A Team Approach to Innovation

Overview

At Cleveland Clinic Innovations, we’ve organized our team around these specific focus areas:

• Engagement: Dedicated Engagement Partners guide inventors through the process of invention disclosure and market analysis. This team draws on experience in marketing and communications, project management, business administration, clinical research and other key areas to advocate for current and future inventors throughout the technology transfer process.
• Proof of Concept: The Proof of Concept team is a partner, located in the Lerner Research Institute. The POC works with researchers and inventors to help them go from “Idea to Invention.” They help connect inventors with the resources to test and improve ideas before they advance to Innovations.
• Assessment: Our Assessment team evaluates the commercial viability of new technologies. With diverse backgrounds in business, engineering, life sciences and patent law, they employ a data-driven approach to assess patentability and marketability of the invention pipeline.
• Technology Development: Our Innovations Development team is comprised of experienced scientists and engineers dedicated to taking innovations from ideas and early concepts to viable medical products. These scientists and engineers have a unique depth and breadth of expertise in medical devices, digital health, and therapeutics and diagnostics.
• Business Development and Licensing: Our Business Development and Licensing team identifies the right strategic partners, builds those relationships and executes licensing agreements. They draw on extensive experience in marketing and business development.
• New Companies: Our New Companies team creates and invests in spinoff companies for technologies that have value as stand-alone ventures. They have in-depth expertise in venture capital, investing, company formation, management, governance, funding and strategic transactions. Their experience enables a venture-stage company to be effectively managed across its life cycle.

Meet Our Team

Transforming an idea into a final product takes a dedicated team of experts. We blend talent, experience and the resources of one of the world’s leading healthcare organizations to achieve exceptional results for inventors, investors, partners and, most importantly, our patients.

Business Development Team

Heather Callahan, PhD, JD, EMBA Senior Director, Strategy, Business Development and Licensing callahh@ccf.org

Joe Barone Director, Business Development, Life Sciences baronej2@ccf.org

Gerald “Jerry” Wilmink, PhD, MBA Director, Digital Health wilminj@ccf.org

Sonja O’Malley Senior Director, Digital Health omalles@ccf.org

Ventures Team

JD Friedland Managing Director, Ventures friedlj3@ccf.org	Linda Li, CFA Partner, Digital Health lil6@ccf.org	Zach Eisen Principal, Digital Health, Medical Devices eisenz@ccf.org
Todd Schwarzinger Partner, Medical Device schwart2@ccf.org	Erez Podoly, PhD Principal, Therapeutics & Diagnostics podolye@ccf.org

Proof of Concept Team

Catherine Teringo, MHA, MA, BSTM-HSM Program Manager II teringc@ccf.org

Juliana Woda, PhD Senior Director and Domain Lead, Therapeutics and Diagnostics wodaj@ccf.org

Vara Prasad VN Josyula, PhD Senior Director Proof-of Concept Office, Innovations, Center for Therapeutic Discovery josyulv@ccf.org

Erik Waldorff, PhD, MBA Senior Director, Innovations Proof of Concept Medical Devices waldore@ccf.org

Our Leadership

D. Geoffrey Vince, PhD Executive Director vinceg@ccf.org	James Ellis, JD, MBA Managing Director, Pre-Market Innovation ellisj@ccf.org	Sarah Stamp, MBA General Manager, Engagement stamps@ccf.org	Michael Austriaco, BSBA General Manager, Assessment austrim@ccf.org
Mohamed Ramadan, PhD, MBA General Manager, Technology Development ramadam@ccf.org	Heather Callahan, PhD, JD, EMBA Senior Director, Strategic Licensing callahh@ccf.org	JD Friedland, MBA Managing Director, New Companies friedlj3@ccf.org	Joseph Rich, JD Senior Director, Governance, Grants and Policies richj2@ccf.org
Robin Crotty, MBA Department Administrator crottyr@ccf.org	Shawn Zimmer, CPA Director of Finance zimmers@ccf.org	Heather Lambert-Shemo, MBA Director of Marketing & Communications lamberh@ccf.org

Join Our Team

Every member of the Cleveland Clinic Innovations team shares a common goal — to advance the future of healthcare, one idea at a time. We’re always looking for talented people with the drive and experience to bring next-generation technology to today’s marketplace.

If you’re interested in joining our team, we invite you to explore our career opportunities.