We are thrilled to announce the finalists for BioBuzz’s 2023 Annual Awards for the BioHealth Capital Region (Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia). Vote now to help us pick the winners. >
| BioBuzz has been connecting the life science workforce since 2009. We’ve built an expansive community in the Mid-Atlantic with a national readership that spans from Massachusettes to Florida, and New York to California. For our next chapter, we’re building a proprietary talent logistics model to help employers source and hire life science talent. Learn more. |
January has briskly arrived and stands as a chapter untold. While JPM brought some great insights to what 2024 will bring, the only certainty that remains is of what was.
While 2023 was challenging for the industry on many levels, there was and is still so much to celebrate. Which is why BioBuzz is thrilled to announce the finalists for our 2023 Annual Awards.
Our 4th for the BioHealth Capital Region (Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia), these awards celebrate the people, programs, and organizations who go above and beyond to support the success of our communities, the industry, and the patients that ultimately benefit.
Six categories are recognized annually. A nomination period, followed by voting period precedes our Annual Awards Celebration event which brings together award recipients, presenters, and attendees from the region and beyond thanks to our incredible sponsors. [Check out all of the fun from last year.]
Per usual, there was no shortage of deserving candidates for 2023. We received a tremendous number of nominations from you, our dearest readers and community, representing a diverse pool of nominees from across the industry.
From an unwavering commitment to excellence to groundbreaking innovations, the five finalists in each of our six categories were selected based on the number of nominations received. We are thrilled to share and showcase their stories more indepth in the coming months as you now vote to help us select the winners.
You can vote once per day between January 18, 2024 and February 29, 2024. Winners will be selected on the total number of votes and announced at our Annual Awards Celebration this April [stay tuned for more details].
Without further adieu, our 2023 Annual Award finalists.
The ‘John Holaday’ BioHealth Leadership Award
In honor of the late John Holaday, Ph.D., renowned scientist, CEO, philanthropist, mentor and community leader, this award recognizes a regional biohealth leader who embodies Holaday’s personal credo — “do well by doing good”, and exemplifies a similar unwavering devotion to excellence. With this award we want you to nominate a servant leader who is carrying on John’s legacy and lives each day with a passionate pursuit of excellence and innovation in their own work to make a difference in the lives of others. As CEO and Founder EntreMed, and MaxCyte, Holaday had an important role in building the foundation for the biohealth industry that exists here today, and we want to honor that legacy through this award.
The finalists for our 2023 BioHealth Capital Region Leadership Award are (in alphabetical order):
- Carol Nacy, Founder and CEO, Sequella
- Jane Shaab, Senior Vice President, UMB Health Science Research Corporation (RPC), Associate Vice President for Economic Development, University of Maryland, Baltimore
- Jeff Galvin, CEO, American Gene Technologies and AddImmune
- Jeff Schubert and Tracy Staley, Co-Founders, Texcell
- Troy LeMaile-Stovall, CEO, TEDCO
The Community Builder Award
This award honors a thoughtful community builder that fosters intentional collaborations and meaningful contributions of their time, energy, and expertise to support the biohealth ecosystems in the BioHealth Capital Region. This individual or organization has gone above and beyond their responsibilities to make an impact on the ecosystem. This person or organization is a servant leader who sees beyond their job description or the balance sheet and strives to create a rising tide for all across so that we can collectively make a greater impact on public health and patients around the world.
The finalists for our 2023 BioHealth Capital Region Community Builder Award are (in alphabetical order):
- Chandra Briggman, President and CEO, Activation Capital
- Kathie Callahan Brady, CEO, FITCI
- Mark Anthony Thomas, President & CEO, Greater Baltimore Committee
- Rich Bendis, Founder, President, & CEO, BioHealth Innovation Inc.
- Sally Allain, Head, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS @ Washington, D.C.
The Workforce Champion of the Year Award
This award recognizes the program or organization that has made a measurable contribution to enhancing the biotech workforce within the BioHealth Capital Region. Talent is the single most important, and limiting, variable to the success of a company and of a regional economy.
These finalists are recognized for their outstanding contributions and innovative approaches to attracting, training, and/or growing the biotech workforce.
The finalists for our 2023 BioHealth Capital Region Workforce Champion of the Year Award are (in alphabetical order):
- Bio-Trac, led by Mark Nardone – Since bringing Bio-Trac’s industry-leading advanced research training to Montgomery College in 2016, Mark has been a relentless advocate for fostering stronger industry engagement, education and training programs, as well as supporting the full scope of Montgomery College programming including BioTrain, the biotech certificate programs and the two year degrees.
- BioHub Maryland – Supporting biotech workforce with partnerships that nurture K-12, universities, and veteran pipelines of talent.
- BioTechnical Training Institute of Maryland – With the announcement of their partnership with Virtual Apprentice, BTI sets to chart new heights for the biotech workforce with the help of virtual reality.
- Catalent Cell & Gene Therapy – Launching of the Maryland Training Institute in Baltimore will provide cutting-edge industry training, as well as DEI training as a cornerstone of the company’s culture, with plans on also using the space as a hub to engage the community as well.
- Frederick Workforce Services – Commitment to teamwork and a culture of collaboration in Frederick that has resulted in high impact biotech workforce development programs; including Biotech Bootcamps and successful industry-academic-government partnerships such as Kite-Hood College, FCC program growth and new apprenticeship programs.
The Startup of the Year Award
NEW for 2023. Our Startup of the Year Award recognizes outstanding achievements and innovations within the field of life sciences, honoring startups that have demonstrated exceptional contributions to advancing healthcare, biotechnology, and related industries.
Recipients of this award are celebrated for their groundbreaking research, technological advancements, and overall impact on improving the quality of human life through cutting-edge solutions in life sciences. The award serves as a testament to the dedication and excellence of startups shaping the future of healthcare and biomedicine and who have pursued their mission with dedication and perseverance to build momentum toward commercialization.
The finalists for our 2023 BioHealth Capital Region Startup of the Year Award are (in alphabetical order):
- Astek Diagnostics (Baltimore, MD)
- CarrTech (Frederick, MD)
- Luminoah (Charlottesville, VA)
- Nanochon (Washington, DC)
- Tympanogen (Richmond, VA)
The Breakthrough Life Science Company of the Year Award
This award recognizes the companies who have pursued their mission with dedication and perseverance and built momentum towards commercialization with a substantial breakthrough this past year. Nominees should be selected from companies who have achieved important milestones such as advancing to a clinical-stage company, achieving successful pivotal trials, or getting FDA approval for the commercialization of their technology to bring it to the patients who need it.
The finalists for our 2023 BioHealth Capital Region Breakthrough Life Science Company of the Year Award are (in alphabetical order):
- Cartesian Therapeutics (Gaithersburg, MD)
- Georgiamune (Gaithersburg, MD)
- Haystack Oncology (Baltimore, MD)
- Veralox Therapeutics (Frederick, MD)
- Deka Biosciences (Germantown, MD)
The Employer of the Year Award
This award honors the life science employers who are the foundation of a vibrant biotech cluster. Being a great employer is about building an exceptional workforce, developing an employee-centric culture that keeps employees engaged and empowers them to be ambassadors for your company, fostering a more inclusive and resilient workforce. It’s also about the ability to attract top talent and achieve your needed growth without compromising these elements. Nominees should reflect these essential elements and have a talent brand.
The finalists for our 2023 BioHealth Capital Region Employer of the Year Award are (in alphabetical order):
- ATCC (Manassas, VA)
- MilliporeSigma (Rockville, MD)
- QIAGEN (Germantown, MD)
- United Therapeutics Corporation (Silver Spring, MD)
- Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (Frederick, MD)
We can’t wait to celebrate those in the region making an impact, growing the ecosystem, and bringing life-changing products to patients in need this spring. Stay tuned for more on our Annual Awards Celebration made possible by the support of our incredible sponsors.
