Biology

Dr. Mustapha Beydoun is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Big Thought where he leads the organization’s operational activities and oversees its finance, information technology, facilities, communications, and operations teams. Prior to joining Big Thought, Dr. Beydoun served as the Vice President and COO at the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) from 2016 to 2021 and most recently as the Chief Financial and Operations Officer at BioMADE. His research interests are in the areas of …

Wesley Belden is a former investment analyst turned fintech entrepreneur. Belden began his career at Great American Insurance, one of the largest property and casualty firms in the U.S., as an investment analyst and fund manager. During his tenure, he helped manage over a billion dollars in assets. Belden caught the entrepreneurial itch and left Great American Insurance and began consulting with hundreds of businesses. In 2018, he co-founded Raise Financial, a fintech company whose …

Dr. Richard Mankin has been a Research Entomologist at the USDA ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL since graduating from UF. His current research focuses on detection and control of hidden insect infestations, including infestations in stored products, soil, and wood, and on the physiological and behavioral processes involved in acoustic and olfactory communication (see http://www.ars.usda.gov/rmankin). He is active in the Entomological Society of America and currently serves on the governing …

Dr. Mayfield is currently an SVP of Business Development and Strategy at Flagship Pioneering, leveraging his expertise in licensing, transactions, and establishing strategic collaborations within the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and diagnostics industries to help Flagship’s portfolio companies meet their corporate objectives and accelerate their company mission. Previously, John led Business Development as CBO at Be Biopharma, helping to drive towards its goal to fully unleash the power of B cell medicines. John has additionally held roles …

Dr. Wenbin Mei is Platform Manger in Computational Biology at Inari Agriculture - SEEDesign™ company, using new breeding technology to design seeds for a more sustainable global food system. He received his Ph.D. from University of Florida in 2016 and followed by postdoctoral training at UC Davis. He received the Graduate School Preeminence Award and CLAS Dissertation Fellowship at University of Florida. He has a broad research interest in translational plant genomics using a combination …

Kris Porter is an alumnus who graduated and worked for twelve years as a Zoologist at Busch Gardens Tampa. She has worked with over 350 different species, everything from birds to Koalas becoming a Senior Zookeeper in the Animal Nursery till retiring to raise her two daughters. She is the Founder and Director of Owls Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife in 2015. This completely volunteer supported Non-Profit Rescues, Rehabs and Releases all Florida Native animals in …

Kyle is an experienced litigator who helps companies and individuals protect what they care about, whether it’s a product, their reputation, or their business and personal interests. Clients most often call on Kyle to prosecute and defend cases in federal and state courts across the country. Although Kyle routinely appears in courts nationwide, he is especially familiar with Florida’s federal and state courts. He represents a wide range of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, middle-market …

Anita Tiller serves as botanist and conservation manager for Mercer Botanic Gardens, Harris County since December of 2000. Tiller directs operations for Mercer’s herbarium, botanical library, illustration collections, and databases; a seed bank, labs, and nursery for the Center for Plant Conservation National Collection of Endangered Plants; garden sign shop; endangered and native plant display garden; and off-site conservation sites. Tiller coordinates plant conservation efforts in east Texas and the Upper Gulf Coast with governmental …

Dr. Andrea Trescot, MD is the past president of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP), past pain fellowship director at the University of Florida and the University of Washington, and the current Chief Medical Officer of Curonix, a wireless stimulation company. She continues to work clinically in Florida. Dr. Trescot has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed articles and textbook chapters, and she is the editor and senior author of a 900-page pain textbook …