the world’s top 35 innovators under the age of 35.
Stelios Papadopoulos, PhD
Board Member
Dr. Papadopoulos is co-founder and chairman of Exelixis, a development-stage biotech company focused on novel small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases. He retired as Vice Chairman of Cowen & Co. in August 2006 after six years as an investment banker with the firm, where he focused on the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. Prior to joining Cowen & Co., Dr. Papadopoulos spent 13 years as an investment banker at PaineWebber, where he was most recently Chairman of PaineWebber Development Corp., a subsidiary focusing on biotechnology. In addition to Joule, he is a co-founder and board member of Anadys Pharmaceuticals and Cellzome, and also serves on the boards of BG Medicine, Regulus Therapeutics and Biogen Idec.
William J. Sims
President and CEO, Board Member
Mr. Sims is a proven leader with 30 years experience growing both emerging and established companies, including the successful commercialization of breakthrough technologies within numerous consumer and B-to-B industries. Prior to Joule he was CEO of Color Kinetics, the company largely credited for triggering the lighting industry's historic shift towards energy-efficienty LED technology. In the consumer electronics space, he led multiple groups within JVC to market and product line expansion, and led Zenith Sales Company's overhaul and ultimate sale to LG Electronics. He also achieved success in the software industry leading a division of e-SIM, a provider of advanced simulation technologies for cutting-edge consumer applications.
Ruben Vardanian
Board Member
Mr. Vardanian is Chairman and CEO of Troika Dialog, Russia's oldest and largest investment bank, which he has led since 1992. He has played a prominent role in Russia's fledgling capital markets and established Troika as the pre-eminent local investment bank in Russia and other major CIS countries. He is also President of the SKOLKOVO Moscow School of Management, and board Chairman or member of numerous organizations including Ameriabank, the leading bank in Armenia; OJSC AvtoVAZ, the largest car manufacturer in Eastern Europe; OJSC KAMAZ, the largest truck manufacturer in Eastern Europe; OJSC NOVATEK, the largest independent gas producer in Russia; and Standard Bank Plc, the leading financial instituion in emerging markets internationally.
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