FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Jana Wallis
858.964.1300
CONNECT Announces New Appointments to Drive Growth & Innovation in Key Programs
Member engagement and the enhancement of Springboard are primary objectives
SAN DIEGO, CA (July 26, 2018) – CONNECT is pleased to announce the appointments of two new staff additions; Tom Murphy will join CONNECT as Senior Vice President of Business Development and Ruprecht von Buttlar will return to CONNECT as an interim Senior Strategic Advisor to the Springboard Accelerator Program.
Tom Murphy brings more than 20 years of experience in leadership in the life sciences industry to CONNECT. In the community, he’s served on numerous business and non-profit boards including San Diego Venture Group, San Diego Social Venture Partners (Chairman), Voices for Children, and academic foundations to raise funds, recruit sponsors, and grow membership. Murphy will partner with CONNECT CEO Greg McKee to foster engagement with current member companies and cultivate new relationships in the San Diego technology and life sciences sectors.
Ruprecht von Buttlar, who was previously Vice President of Business Creation and Development for CONNECT from 2006 to 2015, will focus on the enhancement of CONNECT’s successful Springboard Accelerator Program. With extensive experience building startups, nurturing entrepreneurs, and growing organizations, von Buttlar will work closely with a new Springboard Strategic Advisory Committee, chaired by CONNECT Executive Committee member Tim Scott.
Scott is a prominent leader in the San Diego life sciences community, currently serving as the CEO of TEGA Therapeutics, after the acquisition of his company Pharmatek Laboratories by Catalent in 2016. Scott will bring the perspective and experience of both the entrepreneur and an executive to the Springboard committee. The committee will focus on developing and executing against key objectives, including evaluating ways to enhance the Springboard Program to continue fostering entrepreneurship.
More than 250 Springboard companies that have graduated since 2005 are still actively in business, contributing to 31 different industry sectors. Springboard alumni companies are vital to driving innovation and economic development; since 2005 they have created 6,400 new jobs and cumulatively raised more than $1.95 billion in capital.
ABOUT SPRINGBOARD
The Springboard Accelerator Program is CONNECT’s business accelerator program for technology and life sciences companies. It is a mentoring program designed to assist entrepreneurs and innovators in refining their business plan and developing a compelling commercialization strategy. The coaching process is focused on the development of a business proposition and robust pitch that can be presented to investors. Since 2005, more than 465 companies have completed Springboard, with cumulative exit value of $2.2 billion. In 2017, 50 Springboard alumni raised a collective $291 million.
ABOUT CONNECT
CONNECT is a premier innovation company accelerator in San Diego that creates and scales great companies in the technology and life sciences sectors. By creating an environment in which entrepreneurs and C-suite executives have access to the people, capital, and technology they need for success, CONNECT has assisted in the formation and development of more than 3,000 companies since 1985. CONNECT is widely regarded as one of the world’s most successful organizations linking entrepreneurs and C-suite executives with the resources they need for the commercialization of innovative products and services.
For further information contact Jana Wallis at jwallis@connect.org or 858.964.1300.
###