Keynote Speakers
Holly DeArmond, MBA
Executive Director, Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) at the Rice Alliance, Rice University
Holly DeArmond is an accomplished business executive with over 20 years of experience in marketing, communications, program management, partnerships, and operations. She currently holds the position of executive director at the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC).
DeArmond pursued her education at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she likely honed her skills and knowledge in business management.
Throughout her career, DeArmond has thrived in complex work environments, showcasing her ability to navigate and excel in challenging situations. She possesses a proven track record of effectively leading entrepreneurial teams to achieve desired outcomes.
With her expertise in marketing and communications, DeArmond is adept at driving strategic initiatives and fostering strong partnerships. Her skill set extends to program management and operational efficiency, enabling her to effectively plan and execute projects to deliver tangible results.
As the executive director of the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC), DeArmond plays a crucial role in fostering collaboration among entrepreneurship centers worldwide. Her leadership and guidance contribute to the success of the organization and its mission to advance entrepreneurship education and support the growth of entrepreneurs globally.
Through her extensive experience and demonstrated abilities, DeArmond continues to make significant contributions in the areas of marketing, communications, program management, partnerships, and operations. Her leadership and strategic mindset position her as a valuable asset in driving entrepreneurial teams towards success and achieving desired outcomes.
Kun Yang, PharmD '15
CEO and Co-Founder, Pricklee Cactus Water
Kun Yang is CEO and co-founder of Pricklee, a beverage startup in the consumer-packaged goods space. Yang worked in multiple positions within the biotechnology industry before transitioning to entrepreneurship through Pricklee, which has been featured on the TV show Shark Tank, where he negotiated a deal with “Shark” Barbara Corcoran for $200,000 as a line of credit in exchange for 5% equity in the company.
Yang is a native of Canada. He worked in pharmacies in high school and decided to go to pharmacy school, selecting the University of Maryland because of its strong reputation and proximity to the federal government and the biotech industry.
Moderators and Panelists
Amir Ansari
Co-Founder and Executive Director, XFoundry@UMD
Amir Ansari is an entrepreneur, technology expert, and inventor with more than 70 US and foreign patents who has significantly contributed to various industries, including telecommunications, artificial intelligence, edge computing, personalized health care, and multimedia services. Ansari is committed to solving complex social and environmental problems by fostering collaboration among regulatory bodies, universities, and non-profit organizations.
Ansari is the co-founder and inaugural executive director of the IDEA Factory at the University of Maryland, which aims to promote innovation, creativity, and interdisciplinary design. Ansari is also the founder and general partner of VaticX, a global hybrid accelerator that supports growth-stage technology-based companies by providing them mentorship, market access, monetization expertise, and access to capital. He is also actively involved in several non-profit organizations that strive for social development and a more sustainable environment, including the XPPRIZE foundation, where together with his family, he was a title sponsor for the $10 million Ansari XPRIZE and now serves on the Board of Directors and is a member of the Vision Circle.
John Banta, MS, MBA
President and Managing Director, Blue Venture Funds
Vice President of Investments and NEBA, BCBSA
John Banta is the president and managing director of BlueCross BlueShield Venture Partners, the corporate venture fund complex serving 36 BlueCross BlueShield Plans and other licensees with more than $1 billion in assets under management, and as president of the fund’s General Partner. Banta has also been recognized as a member of the Global Corporate Venture Power List 100 since 2017.
Banta is also responsible for oversight for the National Employee Benefits Administration, a $15 billion multi-employer benefits program serving more than 96,000 members. In addition to leading the Blue Venture Fund and NEBA teams and strategies, Banta is also responsible for overseeing the National Retirement Trust and National 401(k) programs, as well as the ongoing development and implementation of leading-edge investment activity on behalf of the National Employee Benefits Committee (NEBC), Blue Venture Fund’s Boards of Managers and BCBSA senior management. Prior to joining BCBSA in 2014, Banta served as CEO and managing director of IllinoisVentures, the premier seed and early-stage technology venture firm, which was consistently recognized as one of Entrepreneur’s Top 100 Venture Firms. Banta began his career with the investment banks Kidder Peabody and UBS.
Banta earned an MBA in finance and statistics with high honors from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Illinois. John serves or has served or observed on the boards of numerous early and growth stage businesses and founded several as well. He also serves or has served on the Board of Directors of the Innovation and Value Initiative, the Advisory Board of the National Alliance for Social Determinants of Health, the Board of Visitors of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, the Board of the Illinois Venture Capital Association, and the Midwest Governors Association Advisory Council.
Tina Bayuse, PharmD '00, RPh, FAsMA
Chief Pharmacy Officer
Johnson Space Center
Tina Bayuse received her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. She is the lead pharmacist for the first and only NASA pharmacy that opened its doors in 2003. As the lead, she was responsible for the original start-up work for the pharmacy, including the physical layout, policy and procedure development for medication management, and implementation of pharmacy practice programs.
As clinical staff team members, Bayuse and her pharmacist colleagues work with the Johnson Space Center Clinic and Medical Operations Group in support of crewmember and employee health. Dr. Bayuse serves as a pharmacist consultant to the Medical Operations and Health Maintenance System groups for on-orbit medical care, including medical kit design, medication selection, and process development for the ISS, Commercial Crew, Orion, and Artemis Programs. She leads the pharmacist team in terrestrial and spaceflight pharmaceutical care responsibilities. She is a member of the operations team responsible for pharmacy practice for NASA’s remote operations and serves as a liaison between the space medicine clinical and operational pharmacy program and the research community. She serves as a subject matter expert providing pharmacy operations expertise to the Clinician’s Group in support of the Exploration Medical Capabilities Element and the Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program.
Bayuse has been recognized for her work with awards from both her contractor employer, KBR as well as NASA, including the Silver Snoopy Award and the NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal, which is the highest honor awarded to a non-government individual for their contribution to NASA. She has presented numerous topics in pharmacy practice as it relates to space medicine. She is a member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the American Pharmacists Association, as well the Aerospace Medical Association and the Space Medicine Association.
Megan Ehret, PharmD, MS, BCPP
Professor of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research
Co-Director, Mental Health Program
University of Maryland School of Pharmacy
Megan Ehret completed her BS and PharmD degrees from the University of Toledo. She then completed an American Society of Health-system Pharmacists’ accredited residency in psychiatric pharmacotherapy at the Louis Stokes Veterans Affairs Medical Center, after which she completed a psychopharmacology and pharmacogenomics fellowship at Nova Southeastern University. After training, she joined the faculty at the University of Connecticut, where she gained tenure. While at the University of Connecticut, Ehret served as vice chair of its Institutional Review Board, director of practices for the Center for Correctional Health Networks, and a faculty member for Project ECHO: Buprenorphine. Additionally, Ehret received her master's in clinical and translational research from the University of Connecticut Health Center. Ehret is also a board-certified psychiatric pharmacist.
Most recently, Ehret has practiced at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital as their behavioral health clinical pharmacy specialist. She has experience in treating the spectrum of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. Additionally, she is a past president of the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists.
Fahim Faruque, PharmD '18, MS
Founder, Stealth Startup
Fahim Faruque is building an AI startup that removes inefficiencies from clinical workflows. He recently earned his MS in engineering and management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was actively involved in the startup ecosystem. Faruque previously worked as a pharmacist at Flatiron Health, where he developed cancer treatment models and collaborated with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
Faruque’s experience includes roles at Janssen Scientific Affairs/PerformRx, the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, and the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, where he received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2018. He also has a BSc in molecular biology from the University of Pittsburgh.
Joga Gobburu, PhD, MBA
Professor of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research
Director, Center for Translational Medicine
University of Maryland School of Pharmacy
Joga Gobburu is a world-renowned scientific leader in quantitative disease models and their applications to decisions. He is best known for transforming the field of pharmacometrics into a decision-supporting science. His experience as a senior biomedical research scientist and director of pharmacometrics at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gives him unique insight into the technical, regulatory, and decision-making aspects in all phases of drug development. He obtained his BPharm and MSc in chemistry from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, his PhD in pharmaceutical sciences from North Dakota State University, and his MBA from Johns Hopkins University. Gobburu’s research interests include pediatrics, clinical pharmacology and translational research, comparative effectiveness, and pharmacometrics.
Brian Hose, PharmD '06
Owner, Sharpsburg Pharmacy
CEO, EPIC Rx
Brian Hose is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and a past president of the School’s Alumni Association. He is also a past president of the Maryland Pharmacists Association and still serves as a liaison to their Advocacy Committee. In addition to his work with the state association, Hose is an active member of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), where he serves on various committees and as a delegate. He is a fellow of the American College of Apothecaries (ACA), and serves as a preceptor for Doctor of Pharmacy students from several local schools of pharmacy. Hose has been the owner of Sharpsburg Pharmacy since 2008, where he still works weekly. He has been a tireless advocate for pharmacy practice and independent pharmacy issues in Maryland and has served as the chair of EPIC Pharmacies PharmPAC since 2016. He has also been a member of EPIC Pharmacies Board of Directors since 2018 and most was named CEO of their buying group and PSAO in 2022.
Prabhudev Konana, PhD, MBA
Dean and Professor of Information Systems, University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business
Prabhudev Konana, PhD, MBA, is dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. He leads Maryland Smith in its mission to promote research excellence, sustainable innovative programs, and an inclusive learning environment that fosters intellectual discovery and equips current and future leaders to assess complex problems and deliver innovative solutions.
Konana previously served as associate dean of instructional innovation at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business. The school recognized him for successfully leading a transition of its entire faculty to hybrid and online synchronous teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He is credited with championing innovative specialty programs, technology-enabled instruction, and experiential learning, and for promoting strategic partnerships with businesses to support transformative research and learning experiences for students.
Konana’s research analyzes the value of social networks and sentiments and the business value of IT. His work includes “Competition among Virtual Communities and User Valuation,” which received a Best Paper Award from the journal Information Systems Research. His teaching accomplishments are recognized in part through a National Science Foundation CAREER Award for exemplifying the role of teacher-scholars through research and education.
Konana holds a Bachelor of Technology degree from the University of Mysore in India, and a Master of Business Administration and PhD from the University of Arizona, Tucson.
Ritu Lal, PhD '96, MS, MS
CEO and Co-Founder, GEn1E Lifesciences
Ritu Lal is CEO and co-founder of GEn1E Lifesciences Inc, a clinical-stage, in Phase 2 clinical trials, biotech company accelerating novel, next-generation immunomodulatory therapies for rare and inflammatory diseases.
Lal has more than 20 years’ experience in biotech and pharma companies. Her passion is to bring health care products to patients in a cost-effective and efficient manner. In her role as a senior executive, she led preclinical and clinical development teams. She has taken compounds from discovery to regulatory approval and has filed more than 15 Investigational New Drug (IND) applications in disease areas of neurology, inflammation, virology, pain, and oncology. Two compounds have received New Drug Application (NDA) approvals from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Ministry of Health and Welfare in Japan - Kaletra for the treatment of HIV, and Horizant (Regnite in Japan) for Restless Legs Syndrome and Post Herpetic Neuralgia.
Lal received her PhD in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, a Master's degree in pharmacology from the University of Arizona, and a Master’s in management from Stanford University’s MSx (Sloan) Program.
She has more than 60 publications, book chapters, and presentations.
Alex MacKerell, PhD
Grollman-Glick Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Director, Computer-Aided Drug Design Center
University of Maryland School of Pharmacy
Alex MacKerell’s primary, long-term research focuses on empirical force fields — mathematical models used to calculate the energy and forces acting on chemicals. Another focus of MacKerell’s research is the development of novel Computer Aided Drug Design (CADD) methods, including the Site Identification by Ligand Competitive Saturation (SILCS) technology. The technology is used in the discovery of new compounds that can potentially be developed into drugs, optimization of compounds to make them more druglike, and the development of biologics — protein-based drugs such as monoclonal antibodies — to make them easier to deliver to patients.
The SILCS technology has been licensed from the University of Maryland, Baltimore and is the basis for MacKerell’s startup company, SilcsBio, LLC, which supplies software and CADD services to the pharmaceutical industry. MacKerell is a co-founder and chief scientific officer.
He received a PhD in biochemistry from Rutgers University.
Sarah L.J. Michel, PhD
Dean and Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
University of Maryland School of Pharmacy
Sarah L.J. Michel is a distinguished educator and researcher who joined the School of Pharmacy faculty in 2004. She is a former chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (PSC) and associate dean for graduate studies. She was named dean in October 2023 after a four-month interim appointment.
Michel is an internationally recognized leader in the field of metals in medicine. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and U.S. Army Research labs for investigating the roles that metals play in the regulation of chronic inflammation, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. She has also been active in clinical research through U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grants and has been closely involved with the Maryland Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation. Notably, an FDA clinical trial headed by Michel led the FDA to issue new guidance on how generic nanomedicines should be evaluated for approval. In addition, she is part of a PSC and University of Maryland School of Dentistry team of researchers funded by the FDA that is investigating the safety of electronic cigarettes.
Michel earned a BA in chemistry from Cornell University in 1995 and a PhD in inorganic chemistry from Northwestern University in 2000. She completed a NRSA postdoctoral fellowship in biophysics and biophysical chemistry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
C. Daniel Mullins, PhD
Professor of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research
Executive Director, The PATIENTS Program
University of Maryland School of Pharmacy
C. Daniel Mullins’ research and teaching focus is on community-engaged, patient-centered comparative effectiveness research to advance health equity. He has received funding as principal investigator from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, various pharmaceutical manufacturers, patient advocacy organizations, and the insurance industry.
In addition to his faculty appointment, Mullins also serves as executive director of The PATIENTS Program at the School of Pharmacy and director of the Community and Collaboration Core for the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, as well as editor-in-chief for Value in Health.
Charmaine Rochester-Eyeguokan, PharmD, CDCES, BCACP
Professor of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcome Research
Associate Director of Clinical Services, Center for Innovative Pharmacy Solutions
University of Maryland School of Pharmacy
Charmaine Rochester-Eyeguokan graduated from Howard University College of Pharmacy in 1996 and subsequently completed her pharmacy practice residency training at the Medical University of South Carolina in 1997 and her primary care residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 1998. She is the associate director of clinical services at the P3 eHealth Services. She also serves as an ambulatory care preceptor for the Ambulatory Care Residency Program at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner, PharmD, MS, FAPhA, FNAP
Felix Gyi Endowed Memorial Professor in Pharmapreneurship
Associate Dean for Clinical Services and Practice Transformation
Executive Director, Center for Innovative Pharmacy Solutions
Director, Maryland P3 Program
University of Maryland School of Pharmacy
As the Felix Gyi Endowed Memorial Professor in Pharmapreneurship, Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner leads the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy’s Pharmapreneurship® initiative, which describes the School’s commitment to supporting and best positioning its faculty, students, and staff to achieve their career aspirations and therefore address the nation’s health care, research, policy, and societal needs through innovation. Under her leadership, the School has created a pharmapreneurship pathway in the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum, created a business pitching competition for students, and now offers multiple scholarships for students who demonstrate pharmapreneurial skills.
Rodriguez de Bittner engages in legislative advocacy and state and national leadership to expand the role of pharmacists in chronic disease management. She is an innovator who has implemented many new health care delivery models, particularly in community pharmacies, and received many grants and contracts to develop innovative programs.
She is president-elect of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), a member of the Maryland Health Care Reform Council Health Care Delivery Reform Subcommittee, subcommittee of the Maryland Patient-Centered Medical Home pilot, past-president of the Maryland Pharmacists Association, past board member and president of the APhA Foundation, and member of the Pan-American Commission for Pharmaceutical Education.
Paul Shapiro, PhD
Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Associate Dean for Research
University of Maryland School of Pharmacy
Paul Shapiro received his BS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1987 and his PhD in molecular physiology and biophysics from the University of Vermont in 1995. He completed postdoctoral training from 1995 to 1999 in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Colorado-Boulder.
Shapiro’s research focuses on protein kinases and their role in regulating signaling pathways that control cellular functions and dysregulation of protein kinases during disease. Specific areas of research focus on the discovery and development of novel small molecules that inhibit the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) and p38 MAP kinases and provide the rationale for clinical applications of these molecules in treating cancer or inflammatory disease. That research led to Shapiro becoming a co-inventor of technology focused on treatments for inflammatory diseases, which has been licensed to GEn1E Lifesciences, a biotech company based in Silicon Valley. He was named one of the University of Maryland, Baltimore's David J. Ramsay Entrepreneurs of the Year in 2023.
Alex Triantis, PhD
Dean and Professor, Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business
Alex Triantis became the third dean of Johns Hopkins Carey Business School in 2019. He has built a reputation throughout his career as a strong, personable, and pragmatic leader skilled at building consensus around a strategic vision.
During his tenure as Carey’s dean, the school has revised and launched several programmatic initiatives, including its full-time MBA with emphasis in the fields of health, technology, innovation, leadership and business analytics; a distinctive flex MBA program allowing for specializations and dual degrees within the stellar Johns Hopkins University system; new programs for working professionals; and the Women and Leadership Academy. Additionally, Carey has achieved gender parity in its overall student body and across most of its programs, and has advanced its comprehensive and ambitious commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Prior to joining Carey Business School, Triantis served as dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland from 2013 to 2019, and chair of the finance department from 2006 to 2011. Previously, he was a visiting scholar at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, and an assistant and associate professor of finance at the University of Wisconsin. Triantis received his PhD in industrial engineering (with a specialization in finance) from Stanford University and his BASc and MEng degrees from the University of Toronto.
An expert in the areas of corporate financial strategy and valuation, Triantis has published articles in numerous prestigious academic journals, served on several journal editorial boards, and has consulted and led training for many multinational corporations. Businessweek named Triantis an outstanding professor at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Maryland, and he is a two-time recipient of Maryland Smith’s top teaching award for faculty.
Triantis currently serves as chair of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business Board of Directors. He has also served as vice president for global services for the Financial Management Association International.