Eddie Pauline, BioOhio President & CEO
In some ways, it’s hard to believe a year has passed since I took this role at BioOhio. In others, it’s hard to believe it’s only been a year. Of course, I’ve been reflecting on all we’ve accomplished these last 12 months – anniversaries are great times for reflection. When I look back on the last year, a clear theme emerges: BioOhio is an organization that goes to bat for its members.
We are also conveners. We bring people, organizations, and ideas together, and sparks emerge for big new things to happen. The feedback from our members and the life sciences community in Ohio helped us chart a course for the last year. A great deal of that feedback came from the listening tour I held at the start of my tenure with BioOhio, and I’m grateful to those of you who were able to meet with me and share your insights. The invitation remains open in case we haven’t connected yet.
One example: The overwhelming message I heard was that Ohio has a staggering number of successful bioscience organizations, from start-ups to large, established corporations, community colleges to universities, and laboratories to clinics to hospitals. But nearly all of them struggle with attracting and retaining the right workforce. Earlier this year, we partnered with a workforce development organization, and soon we’ll unveil a targeted strategy that will help us build and retain a thriving life sciences workforce that drives economic development for the state.
Another example: Our industry is diverse, and our members have unique needs. Our recently launched Gene and Cell Therapy Industry Council will give us focused insights into this unique field and help Ohio become a globally recognized leader in gene and cell therapy innovation, ventures, and commercial operations. Gene and cell therapies are some of the most groundbreaking therapeutics available, and many provide transformative care for rare diseases with limited or nonexistent treatment options. I have met with some families affected by these diseases, and I am humbled and honored to be working on behalf of the industry that is giving these families hope. Expect more councils like these, formed to address the needs of our members, to follow in the coming months.
We’ve brought the life sciences conversation to Ohioans in a number of ways – through op-eds, legislative testimony, meetings with lawmakers, speeches, panel discussions, and over 1,100 new LinkedIn followers. We’ve traveled to conferences across the United States to bring the story of Ohio’s growing bioscience ecosystem to others. We’ve celebrated with member companies like Amgen, Andelyn Biosciences, AtriCure, CTI, and Sarepta Therapeutics who are opening new facilities creating even more opportunities for Ohioans. And what we have heard and learned has led us to even more exciting ideas about how BioOhio can elevate this industry even further. I’m looking forward to sharing these with you soon.
I’m proud of all this organization has done, but I’m even more excited about what is coming next. This organization, with the right investment, is poised to springboard our industry into the future. I can tell you without a doubt that all of us at BioOhio are working hard on things that I know will have lasting and positive influences on the life sciences here in Ohio.
As always, I’d love to hear any thoughts you might have.
Eddie Pauline
President & CEO
BioOhio