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Dr. Laikind has been a serial entrepreneur and leader in the San Diego biotechnology sector for almost 40 years. He has been a founder of and held leadership roles at three therapeutic-focused companies, each of which completed successful initial public offerings and were eventually acquired for combined proceeds of over $3.5 billion. His passion is working on cutting-edge technology with great teams. Most recently he served eight years as President and CEO of ViaCyte, a pioneering cell therapy company, where he oversaw the advancement of three product candidates into clinical development, the establishment of key strategic collaborations, and the opening of a GMP manufacturing facility before his retirement from operating roles in 2020. Paul has extensive experience raising capital from both private and public investors, has led major business development initiatives with a multitude of pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners, and has almost 20 years of experience as a CEO of private and public companies. He has served on the board of industry organizations including BIO, BIOCOM, CONNECT, American Liver Foundation, Alliance for Regenerative medicine as well as on corporate boards. Dr. Laikind holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry awarded by UC San Diego.