Marian Nakada, Ph.D.

Venture Forward, NVCA’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm, is on a mission to democratize access to the venture capital (VC) industry, empower individuals from all backgrounds and geographies to thrive as investors, and equip future VC leaders with the tools for long-term success. We support emerging fund managers and investors by providing education, mentorship, and resources to advance their careers. We are committed to driving healthy and sustainable generational change within established VC firms, ensuring strong industry stewardship for the future. Through these efforts, we envision a VC industry that reaches all communities across the country, unlocking greater innovation, economic impact, and financial returns. Learn more at ventureforward.org.

Arkuda Therapeutics is a biotechnology company leveraging new insights into progranulin and lysosomal biology to develop medicines to change the trajectory of neurodegenerative disease.

Iterative Health is pioneering the use of artificial intelligence-based precision medicine in gastroenterology (GI), with the aim of helping to optimize clinical trials investigating treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We use advanced machine learning and computer vision to interpret endoscopic images along with other types of data, helping clinicians to better assess patients with potential GI problems. This gives practitioners enhanced capabilities in the detection, annotation, disease scoring and treatment of GI related diseases. Iterative Health is initially applying these advances towards standardizing disease severity characterization for inflammatory bowel disease. Ultimately, the company aims to establish more meaningful endpoints to serve as better predictors of both therapeutic response and disease outcomes. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Ribon is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery and development of first-in-class small molecule inhibitors to block the fundamental ability of cancer cells to survive under stress.

Redona Therapeutics is focused on the modulation of functional non-coding RNA (ncRNA) to treat cancer and other human diseases. By targeting ncRNA modulating proteins (RMPs), we can use small molecules to modulate expression levels of oncogenes and other proteins of significance in disease.

The NEVCA fosters a collaborative, inclusive, and prosperous innovation ecosystem on behalf of New Englands VC industry. Operating across four pillars - Venture Community, Regional Brand, Workforce Development, and Public Policy - the associations initiatives impact the community at large: events connect founders, funders, and innovators; legislative advocacy promotes economic growth; programs bolster professional development across the venture landscape.

Navitor Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel medicines by targeting cellular nutrient signaling pathways. The company’s proprietary drug discovery platform targets mTORC1, which responds to and integrates the cell’s response to nutrient availability and plays a key role in protein synthesis and cellular growth. Navitor’s therapeutics are designed to selectively modulate the cellular signals that are aberrant in disease processes caused by the dysregulation of mTORC1 activity to address a wide range of diseases, including metabolic, CNS, autoimmune and musculoskeletal diseases, as well as several rare disorders. The company is backed by leading financial and corporate investors, including Polaris Partners, Atlas Venture, J&J Innovation - JJDC, SR One, Brace Pharma Capital, Remeditex ventures, Sanofi Ventures and The Longevity Fund.

Johnson & Johnson Innovation JJDC Inc is a company based out of 410 GEORGE ST, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States.

Venture Forward, NVCA’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm, is on a mission to democratize access to the venture capital (VC) industry, empower individuals from all backgrounds and geographies to thrive as investors, and equip future VC leaders with the tools for long-term success. We support emerging fund managers and investors by providing education, mentorship, and resources to advance their careers. We are committed to driving healthy and sustainable generational change within established VC firms, ensuring strong industry stewardship for the future. Through these efforts, we envision a VC industry that reaches all communities across the country, unlocking greater innovation, economic impact, and financial returns. Learn more at ventureforward.org.

ONL Therapeutics (ONL) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to helping patients see the future. Our mission is to develop innovative therapeutics to protect and improve the vision of patients with a range of retinal disease and conditions. By advancing a breakthrough technology designed to prevent the death of key retinal cells caused by the activation of the natural Fas pathway, ONL is pioneering an entirely new approach to preserve sight. It is the first and only company focused on preventing Fas-mediated death of key retinal cells, which is a root cause of vision loss, a leading cause of blindness and an unaddressed medical need. ONL’s lead therapeutic candidate, ONL1204, is a first-in-class small peptide Fas inhibitor designed to protect retinal cells from both death and inflammatory signaling pathways. ONL1204 Ophthalmic Solution is being developed for the treatment of retinal detachment, an acute condition for which the company has been granted orphan drug designation by the FDA. In addition, the company is currently developing ONL1204 in geographic atrophy associated with age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and other acute and chronic indications.

Arkuda Therapeutics is a biotechnology company leveraging new insights into progranulin and lysosomal biology to develop medicines to change the trajectory of neurodegenerative disease.

Iterative Health is pioneering the use of artificial intelligence-based precision medicine in gastroenterology (GI), with the aim of helping to optimize clinical trials investigating treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We use advanced machine learning and computer vision to interpret endoscopic images along with other types of data, helping clinicians to better assess patients with potential GI problems. This gives practitioners enhanced capabilities in the detection, annotation, disease scoring and treatment of GI related diseases. Iterative Health is initially applying these advances towards standardizing disease severity characterization for inflammatory bowel disease. Ultimately, the company aims to establish more meaningful endpoints to serve as better predictors of both therapeutic response and disease outcomes. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Ribon is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery and development of first-in-class small molecule inhibitors to block the fundamental ability of cancer cells to survive under stress.