Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

Karrie Dudek knows a thing or two about the challenges and opportunities that life science/biotechnology companies face, and she is now in a position to help them as the Director of a revamped program offered by the BioTN Foundation.

Originally known as Life Science Mentor Network when it was established in 2016, the new initiative named the Life Science Venture Program (LSVP) builds on that program’s early successes while adding several new features. They include monthly educational and speaking opportunities from private organizations and several investor engagement opportunities throughout the year.

“Our goal is to get companies to become more investible,” Dudek says.

She knows the challenges very well, having launched her own therapeutic/medical device start-up in 2023. Named Eupalinos Inc., the company focuses on stimulating new blood vessel growth for blood flow restoration.

Dudek told us she has lived in Nashville for a decade, moving to the city after earning her B.S. in Biological Sciences at Florida State University. For the next seven years, the worked on her doctorate at Vanderbilt University and then served an additional three years as a Postdoc at the institution in the ASPIRE to Innovate Program.

Her role with the BioTN Foundation is parttime, allowing her to continue her work on the start-up.

So, what’s different about the LSVP?

For starters, it is described as an accelerator program offering a flexible, customized approach for life science start-ups ready to commercialize, connect to capital, and scale their technologies. The program will consist of three key components designed to build upon BioTN’s past successes and expand the capabilities of the previous Life Science Mentor Network.

Specifically, the LSVP will provide Tennessee’s life science start-ups with a dedicated team of expert mentors, a curated series of monthly educational programs in partnership with a broad network of life science ecosystem supporters, and the always critically important opportunities to connect with investors.

During a recent virtual briefing about the program, Dudek said the revamped and expanded initiative is aimed toward founders in the bio-industry, namely medical device companies, therapeutics, and diagnostics. It will require nine to 12 months of participation.

“When companies sign on with LSVP, we want them to do a self-evaluation so we can meet their urgent needs head-on,” Dudek said. “Then, our mentors can also help assess and recommend other strategies and changes, as needed.”

She said the mentors will commit to meeting with the start-ups one to two times per month.

Despite the launch of a new program, with a new brand, one core asset remains the same.

“Mentorship, mentorship, mentorship,” Dudek said during the virtual event. “That is the core focus and core value of this program.”

It is limited to companies that are based or have offices in Tennessee, have a primary bioscience application, and are raising capital or plan to do so in the near future.

Those interested in joining the program, either as participants or mentors, can do so by visiting the LSVP website.

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