Greg McKee joined Connect as CEO in March of 2014, and has spent much of his career in the life sciences industry. He is the fourth leader at Connect, an organization founded in 1985 to help innovators start and build new biotech and technology companies. Connect is a regional business accelerator that catalyzes the creation of innovative technology and life sciences companies in Southern California by linking inventors, entrepreneurs and capital. Since 1985, CONNECT has assisted in the formation and development of more than 3,000 companies that have raised $1.5 billion in capital. Prior to Connect, Greg was founder and chairman of GMcK Ventures, a La Jolla investment and advisory company focused on healthcare and technology innovation—and as a managing director at STS Capital Partners, an international investment banking firm in La Jolla. Before starting Global Bio-Link in 2012 with former executives of Genzyme’s international division, McKee served as the chairman and CEO of Akela Pharma and its predecessor company, Nventa Biopharmaceuticals. Previously, McKee held roles as the head of corporate development at Valentis, and in senior management roles with Genzyme Corporation in the U.S. and Asia. He lived and worked in Singapore and Japan for nine years and speaks fluent Japanese.  During his time in Japan, he worked for two years as Foreign Affairs Advisor for Taro Nakayama, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (Japanese National Legislature).  Prior to that,he held different positions with UBS Investment Bank and Mizuho Financial Group, both while located in Tokyo, Japan.  Greg has an MBA in Finance/ Entrepreneurial Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, an MA in International Studies from University of Pennsylvania, and a BA in Economics from University of Washington.