Executive Fellows in Residence (EFIR)

Our Executive Fellows are successful founders, senior healthcare, life science, and innovation leaders who bring decades of experience to the Big Tree Start Up Academy. They serve as expert faculty in our bootcamps and masterclasses, guiding founders through the realities of fundraising, commercialization, and scaling within today’s complex healthcare ecosystem. Apply to Become an Executive Fellow

“Successful fundraising is less about capital and more about alignment with the right investors.”

  • Cindy Benod PhD, MBA is a life sciences executive with 20+ years of experience spanning academia, biotech, and venture capital. She has led early-stage small-molecule drug discovery programs in oncology and regenerative medicine at leading institutions including UCSF and the University of Geneva, and in industry at Warp Drive Bio (now Revolution Medicines). Her background blends deep scientific rigor with a practical understanding of how breakthrough science is translated into investable, scalable companies.

    She has advised top venture firms, including Third Rock Ventures, supporting company creation, platform evaluation, and technology diligence. As co-founder and founding CEO of LUDI Therapeutics, Cindy led the development of first-in-class anti-fibrosis programs addressing major unmet medical needs and helped elevate awareness of muscle fibrosis in professional athletes—work featured in Forbes and Sports Business Journal. Today, she serves as Chief Business Officer at Opprtna Therapeutics, while advising and mentoring early-stage healthcare startups across the Boston ecosystem. Her expertise includes company formation, early-stage fundraising, venture diligence, business development, and licensing strategy.

“Fundraising follows commercial clarity. Investors know when go-to-market is still theoretical.”

  • Rob Brown is an accomplished medtech executive and seasoned leader with a track record of building and scaling innovative ventures from concept to exit. He has guided multiple start-ups to strategic acquisition, including ApaTech by Baxter for $330M and Embody by Zimmer Biomet for up to $275M, and now leads commercial strategy for KLISBio, a regenerative medicine company advancing biointegrative silk technologies for peripheral nerve repair.

“Don’t commercialize inventions - solve problems.”

  • Eugene Buff, MD, PhD, CLP, RTTP is a globally recognized innovation and commercialization leader with over 25 years of experience spanning healthcare, biotechnology, medical devices, deep tech, and advanced materials. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies, federal agencies (including NSF, DoD, NASA, and NIH), universities, venture funds, and accelerators to advance early-stage technologies from concept to market. As Founder & President of Primary Care Innovation Consulting (PCIC), Eugene has supported hundreds of startups across the U.S., Israel, Europe, and Asia through technology scouting, business development, licensing, and open-innovation partnerships. He previously served as Director of Health Sciences Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Northeastern University, and held senior leadership roles at yet2.com and Foresight Science & Technology, where he led high-profile licensing and commercialization initiatives. A Certified Licensing Professional (CLP) and Registered Technology Transfer Professional (RTTP), Eugene brings rare depth in intellectual property strategy, venture development, and market validation, helping companies and investors accelerate value creation and de-risk innovation.

“Great technology and science only matter if it’s built for clinical adoption and scale.”

  • Gregg A. Jackson is a senior med tech and digital health executive, strategic advisor, and with over 25 years of experience helping early- and growth-stage companies bridge the gap between innovation, commercialization, and capital formation. He has supported the development and launch of technologies across medical devices, neurotechnology, diagnostics, digital health, and AI-enabled care—contributing to more than $6B in commercialized products and $33B+ in acquisitions and exits across startups and global healthcare leaders including Abbott, Johnson & Johnson, Boston Scientific, and Eli Lilly.

    Gregg works at the intersection of commercialization strategy, investor readiness, and execution discipline, advising founders on how to translate breakthrough science into scalable, fundable businesses. He a former recipient and has helped companies secure non-dilutive funding (NIH SBIR/STTR), prepare for seed and Series A raises, and position for strategic partnerships and exits. Gregg brings a practical, founder-tested perspective grounded in real-world diligence and portfolio thinking. He specializes in supporting founders in various segments including wearables, digital health, minimally invasive tech, microfluidics, fluids, gases, drug delivery, needles across Cardiology, Spine, Neuro, Rehab, Orthopedics, Respiratory, Diagnostics, Blood Collection, Precision Medicine, Predictive / Preventive Health.

“Great technology and science only matter if it’s built for clinical adoption and scale.”

  • Gregg A. Jackson is a senior med tech and digital health executive, strategic advisor, and with over 25 years of experience helping early- and growth-stage companies bridge the gap between innovation, commercialization, and capital formation. He has supported the development and launch of technologies across medical devices, neurotechnology, diagnostics, digital health, and AI-enabled care—contributing to more than $6B in commercialized products and $33B+ in acquisitions and exits across startups and global healthcare leaders including Abbott, Johnson & Johnson, Boston Scientific, and Eli Lilly.

    Gregg works at the intersection of commercialization strategy, investor readiness, and execution discipline, advising founders on how to translate breakthrough science into scalable, fundable businesses. He a former recipient and has helped companies secure non-dilutive funding (NIH SBIR/STTR), prepare for seed and Series A raises, and position for strategic partnerships and exits. Gregg brings a practical, founder-tested perspective grounded in real-world diligence and portfolio thinking. He specializes in supporting founders in various segments including wearables, digital health, minimally invasive tech, microfluidics, fluids, gases, drug delivery, needles across Cardiology, Spine, Neuro, Rehab, Orthopedics, Respiratory, Diagnostics, Blood Collection, Precision Medicine, Predictive / Preventive Health.

“Always know the audience you're pitching -- what's in it for THEM?"

  • Kirin Kalia is a startup veteran and communications expert with 25+ years of experience across journalism and marketing. Known as the "founder whisperer" for her ability to shape their message and boost their confidence, startups Kirin has worked with have gone on to collectively raise well over $200M from investors including a16z, Intel Capital, Mayo Clinic, Visa Ventures, Stripe and more. She has coached 1000+ founders to pitch investors and innovation leaders at companies including Visa, P&G Ventures, Verizon, Estée Lauder and Molson Coors.

    Kirin is a 2023 All-Star Mentor for Techstars Los Angeles, as well as a trusted resource for several accelerator programs, including the inaugural Alchemist Chicago cohort. She also teaches the Pitch Deck Masterclass for Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs and hosts the podcast Message Worth Millions.

“Great science needs resilient teams, smart capital, and the right guardrails.”

  • Zara Muradali, CPA is a trusted advisor to venture‑backed and public pharma, biotech and medtech companies, helping founders and boards scale from first financing through global commercialization and M&A. As a former national managing partner for Life Sciences at Grant Thornton LLP and a past innovation leader and Big Four partner, she has guided growth, transformation and integration strategies for many of the industry’s leading health science companies. 

    Zara brings nearly 30 years of experience building and scaling life sciences practices at Deloitte, EY, KPMG and Grant Thornton, experience that complements Big Tree Innovation Fund’s hands‑on approach to mentoring founders, de‑risking investments and accelerating go‑to‑market in healthcare technology, devices and therapeutics. She is an active investor, MassMEDIC board member and Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Luminary, recognized as an SEC financial expert and mentor to emerging executives, and is known for connecting capital, talent and ideas to unlock growth and meaningful outcomes for patients and investors.

“Great Science becomes great companies through strategy, storytelling and disciplined execution”

  • Dr. Rashba-Step, PhD is a senior pharmaceutical and biotechnology leader with deep expertise across pharmaceutical development, nanotechnology, and advanced drug delivery. She has built a distinguished career spanning venture-backed startups and global pharmaceutical companies, consistently advancing innovative technologies from early concept through pre-clinical and clinical development.

    She has held roles of increasing responsibility at leading multinational organizations including Baxter, Wyeth, and Pfizer, as well as early- and growth-stage companies such as Epic Therapeutics. Most recently, Dr. Rashba-Step served as Vice President of Research & Development and Alliance Management at Phosphorex, where she partnered closely with biotech and pharmaceutical collaborators, investors, and internal leadership to translate platform technologies into funded development programs. Her experience includes strategic partnerships, diligence, value creation, investment and licensing positioning, and company formation. In parallel, she is deeply committed to mentoring and leadership development—having co-chaired the Women’s Leadership Network at Pfizer, mentored through HBA and MassBio Connect, and currently serving on multiple Scientific and Strategic Advisory Boards, with a track record that includes several successful exits.

Apply to Become an Executive Fellow

“Your FDA strategy determines your valuation long before your data does."

  • Jim Wilkie brings over 40 years of leadership experience in the life sciences industry, spanning biotechnology, medical devices, and combination products. He has a proven track record of founding and scaling companies from concept through clinical development and commercialization, executing complex regulatory and reimbursement strategies, and leading multiple successful strategic exits to public and multinational acquirers. His expertise spans drug, device, and drug–device combination products, with deep experience in 505(b)(2) development and breakthrough regulatory pathways.

    Throughout his career, Jim has served as Founder, CEO, COO, and senior business development executive across multiple organizations, including Platform Therapeutics, Lowell Therapeutics (acquired by AcelRx), Pluromed (acquired by Sanofi), and La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company. He has led successful Phase 1b clinical programs, launched products in the U.S. and Europe, secured FDA Breakthrough Designation and national reimbursement coverage, and executed M&A, licensing, and spin-out transactions. His focus areas include renal, cardiovascular, oncology, and critical care indications, with an emphasis on building value through disciplined development and strategic exits.