Overview

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.
Our Leadership

Our Leadership

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

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.