Governor Abigail Spanberger has appointed Cindy Groff-Vindman, Ph.D., to the board of Activation Capital. She brings expertise in biomanufacturing, artificial intelligence, and national security to the Authority as it works to grow Virginia’s life sciences sector.
About Cindy Groff-Vindman
A molecular geneticist by training, Groff-Vindman has spent more than 15 years working at the intersection of emerging technologies and government strategy. She is currently Lead for Emerging Technologies at Dara Systems, where she develops AI-enabled solutions to strengthen the resilience of critical infrastructure.
She previously spent roughly eight years in scientific and technology leadership roles supporting the U.S. Army, including as Government Chief Technology Officer for BioMADE, where she helped guide Department of Defense investments in industrial biomanufacturing. Across her career, she has supported more than $300 million in federal research and development investments. Her recent work includes co-authoring a paper in EMBO Reports on governing the release of biological AI models.
Groff-Vindman holds a Ph.D. in molecular genetics from the University of Georgia and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Binghamton University. She is also an Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity Fellow at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
About Activation Capital
Activation Capital, formally the Virginia Biotechnology Research Partnership Authority, is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia, created in 1993 to promote industrial and economic development. It provides flexible lab space, support services, and educational programming that help catalyze innovation, company formation, and job creation in Virginia’s life sciences ecosystem.
