KansasBio Announces Jennifer Brandt as Industry Relations and Policy Director

KansasBio is pleased to announce the hiring of Jennifer Brandt as Industry Relations & Policy Director.

Brandt will be responsible for soliciting input from KansasBio members and formulating a policy agenda that reflects the needs of the bioscience community and its affiliates. More...

Bioscience and Information Technology Caucus Underway

The 2008 Kansas legislature opened session in January and KansasBio held its first meeting with the newly formed Bioscience and Information Technology Caucus on January 31.

Dr. Dan Richardson presented information about the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor and the animal health and nutrition industry during the first lunch meeting of the caucus. KTEC sponsored the lunch and Tracy Taylor, CEO & President of KTEC, shared information about their programs. Eleven legislators were present and asked Dr. Richardson to expand on genomics, nutrigenomics and how the animal health research can be translated into products for human consumption. They also asked about how state monies are being used to benefit the industry. More...

Input Needed for Legislative Agenda

During the 2007 KansasBio Annual Meeting, the board of directors unanimously passed a resolution for KansasBio to become involved with legislative advocacy. This is a critical step forward for the organization, providing it with another important tool to serve as the voice of the bioscience industry in Kansas. In as much, KansasBio will once again distribute a survey to collect your insight for the development of its policy positions and for the formation of a legislative agenda. In 2008 KansasBio's focus will be on state policy, however, it will also begin to collect your input on national issues as well with the goal of developing a congressional agenda in 2009.

KansasBio will also utilize the survey instrument to gauge your interest in other state programs which are being discussed. The goal with the survey instrument is to garner, directly from the industry, your insight, your concerns, your needs. Going forward KansasBio will break the survey into two parts, making it a bi-annual survey, one for policy, one for industry updates. This year they will be combined. Please take 15 minutes to answer the survey. Without your input our voice will be incomplete!!

"Come Home to Kansas" Initiative Launched

KansasBio is a proud partner in the recently launched “Come Home to Kansas” initiative, which was revealed at a press conference on January 24, 2008 at the KTEC PIPELINE ’s "Innovator of the Year" awards dinner.  The “Come Home to Kansas” initiative focuses on recruiting bioscience and information technology professionals and investors to Kansas – more specifically, those professionals, graduates and investors with former residential ties to the state as well as non-residents who have never lived in Kansas but are looking for “home.”  More...

KansasBio Quarterly Board Meeting and Reception - February 21, 2008

Please join KansasBio at the Quarterly Board Meeting and Reception on Thursday, February 21 at Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka at 1:30 p.m.

At 4:00 p.m., you will have the opportunity to meet our BIG Thinker speaker, Dr. Valentino Stella, who will present:  “Stella, Inc:  Not High Tech, Not Low Tech, Just the Right Tech.”  Dr. Stella holds 39 patents and has effectively started four bioscience companies.  He’s a University Distinguished Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Kansas. 

Following Dr. Stella is Mr. Michael Weingarten, SBIR program director for NIH/NCI, who will be in town from Washington, D.C. to learn about the bioscience and entrepreneurial community in Kansas.  Mr. Weingarten will speak on the new NIH/NCI SBIR Phase III bridge program which offers grants up to $3 million. 

Two KansasBio Board Members Win Prestigious Awards

Olga Koper, Vice President of NanoScale Corporation and KansasBio Board Member, was recently named “Innovator of the Year” at an awards dinner hosted by the KTEC PIPELINE.  The “Innovator of the Year” was chosen after an intense competition that included a refined business plan, a pitch to an elite panel of judges and a score carried over from performance during the PIPELINE’s technology fellowship year. 

“I am thrilled to be recognized as 'Innovator of the Year,'" said Olga Koper.  “This recognition means even more, because I know the high level of skill my fellow Innovators in the KTEC PIPELINE program.  What a perfect way to end my year in the KTEC PIPELINE – giving me even more motivation to succeed in my business, NanoScale Corporation."

In a surprise announcement at the same dinner, Mike Beckloff, President of Beckloff Associates, Inc. and Chairman of KansasBio, was granted the prestigious “Entrepreneurial Leadership Award.”  The award recognizes experienced entrepreneurs who are greatly contributing to building a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in Kansas. 

Congratulations to Olga and Mike!

Angela Kreps, KCB’s 50 Most Influential Women

Angela Kreps, President of KansasBio, has been named one of KCB Magazine’s 2008 Most Influential Women.  Angela will be featured in the magazine’s March 2008 issue in an article that showcases her successful leadership of KansasBio and her influential role as a board member of the Kansas Bioscience Authority.  Selection criteria for this respected honor included business savvy, level of board involvement, community activity and previous recognition for influence.

Angela and the other women honorees will be recognized at a reception on March 11, 2008 from 5-7pm at the Webster House located at 1644 Wyandotte in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

KansasBio board members interested in attending the reception should RSVP by March 1, 2008, by calling (913) 894-6923, ext. 662.  The cost of each reception ticket is $20. 

Members At-a-Glance:

KansasBio was pleased to coordinate a luncheon Feb. 7 in honor of Dr. Patrick Cunningham, Ph.D., Chairman of IdentiGEN.  Dr. Cunningham is a co-founder of IdentiGEN  Ltd. and has recently been appointed as the Chief Scientific Advisor in Ireland where he provides the government with high level scientific advice and input into policy formulation. 

KansasBio also helped coordinate Dr. Cunningham’s appearance before the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee that same day.  Dr. Cunningham presentation was titled: "Food Safety and New Technology: The Strategy to Enhance Global Health."  He also touched upon International Technology Transfer as well as the role that Kansas’ innovative bioscience environment played in IdentiGEN’s decision to locate its North American subsidiary in Lawrence, Kansas. Click here to learn more about IdentiGEN.

KanasasBio welcomes its newest members - the second-year class of the KTEC PIPELINE Innovators. These Innovators represents a cross-section of high potential technology and bioscience entrepreneurs from across the state of Kansas who hope to follow in the successful footsteps of the 2007 class and become leaders of the growing innovation economy in Kansas. Click here to read about the 2008 KTEC PIPELINE Innovator Class.