{"id":1915,"date":"2020-09-02T20:00:06","date_gmt":"2020-09-03T01:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/?p=1915"},"modified":"2020-09-30T11:54:37","modified_gmt":"2020-09-30T16:54:37","slug":"jennifer-griffin-200k-challenge-pitch-off-keynote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/2020\/09\/02\/jennifer-griffin-200k-challenge-pitch-off-keynote\/","title":{"rendered":"Jennifer Griffin of Massachusetts Life Sciences Center\u00a0to Keynote 2020\u00a0M2D2\u00a0$200K Challenge Pitch-Off\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>M2D2 has announced that&nbsp;Jennifer Griffin, Ph.D.,&nbsp;Vice President, Industry Strategy and Investments at Massachusetts Life Sciences Center&nbsp;(MLSC), will deliver keynote remarks at the 9th Annual&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/2020-m2d2-200k-challenge-pitch-off-awards-celebration-tickets-78510953375\">M2D2 $200K Challenge Finalist Pitch-Off<\/a>.&nbsp;In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year\u2019s&nbsp;Pitch-Off will take place&nbsp;virtually on Thursday,&nbsp;September 17&nbsp;beginning&nbsp;at 5:00 pm&nbsp;eastern time.&nbsp;Life sciences entrepreneurs, investors, academics, researchers, students, and media from anywhere are invited.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/2020-m2d2-200k-challenge-pitch-off-awards-celebration-tickets-78510953375\">Tickets are&nbsp;free&nbsp;with registration.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Meet&nbsp;Jennifer Griffin<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/09\/https___cdn.evbuc_.com_images_109084981_209363275440_1_original-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1918\" width=\"237\" height=\"215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/09\/https___cdn.evbuc_.com_images_109084981_209363275440_1_original-1.jpg 720w, https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/09\/https___cdn.evbuc_.com_images_109084981_209363275440_1_original-1-300x272.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/09\/https___cdn.evbuc_.com_images_109084981_209363275440_1_original-1-331x300.jpg 331w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 237px) 100vw, 237px\" \/><figcaption>Jennifer Griffin, Ph.D.<br>Vice President, Industry Strategy and Investments, MSLC<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Jennifer has over 10 years of experience working&nbsp;to&nbsp;develop&nbsp;life science technologies&nbsp;in the public, private and academic sectors. She has advised investors, universities, and management teams around the globe and is currently responsible for developing the State\u2019s investment strategy to strengthen the life sciences industry in Massachusetts.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jennifer joined the MLSC in September of 2017 as the Vice President, Industry Strategy and Investments. In her role, she develops and manages the investment strategy for&nbsp;a variety of&nbsp;initiatives and partnerships&nbsp;for&nbsp;the life sciences industry,&nbsp;including&nbsp;with&nbsp;private, public, and nonprofit stakeholders. These include investments targeted at seeding early-stage companies, supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs,&nbsp;accelerating industry \u2013academia partnerships, as well as attracting and retaining life science companies in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prior to joining the MLSC, Jennifer spent time in both the academic and private sectors of the industry. She began her career in technology licensing as an Associate Licensing Officer at MIT&#8217;s Technology Licensing Office where she worked alongside faculty, researchers, investors, and entrepreneurs to commercialize early-stage life science technologies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/121720608617\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/09\/200K-Awards-No-Zoom-1024x512.png\" alt=\"2020 M2D2 $200K Challenge Awards Celebration Thursday Oct. 1\" class=\"wp-image-2034\" width=\"492\" height=\"246\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/09\/200K-Awards-No-Zoom.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/09\/200K-Awards-No-Zoom-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/09\/200K-Awards-No-Zoom-768x384.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/09\/200K-Awards-No-Zoom-500x250.png 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 492px) 100vw, 492px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Most recently, as a Senior Consultant with Back Bay Life Science Advisors, Jennifer provided a variety of strategic advisory services to private and publicly&nbsp;biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical device&nbsp;companies, as well as investors. Jennifer is a proud Massachusetts native having received degrees from both UMass Amherst (BS, Microbiology) and UMass Medical&nbsp;School&nbsp;(Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Reflecting on a long-standing partnership&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Regarding the&nbsp;MLSC\/M2D2 relationship, Jennifer said, \u201cAs a founding sponsor of M2D2, it has been our pleasure and honor to watch M2D2 become the biotech ecosystem it is today. A huge part of that ecosystem is the $200K Challenge that, like M2D2, has grown over time, and brings together a variety of different stakeholders who are all committed to seeing early stage life science companies succeed.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn this time of isolation, M2D2 continues to&nbsp;bring people together, a mantra that\u2019s been pivotal to their success.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Boosting the $200K Challenge award purse<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>She also announced that MSLC is sweetening the pot for this year\u2019s 15 Challenge Finalists. \u201cThe Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, together with its Board of Directors, is so pleased to be one of those stakeholders and specifically, to be providing a $50K prize to advance the promising technologies and companies of the Challenge.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>About the M2D2 $200K Challenge<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The $200K Challenge is an annual start-up competition hosted by M2D2 focused on identifying and rewarding disruptive companies in the medical technology and biotechnology industries.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This year we received 250 entries from entrepreneurs worldwide. At the Challenge Pitch-Off on September 17, 15 Finalists will become eligible to win a share of our $200,000 purse of sponsor-provided, in-kind services. These services include lab and office space; engineering, product development, legal, regulatory, clinical, and business services. Past winners have been empowered to bring their innovations to life\u2014and to market. We&#8217;ll announce our 2020 Challenge winners on October 1. <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/2019\/04\/11\/2019-m2d2-200k-challenge-winners-announced\/\">Watch last year&#8217;s winning pitches.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/121720608617\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">$200K Challenge tickets are FREE\u2014Register now, attend from anywhere.<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Thanks to our 2020 200K Challenge Sponsors&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/01\/Untitled-design-11-1024x512.png\" alt=\"Thank you to all the 2020 M2D2 $200K Challenge Sponsors\" class=\"wp-image-1315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/01\/Untitled-design-11.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/01\/Untitled-design-11-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/01\/Untitled-design-11-768x384.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2020\/01\/Untitled-design-11-500x250.png 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>M2D2 has announced that&nbsp;Jennifer Griffin, Ph.D.,&nbsp;Vice President, Industry Strategy and Investments at Massachusetts Life Sciences Center&nbsp;(MLSC), will deliver keynote remarks at the 9th Annual&nbsp;M2D2 $200K Challenge Finalist Pitch-Off.&nbsp;In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year\u2019s&nbsp;Pitch-Off will take place&nbsp;virtually on Thursday,&nbsp;September &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/2020\/09\/02\/jennifer-griffin-200k-challenge-pitch-off-keynote\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":328,"featured_media":1923,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1915"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/328"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1915"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1915\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2068,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1915\/revisions\/2068"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1923"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/m2d2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}