ĀÜĄņĀŅĀ×

Katherine has been a director of the company since July 2021. She has been the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Aspire Bariatrics, Inc. (ā€œAspireā€) since November 2010. Prior to Aspire, she served as a Principal of Liberty Venture Partners, Inc. from 2006 to November 2010. Prior to Liberty, she founded Animas Corporation in 1996 and served as its Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer. She led its $69 million IPO in 2004, and sold the company to Johnson and Johnson in 2006. From October 1988 to September 1993, Katherine served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Luxar Corporation, which she founded in 1988, a company that sold and manufactured CO2 lasers for cosmetic, oral, surgical, dental, dermatological and surgical applications. She founded Laakmann Electro-Optics, which manufactured and marketed CO2 lasers and was sold to Johnson and Johnson in 1981. Before that, she was employed as an engineer at Hughes Aircraft from 1971 to 1978. Katherine has been an Independent Director of Valeritas Holdings, Inc. since October 2016, and is a director of Adhezion BioMedical and Xanitos, Inc. She served as a Director of Othera Pharmaceuticals Inc., Intact Vascular, Inc., and Lungpacer, Inc. Katherine also served as a Director of Animas Corp. since 1996 until its sale to Johnson and Johnson in 2006. She holds over 20 patents and is the recipient of several awards including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the Greater Philadelphia Raymond Rafferty Entrepreneurial Excellence Award. She has authored numerous technical papers and has presented numerous papers at scientific/medical symposiums. Katherine holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania an M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California. Her extensive experience in public company finance and acquisition experience qualifies her to serve on the board of directors.