The Entrepreneur of the Year Award was established by BioCT and Shipman and Goodwin in 2013 to acknowledge the importance of showcasing the unique accomplishments of entrepreneurs in our community. The award recognizes individuals who are imaginative, passionate and game-changers in Connecticut life sciences.
Selection FACTORS CONSIDERED
An outstanding innovator who has:
- Demonstrated leadership in advancing the pursuit of scientific breakthroughs applied to real-world problems;
- Built and funded a successful/disruptive business model for a company based in information technology, life, medical devices or healthcare sciences;
- Made exceptional contributions to the growth of Connecticut’s life sciences cluster, and;
- Demonstrated collegiality, openness to mentoring and sharing of experiences
Nomination Process
The nomination period runs from September through November annually. If you know of an innovator who meets the stated criteria, kindly submit her/his/their name, professional affiliation and some biographical information (website, LinkedIn profile, etc.) along with your contact information and a brief statement about why your nominee should be considered for the award to: kgipson@bioct.org. You can also download and fill out our PDF form or complete our online form. The links for both are below.
Nominees will be reviewed by a panel of judges who convene to review all submissions. We consider academic as well as industry entrepreneurs. The deadline for nominations is November 8, 2024.
Award Ceremony
The Entrepreneur of the Year is recognized at BioCT’s Annual Holiday & Networking Celebration.
2024 Entrepreneur of the Year
Kat Kayser-Bricker, Ph.D.
2023 Entrepreneur of the Year
Stephen Bloch, M.D.
2022 Entrepreneur of the Year
Ranjit Bindra, M.D., Ph.D.
2021 Entrepreneur of the Year
Jonathan Rothberg, Ph.D.
2021 Rising Entrepreneur of the Year
Nicole Wagner, Ph.D.
2020 Entrepreneur of the Year
Eric Schadt, Ph.D.
2019 Entrepreneurs of the Year
Sean MacKay, M.B.A. / Erika Smith, M.B.A.
2018 Entrepreneur of the Year
John Houston, Ph.D.
2017 Entrepreneurs of the Year
Jennifer Good / Vlad Coric, M.D.
2016 Entrepreneur of the Year
Michael Weiner, Ph.D.
2015 Entrepreneurs of the Year
Milind Deshpande, Ph.D. / Patrick Fourteau
2014 Academic Entrepreneur of the Year
Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D.
2014 Business Entrepreneur of the Year
Joseph W. Reilly, C.P.A., M.B.A.
2013 Entrepreneur of the Year
Craig M. Crews, Ph.D.