Breakout Ventures Announces Key Promotions and Expands Leadership Team
04 Jan 2024
Executive Change
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Breakout Ventures, the home for creative bioscience entrepreneurs, today announced the promotion of Dana Watt, Ph.D. to Partner and Nima Ronaghi, Ph.D. to Principal. Susanna Harris, Ph.D., will join the firm as Director of Community, and succeeds Renée Shenton, who has been promoted to Chief of Staff. The firm is launching its third fund in 2024.
'Susanna is an integral part of the bioscience ecosystem having helped hundreds of scientists communicate the power of their technologies to the world'
“Dana and Nima play vital roles in the sourcing and due diligence of new investments, as well as the ongoing support of portfolio companies,” said Julia Moore, Managing Partner, Breakout Ventures. “Their deep expertise and passion for science have made them invaluable members of our team.”
Dana Watt joined Breakout in 2021 as Principal to drive the firm’s seed investment strategy and support company founders as they achieve commercialization milestones. She has led due diligence on key Breakout investments including Canaery, Phantom Neuro, and Vitra Labs. Dana began her venture career at Ascension Ventures after co-founding a molecular diagnostics company. She earned her Ph.D. in cellular and molecular neurosciences at Washington University in St. Louis, where her research focused on axon growth and regeneration. Dana is also a Kauffman Fellow.
Nima Ronaghi started working with Breakout as a Fellow in 2017 while earning his Ph.D. in organic chemistry at Georgia Tech with a fellowship in the Renewable Bioproducts Institute. In 2021, Nima joined Breakout Ventures full-time as an Associate, using his scientific background to identify and support companies at the intersection of technology, biology, and chemistry. His expertise has helped the firm secure investments in synthetic biology and biomanufacturing, including EnPlusOne and ZymoChem.
Susanna Harris, Ph.D., joins Breakout as Director of Community with deep experience translating complex scientific concepts into compelling narratives. Susanna earned her Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from UNC-Chapel Hill and works with organizations advocating for academics and first-time entrepreneurs. Her board member and committee volunteer roles include Equalize, SEEN (Sustainable Energy Entrepreneurship Network), and PhD Balance.
“Susanna is an integral part of the bioscience ecosystem having helped hundreds of scientists communicate the power of their technologies to the world,” said Lindy Fishburne, Managing Partner, Breakout Ventures. “We’re thrilled to welcome Susanna to the team to scale our community efforts, amplify portfolio accomplishments, and support our ecosystem of founders, funders, and corporate partners.”
Renée Shenton has been a core member of the Breakout team since 2017. She has been responsible for building the strong Breakout community and ecosystem. As Chief of Staff, she will continue to play a central role in shaping fund operations working closely with James Chan, CFO, and Ziv Yoash, General Counsel, who joined Breakout in 2023.
To learn more about Breakout Ventures, please visit: https://www.breakout.vc.
About Breakout Ventures
Breakout Ventures is the home for creative bioscience entrepreneurs. We invest in early-stage companies harnessing the power of cells to build solutions in human health and sustainability. Our team has spent the last decade supporting science-driven companies moving with urgency. We partner with bold founders throughout the entire life cycle, from seed to scale. Portfolio companies include Twelve, Immusoft, Ecovative, Cytovale and ZymoChem.
Breakout Ventures was founded in 2016 and is based in San Francisco, CA.
Breakout Ventures. Building a future powered by science.
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