Pat Flavin, JD

President

An entrepreneur, investor, and attorney, Patrick brings more than 20 years of experience in health tech and life sciences, including executive leadership positions at Arches Technology, Outcome Health, and closerlook. Patrick was a Co-Founder and Executive Director of MATTER, a Chicago healthcare technology startup center and innovation hub. He helped build biotechnology companies MediChem Life Sciences and Advanced Life Sciences, both of which he helped take public as chief legal executive.

John Flavin, MBA

Founder & CEO

John is a proven leader with a track record of bringing valuable corporate, academic, and civic enterprises from concept to reality, including Advanced Life Sciences, Chicago Innovation Mentors, MATTER, and the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago. John is Co-Founder and Chairman of Pyxis Oncology, Executive Chairman of ClostraBio, and Board member at Grove Biopharma. Over the course of his career, John has successfully raised more than $345 million of private and philanthropic capital to fund the development of transformative organizations.

Yuan Zhang, PhD, MS

Vice President, Scientific Strategy & Operations

Yuan Zhang is a biotech cofounder and translational scientist with deep experience in preclinical development, scientific operations, and early-stage company building. At Portal, she supports the expansion of the Ex³ platform by facilitating portfolio growth through fractional executive leadership and tailored strategic support for early-stage biotech companies. Yuan helps startups navigate critical milestones, scale operations, and prepare for Series A financing. She also assists in matching talent and expertise to Portal member companies to maximize impact across the network.

Previously, Yuan co-founded and led Seurat Therapeutics, advancing a repurposed biologic through pre-IND development. She also oversaw the national buildout of Portal’s lab infrastructure and has contributed to investment diligence, board-level strategy, and university-based incubator models. Yuan holds a PhD in Pathology and MS in Translational Sciences from the University of Chicago.

Ula Widawska

Vice President of Finance & Accounting

As VP of Finance & Accounting for Portal Innovations, Ula oversees financial reporting and daily financial operations for the company. Ula has spent most of her career in healthcare finance, most recently as a Controller at Swedish Hospital part of NorthShore, where she was responsible for managing financial operations and overseeing financial reporting, accounting, accounts payable and treasury for several corporations. Ula’s strong business acumen aided her in leading several strategic initiatives that resulted in improvement of efficiency, reporting and daily financial operations. She brings a fresh perspective to building and leading finance teams, focusing on collaboration, empowerment and business growth.

Michael Schultz, PhD

Senior Director of Venture Operations

Dr. Schultz is a scientist by training. He assesses new investment opportunities and supports companies within the Portal/Fulton Labs ecosystem. Before joining Portal, he was a life sciences consultant where he advised therapeutics, diagnostics, and medical device companies on indication prioritization, competitive landscape analysis, and revenue forecasting. He completed his PhD at Harvard Medical School where he researched mechanisms that underlie the aging process, with a focus on biomarkers, inflammation, and metabolism.

Rose Jones-Boyd

Executive Assistant to the Founder & CEO

Rose Jones-Boyd is the Executive Assistant to the Founder & CEO.
She is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience in professional office executive assistant positions and a track record of strong performance in high-volume, high-pressure environments. She has extensive experience with all administrative tasks including scheduling and correspondence.
As Executive Assistant, Rose ensures the smooth operation of the office. Having held several positions in the University and business fields, Rose can tailor her skills to meet the needs of colleagues and clients. Before joining Portal, Rose worked 13 1/2 years as an Executive Assistant at the University of Chicago.

Elizabeth Harney, MS

Vice President of Scientific Operations & Growth

As Portal's Vice President of Scientific Operations & Growth, Elizabeth works closely with Yuan to support daily operations within the lab space and to provide a safe environment for our member companies.  Prior to Portal, Elizabeth was a bench scientist with a particular affinity for analytical chemistry.  In her lab work, she developed a strong understanding and respect for spreadsheets and documentation – her reliability in performance of this understanding (both in quality and consistency) makes her a particularly powerful asset in a safety-focused, scientific environment.

By switching paths from scientist to manager, Elizabeth is able to address the core motivations that had always fueled her pursuit of scientific exploration: to help people. Her starting point contributes to her ability to develop, communicate and teach processes that respond to the actual pain points of scientists.

When not running around the lab or furiously typing on her laptop, Elizabeth enjoys listening to all kinds of podcasts and reading books to unwind.

Kevin Flavin

Director of Design & Experience

Kevin is working to help create scalable systems and practices that can be implemented and standardized across all Portal locations as we expand to Boston and Atlanta. His main goal is to design and/or implement tools that can help foster community and collaboration in co-working environments.

Additionally, Kevin works on all content capture, design, editing, and audio production for Lab Rats to Unicorns (a podcast created by John Flavin).

Anna Tomaszewski

Vice President of Business Development

Anna spearheads the growth of Portal's membership and partnership portfolio. Previously, Anna specialized in scaling growth-stage biotechnology companies with scientific talent. Her focus began in the Chicago ecosystem and quickly expanded into many other emerging biotechnology hubs. Anna is inspired by entrepreneurial motivation, disruption, and - most importantly - the patient who benefits from the scientific breakthroughs.

anna.tomaszewski@portalinnovations.com

Gianina Varea

VP, Portfolio Strategy

Gianina is a Biotech entrepreneur passionate about bringing scientific discoveries to patients. She has experience in developing biotech start-ups from the ground up, ranging from strategy to operations and project management, as well as direct involvement in seeking non-dilutive and private funding from institutional and strategic investors. The most recent startup she helped build was Pyxis Oncology. As a Technology Venture Fellow at the Polsky Center at The University of Chicago she worked closely with Pyxis’ founding team to develop the strategic and financial materials to support Pyxis’ formation and $22M Series A. As Pyxis’ first employee, she worked as project and alliance manager, and in business development. She also supported the $150M Series B, several partnerships, and the IPO in October 2021. Gianina obtained her Masters’ degree in Bioscience Enterprise (MBE) at The University of Cambridge and a B.S. in Molecular Biotechnology Engineering from The University of Chile.

gianina.varea@portalinnovations.com

Angie Gill

Director of People Operations

angie.gill@portalinnovations.com

Nick Pennebaker

Sr. Director of Marketing and Communications

Nick is in charge of helping grow the Portal brand on a national level. He joins Portal with more than 10 years’ of experience in marketing and communications within a variety of industries, including financial services, commercial real estate development, and oil & gas, with his most recent role focused on building marketing campaigns at Northern Trust Asset Management. His background consists of public relations, email and web marketing, SEO/SEM, social media, and content development. Nick grew up in Austin, Texas, graduated from The University of Kansas, and still tries to fool himself into thinking Chicago winters aren’t that bad. 

Mike Faulman

Managing Director, Business Operations

Mike joins Portal to help build consistency in the firm’s day-to-day logistical operations. His background has been dedicated to helping organizations and campaigns manage extreme growth, while thinking through problems before they occur. Mike’s prior roles include Director of Corporate Business Development and Licensing at Shinola where he led a national growth through new market opportunities, Personal Aide to former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and served as National Advance Coordinator for President Obama in The White House and '08 Presidential campaign. Mike is originally from Michigan, graduated from Michigan State University and has resided in Chicago since 2010 with his wife and two children.

Parth Rao, PharmD, MS

Director of Lab Operations

Parth Rao is an accomplished pharmaceutical professional with over a decade of experience in the industry. He has a proven track record in managing laboratory operations and facility maintenance for startups and established companies in the life sciences industry. Parth is known for his ability to streamline operations and improve efficiencies, his expertise in managing lab infrastructure, and his strategic vision for achieving growth and success. In this role as the Director of Lab Operations at Portal Innovations, he is responsible for formulating and executing strategic goals, developing operational and capital budgets, and managing relationships with life science startup companies and strategic partners. He will ensure everything will run smoothly and succinctly in our labs at both 400 N Aberdeen and 1375 W Fulton.

Throughout his career, Parth has held various leadership positions within the Biotech and Pharma industries focusing on biologics and novel gene therapies. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of Science from Northern Illinois University. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with his family

Todd Sluzas

Chief Financial Officer

Todd has over 30 years of accounting, finance, tax, private equity, and venture capital experience.  Prior to joining Portal, Todd served as CFO for a private equity group where he has also supported multiple portfolio companies in the CFO role as well as Senior Tax Analyst for a public company owned by the group.  In addition, Todd managed the family office for the principal of the private equity group where he was responsible for investment analysis and due diligence, risk management, cash management, tax compliance and planning, and estate planning.  Prior to that, Todd spent four years with the accounting firm of Price Waterhouse Coopers LLP representing the firm’s audit and tax practice.

Tim Flavin

Member Experience Coordinator

Haidy Delgado

Manager of Lab Operations

A lifelong Chicagoan, Haidy earned an Associate in Science from Malcolm X College and a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago. While at UIC, she contributed to a wastewater microbiology surveillance project researching COVID-19 outbreaks and community trends in Chicago through wastewater-based epidemiology, which was in collaboration with researchers from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.

She later took the role as a Microbiologist at a contract pharmaceutical company, where she focused on environmental monitoring and microbiological analysis within pharmaceutical cleanroom environments. In this role she also supported process improvement through laboratory investigations, deviations, and change controls, revised and authored controlled documents like SOPs and logbooks.

Currently, she serves as Manager of Lab Operations, where she oversees the daily operations that keep the lab running. From managing equipment, troubleshooting and maintenance scheduling, and ensuring safety, all in an effort to support Portal’s diverse community of biotech startups working to advance scientific innovation.

Outside the lab, she enjoys going to punk and hardcore shows, reading, and spending time with her two cats, Pokey and Beanie.

Emily Yee

Lab Operations Associate

Gracyn Gambill

Senior Manager of Strategy & Communications

Gracyn Gambill is Portal's Sr. Manager of Strategy & Communications in Chicago where she works closely with the Operations and member Experience Team. She is a University of Tennessee alumni with a background in sales and event coordination along with a passion for building and fostering relationships. In her role she is hands on in the coordination and execution of events that aim to increase member engagement. In addition, she ensures that day to day operations run smoothly in Portal's Chicago location. She looks forward to continuing to grow with Portal as its expansion takes place.

Karol Sokolowski, PharmD, PhD

Director of Strategic Growth at Ex³

Karol Sokolowski is the Director of Strategic Growth for the Ex3 program where he will be growing the business across Chicago and our expansion sites.

Karol brings a diverse knowledge base with 10+ years of translational biomedical R&D, strategic consulting, and clinical experience. He joins Portal from the Chicago Biomedical Consortium, where he wore many hats, but focused on leading biotech opportunity diligence and project management.

As part of Ex³, Karol will work alongside Portal member companies to understand and fill their organizational, staffing, & strategic needs as they strive to Series A and beyond. To do so, he will also continue building our bench of consultants & fractional executives, while also working with the Venture team to identify company needs.

Carson Chang

Sr. Manager of Technology

Carson is Portal's Sr. Manager of Technology where he helps with Portal's tech stack, troubleshooting, and providing IT support to member companies. Prior to joining Portal, Carson attended the University of Illinois Chicago, and recently worked as an operations strategist with Framework IT. Outside of work, Carson is an avid outdoorsman where he enjoys running, climbing, and cycling.

Jack Flavin

Member Experience Coordinator, Atlanta

Jack recently graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and a minor in Business. Jack will be our new Member Experience and Marketing Coordinator in Atlanta as we ramp up operations at Science Square.

Jack will be integral in providing community support in Atlanta as new members are onboarded, while also helping execute events at Science Square. On the marketing side, Jack will also manage multimedia content and work to expand the reach of our affiliated podcast, Lab Rats to Unicorns.

Nancy Tyrrell

Director of Academic Partnerships

Nancy has worked with a series of life sciences companies and her most recent role was with the Chicago Biomedical Consortium, where she assisted faculty researchers at Chicago-area universities with funding and resources needed to advance therapeutic discoveries. Nancy enjoys being part of the Chicago life science community, and she is an active volunteer with a variety of organizations including Young Women In Bio Chicago, where she is a Board member and past President.  Nancy also serves on the Alzheimer's Association®'s Board of Directors and is a member of the Board’s Executive Committee.

Kira Lipson

Member Experience Manager

Kira is the Member Experience Manager at Portal Chicago, where she fosters meaningful partnerships with members, leads impactful events, and oversees seamless daily communications. Before joining Portal, she managed green infrastructure projects and community initiatives at G.E.T Solutions, an environmental nonprofit based in Chicago. Kira earned her degree in Environmental Policy from Loyola University Chicago in 2022.

Outside of work, Kira is passionate about volunteering with organizations focused on climate solutions, experimenting in the kitchen with unique ingredients, and exploring every art medium she can get her hands on.

Dixon Chan

Accounting Manager

As the Accounting Manager, Dixon oversees the day-to-day accounting operations, financial reporting, and compliance functions for the company. Prior to joining Portal, Dixon served as the Director of Accounting at Shedd Aquarium, where he managed the core accounting team, managing financial operations and overseeing financial reporting, accounting functions for the organization. Dixon graduated from University of Wisconsin – Madison and is currently pursuing his MBA at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Dixon is a licensed certified public accountant in the state of Illinois.

Sidney Marks

Member Experience Manager, UChicago Science Incubator

Sidney is the Member Experience Manager for the UChicago Science Incubator. He brings to Portal more than seven years of experience in nonprofit operations, member engagement, and membership campaign management. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Trinity Christian College and is currently pursuing a degree in Nonprofit Management from Liberty University. Most recently, he worked with Blacks in Green, an environmental justice organization, where he supported underserved communities in securing federal funding and promoted education around sustainable living. Previously, as Assistant Director of the Visitor & Member Engagement Team at the Art Institute of Chicago, he led membership strategies, cultivated donor relationships, and strengthened community engagement.

Gaby Martinez-Ramirez, PhD

Lab Operations Manager, UChicago Incubator

Raul Vasquez

Executive Director, UChicago Science Incubator

Raul began his career with Baxter Healthcare, supporting process development for parenteral solutions across US and Latin American sites. He then joined the University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division as an Operational Excellence Partner, where he led the implementation of process improvement methodologies to optimize administrative and hospital workflows. Most recently, Raul was a foundational member of the Operations team at Evozyne, a Biotechnology startup in Chicago. At Evozyne, Raul helped build out the operations, managed strategic alliances, and led internal program management for early discovery and preclinical programs.

Raul has a degree in Biomedical Engineering and MBA from the Illinois Institute of Technology.  Raul grew up in the west suburbs of Chicago, and currently lives in Riverside with his wife, Araselly, 7-year-old daughter, Adeline, and dog, Skye. He loves all types of music, from heavy metal to reggaeton, and also supports Chicago sports teams, including the Bears, Bulls, and Fire.

John Aikens

Executive Director, Ocean State Labs

John Aikens is Portal's Executive Director at Ocean State Labs in Providence. John brings extensive experience in the startup space, with a proven track record in venture creation, business strategy, and the commercialization of emerging technologies. His strong leadership skills are demonstrated by his success in developing and mentoring teams and guiding fundraising strategies. John is deeply committed to building and supporting life science ecosystems to help launch startups more efficiently, a passion that aligns perfectly with his new role at Portal.

Meghan Jeffrey

Lab Operations Associate

Meghan is the new Lab Operations Associate at Ocean State Labs, Powered by Portal. She recently graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a degree in biotechnology. During her undergrad, she spent time working as a lab assistant in the URI Microbiology lab as a Parasitology Research Fellow.

Andria Winters

Chief Operations Officer

Andria Winters is Portal's Chief Operations Office where she oversees day-to-day operations of the company, ensuring Portal continues its strong trajectory of smart, intentional growth as it expands its leadership across national and international markets. Prior to joining Portal, Andria served as COO for a top-performing commercial real estate brokerage team at CBRE where she helped launch four new R&D buildings in Chicago. Her tenure also includes being the Assistant Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), and during her time she co-founded the state's first private economic development corporation, now the Illinois EDC, to lead business marketing and recruitment efforts for Illinois.

Danya Lavin, Ph.D.

Senior Director of Scientific and Business Operations, Ocean State Labs

Danya Lavin is Portal's Sr. Director of Scientific and Business Operations at Ocean State Labs. Danya brings with her a wealth of experience from both the startup world and established companies. Most recently, she was at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, where she made significant contributions by building and leading a high-performing translational research group within the Engineering Sciences Department. Before her tenure at Vertex, Danya was instrumental in startups that navigated through acquisition processes and were ultimately acquired by Vertex.