Kate Gunning
FOUNDING MANAGER
Kate is focused on strategic market development and technology commercialization for the Life Sciences, Healthcare and Clean technology sectors. Kate’s expertise is evaluating and developing market opportunities in the US for emerging Life Science and Healthtech companies and their inventive technologies.
Founding Manager
Kate is focused on strategic market development and technology commercialization for the Life Sciences, Healthcare and Clean technology sectors. Kate’s expertise is evaluating and developing market opportunities in the US for emerging Life Science and Healthtech companies and their inventive technologies.
Kate’s career includes a broad range of Life Science and Med tech expertise, from Nuclear medicine to Clinical chemistry, Genomics, and Automation. She has worked with both academic and industry leaders.
With an expansive network both in the US and internationally, she is frequently tapped for advice and guidance on the development of the Biotech and Cleantech industries in the US and overseas. Kate serves as a mentor with Silicon Valley based accelerators, including UC Berkeley’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology. She also serves as an Industry mentor with the BioExel accelerator based in Galway, Ireland, provides career and mentorship support to The Last Mile, working with prison tech accelerators, and with the international STEM graduate community.
"J" (Jayaranjan) Anthonypillai
FOUNDING MANAGER
“J” (Jayaranjan) has an extensive background in scientific research and technology validation, and has worked in clinical, clean-tech, biotech, and agri-tech sectors. Leveraging his experience and background in biology and lipid chemistry, he has developed novel technologies for overcoming product development, process development, and engineering challenges.
FOUNDING MANAGER
“J” (Jayaranjan) has an extensive background in scientific research and technology validation, and has worked in clinical, clean-tech, biotech, and agri-tech sectors. Leveraging his experience and background in biology and lipid chemistry, he has developed novel technologies for overcoming product development, process development, and engineering challenges.
J has been an active figure in the Bay Area biotech startup scene, and is the founder of Berkeley Biolabs, a biotech incubator where he helped mentor and launch over 30 companies.
He is also the co-founder of The Berkeley Program which equips high school and middle school STEM students to pursue entrepreneurship, and Focus Academy which serves as a ‘Soft Landing’ for international biotech startups in the Bay Area. As an entrepreneur and mentor for several startups, J’s emphasis is often on product/market fit as the main driver of R&D effort and strategy.
Andrew Broderick
DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH
Andrew’s research interests focus specifically on the transformation of consumer health through innovation, technology and strategy. Andrew currently serves as Research Center Director at the Public Health Institute to advance digital health practices and policies and works with the San Francisco Tech Council to support and advance its work to promote digital inclusion for older adults and people with disabilities.
DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH
Andrew’s research interests focus specifically on the transformation of consumer health through innovation, technology and strategy. Andrew currently serves as Research Center Director at the Public Health Institute to advance digital health practices and policies and works with the San Francisco Tech Council to support and advance its work to promote digital inclusion for older adults and people with disabilities.
Andrew’s extensive experience includes the evaluation and assessment of digital health solutions for underserved populations, leading user experience research, and conducting focus groups and interviews with key opinion leaders across the healthcare continuum.
Previously, Andrew served as Research Director at the Health Technology Center in San Francisco where he was responsible for tracking and assessing emerging technologies and their long-term clinical and financial impact on hospital operations. Prior to that, Andrew led consulting projects at SRI International for Fortune 500 clients.
Andrew holds a Master of Arts in Economics and Geography from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, and an MBA from San Francisco State University.
Stephanie Napier
Stephanie Napier, PMP® leads Focus Academy’s Asia Pacific office, located in Tokyo, Japan. Originally trained as a biologist, she began her career at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, contributing to early advances in immunology for oncology applications. She later relocated to Japan, where she joined the Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Tokyo.
ASIA PACIFIC MANAGER/CONSULTANT
Stephanie Napier, PMP® leads Focus Academy’s Asia Pacific office, located in Tokyo, Japan. Originally trained as a biologist, she began her career at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, contributing to early advances in immunology for oncology applications. She later relocated to Japan, where she joined the Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Tokyo.
Stephanie has held a range of roles across academia, pharmaceutical companies, biotech startups, innovation centers, and contract research organizations, including positions at Quintiles and Takeda. Her background spans global business development and project management, with a particular focus on advancing Japanese healthcare innovations to international markets.
A long-term resident of Japan, Stephanie has lived in the country for nearly 20 years and is fluent in Japanese. She is passionate about supporting Japanese companies in expanding their global presence.