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DVM Summa cum Laude, MS Pathology
Total Funding: $240M
Total Funding: $16M
Total Funding: $3.5M
Total Funding: $3M
Total Funding: $4M
Total Funding: $10M
Total Funding: $17M
Total Funding: $10M
2020
2020
CaringInfo.org is a program with the goal of educating and empowering people with serious or like-limiting conditions and those who care for and about them. The program is sponsored by the National Hospice and Palliative Organization. I have been directing the redesign and redevelopment of the website since early 2020. In addition to advance directive forms for each state (which NHPCO has been providing free for over 20 years) we now provide information and resources on getting prepared to give care, communication issues, financial caregiving and concerns, rights and many other topics. We continue to add new material regularly.
2016
2016
Over the last few years I have become more and more interested in serious illness and end of life issues, particularly the challenges that patients and families face when making complex decisions and interacting with the healthcare system. I will continue actively to manage Okapi I and II as well as to support the portfolio companies in my roles as Director, Observer, and/or investor. I have very much enjoyed venture capital for the last 18 years, and continue to do so, but now also yearn for an additional role that will provide me a different way to contribute on an issue, in fact a set of issues, I deeply care about. In an ideal world, patients would get all the care they need and no more than the care they want. In that world, patients and families would be given choices in treatment and have sufficient information to understand the choices they are presented with. While our healthcare system is very good at many things, truly empowering patient and families is not its strength. So, I decided I wanted to help people get what they want and frankly deserve from the healthcare system. In 2016, I received a Certificate in Patient Advocacy from UCLA and founded Bellwether Care, Inc. I am now officially hanging out my shingle as a Patient (and Family) Advocate. What does that mean? I can be a trusted, knowledgeable, objective [advisor, guide and companion, navigator, champion, support, and presence] during the course of a serious illness and the ensuing encounters with the healthcare system. Each patient and family will have different needs although all patients and families want to be fully informed and able to make treatment decisions. I can empower patients and families to participate fully in shared decision-making by providing them with the information they need and the opportunity to discuss and understand its implications.
2005
2005
Sharon is a Co-Founder and Managing Director of Okapi Venture Capital and focuses on Okapi Ventures’ life science investments. Okapi Venture Capital provides long-term capital and management support to start-ups. We take pride in partnering with exceptionally talented entrepreneurs and operational executives to develop their emerging businesses. Sharon was responsible for Okapi’s investment in Helixis (acq: ILMN), and as well as for the Okapi investments in BioTrace Medical, Chromacode, Wisercare, WellTok, OrthAlign, Focal Therapeutics, and Obalon (NASDAQ:OBLN). She serves on the Board of Directors of BioTrace Medical, Focal Therapeutics, Wisercare, and Obalon for which she also serves on the Audit Committee. She is an BOD observer for OrthAlign and Chromacode.
2003 - 2004
2003 - 2004
Prior to founding Okapi, Sharon was the Senior Vice President of Technology and Planning for SkinMedica – a private, venture-backed, commercial stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the dermatology and human appearance markets.
2000 - 2003
2000 - 2003
Prior to SkinMedica, Sharon was a Principal with Domain Associates, LLC – a venture capital fund specializing in life science investments. In addition to performing due diligence and working closely with portfolio companies while at Domain, she also served as President and CFO of Volcano Therapeutics (Nasdaq: VOLC) and lead the company’s growth from 1 to 14 employees and from the initial design of the first product to the first clinical trials using the device. In addition to her responsibilities at Volcano, Sharon’s board affiliations on behalf of Domain included MicroVention (acquired by Terumo Corporation, OTC: TRUMF.PK), Neuropace, NuVasive (Nasdaq: NUVA), Santarus (Nasdaq: SNTS), SkinMedica, and GenVault.
1997 - 2000
1997 - 2000
The NeoCyte Joint Venture was formed between Advanced Tissue Sciences (ATS) and Smith+Nephew in 1994 to develop and commercialize tissue-engineered human cartilage-based products for orthopedic applications. The strategy of the JV was to combine the proprietary 3-dimensional human tissue engineering expertise of ATS with the worldwide distribution, sales and marketing expertise of Smith + Nephew. As Executive Director Sharon was responsible for all technical, scientific, and business aspects of the JV.
1985 - 1997
1985 - 1997
Prior to launching her entrepreneurial / venture capital career several years ago, Sharon was a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Orthopedics at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She is author of over 132 publications, including 2 guest editorships and has made more than 57 presentations to professional audiences. Her clinical training was in veterinary surgery and she is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS). She has served on the governing boards of the ACVS and the Orthopedic Research Society.