Changing delivery.

Jessica is a Partner at F-Prime Capital and focuses primarily on the biopharmaceutical and medical technology sectors. Prior to joining F-Prime in 2015, Jessica was an engagement manager in McKinsey and Company’s Boston office, where she focused on pharmaceuticals and medical products and advised companies across a range of strategic, organizational, and operational topics. She began her career at MIT Lincoln Laboratory in the Biodefense Systems group, where she worked on developing novel techniques for the detection of biological agents.

Jessica holds a Ph.D. in genetics from Harvard University and received her BS in biology from Duke University.

Kevin Bitterman focuses on creating and investing in companies that translate groundbreaking science into innovative medicines.

Kevin serves on the boards of Disc Medicine (NASDAQ: IRON), Judo Bio, Kinaset Therapeutics, Mariana Oncology, and Remix Therapeutics. He is board chair at Chroma Medicine and was the founding CEO of Editas Medicine (NASDAQ: EDIT), Morphic Therapeutic (NASDAQ:MORF) and Visterra (acquired by Otsuka). He previously served as a director of Akero Therapeutics (NASDAQ: AKRO), Vedere Bio (acquired by Novartis) and Taris Biomedical (acquired by Johnson & Johnson) among other ventures. Prior to joining Atlas Venture in 2017, Kevin was a partner at Polaris Partners, where he had been a member of the healthcare team since 2004.

Kevin is active in the life science and healthcare start-up community serving as Chair Emeritus of the New England Venture Capital Association (NEVCA) and as a member of the Harvard Medical School Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator, BTCA and Q-FASTR Steering Committees. He is also a member of the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum Board of Advisors. He received a BA in biology, with highest honors, from Rutgers University before completing his PhD in genetics at Harvard Medical School.

Outside of work Kevin enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters. He also enjoys trail running and whiskey, though generally not at the same time.

Thomas Cahill, MD, PhD, is the founder and managing partner of Newpath Partners, a Boston-based life science venture firm with a mission to translate groundbreaking scientific discoveries into treatments for patients across a broad range of diseases. Newpath creates and builds most of its portfolio companies at the earliest stage of development, working closely with successful entrepreneurial scientists to align their interests with investors, management teams, and employees. Currently, Dr. Cahill is a director at Chroma Medicine, Convergence Therapeutics, Exo Therapeutics, Kisbee Therapeutics, Magnet Biomedicine, Myeloid Therapeutics, Nvelop Therapeutics, Prime Medicine, and YourBio Health. In addition, he is a co-founder of Arena BioWorks, a private research institute located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he is a member of the Management Committee. He is also involved with non-profit efforts such as the Personal Genetics Education Project (pgEd). Dr. Cahill received both his MD and PhD from Duke University.

Jeff founded and built Spark Therapeutics into the world’s first fully integrated, commercial gene therapy company, serving as co-founder and CEO from 2013 to 2022. Under Jeff’s leadership, Spark developed and launched LUXTURNA® for a rare blinding disorder, the first FDA-approved gene therapy for a genetic disease in the United States, spearheading the creation of novel reimbursement models to ensure patient access to genetic medicines. As CEO, Jeff shepherded multiple gene therapies into clinical trials for patients with conditions ranging from inherited retinal diseases to rare bleeding and neuromuscular disorders.

While at Spark, Jeff raised $1 billion and established major partnerships with Pfizer and Novartis. Jeff’s successful orchestration of Spark’s $4.8 billion sale to Roche in 2019 marked a 100-fold increase in the company’s market value over six years and delivered financial returns of $750 million to Spark’s non-traditional founding investor, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). At the time of his departure, Spark had grown to 850 employees and was named #5 in Science magazine’s rankings of top employers across the biopharmaceutical industry.

Jeff currently serves on the boards of several start-up companies including Chroma Medicine and Prime Medicine as well as on the boards of multiple non-profit organizations, including CHOP and Life Science Cares. In 2022, Jeff and his wife founded the Marrazzo Family Foundation to foster creativity in Philadelphia youth.

Jeff holds two bachelor’s degrees in systems science and engineering and in economics from the University of Pennsylvania as well as two master’s degrees in business and public administration from Wharton and Harvard University, a dual-degree program which he founded.

Deborah Palestrant, Ph.D., M.B.A joined 5AM Ventures in 2018 and is a Partner and Executive Chair of 4:59 Initiative. She has over 20 years of life sciences industry experience including drug discovery, company creation, operations, business development, and strategy. Dr. Palestrant serves on the Board of Directors of Latigo Biotherapeutics and Nido Biosciences. She also serves on the Board of Directors and as Treasurer of the New England Venture Capital Association and is a member of the Boston Board of Managers at Life Science Cares. Previously, Dr. Palestrant was Vice President of Corporate Development & Strategy at Relay Therapeutics (NASDAQ: RLAY) and Sr. Director of Business Development & Strategy at Editas Medicine (NASDAQ: EDIT). Following her postdoctoral fellowship, Dr. Palestrant was a lab head at the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, where she advanced multiple structure-based drug discovery programs. In 2010, she joined Third Rock Ventures as a Senior Associate and helped to build and launch Blueprint Medicines and Editas Medicine. Dr. Palestrant holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics from Columbia University, an M.B.A from Northeastern University, and was Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow at The Scripps Research Institute. She is based in the Boston, MA office.

Jeff joined Nvelop as CEO in April of 2023. He brings over 30 years of experience in leadership positions with public and private life sciences companies. Prior to Nvelop, Jeff was a venture partner at Third Rock Ventures, evaluating next gen gene and cell therapy opportunities. Prior to TRV, he held executive roles at bluebird bio from 2011-2020, including chief financial and strategy officer and chief operating officer. Jeff previously served as chief business and financial officer of Taligen Therapeutics, Inc. through its sale to Alexion Pharmaceuticals. He also held business development and finance roles at Pathogenesis (sold to Chiron), EXACT Sciences, Allscripts and SmithKline Beecham.

Jeff currently serves on the Board of Directors at Tenaya Therapeutics and Tevard Biosciences and is an Executive Teaching Fellow at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. He received his B.A. from Yale University and M.B.A. from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

Favorite Activity: Traveling and playing tennis with his wife and three daughters while also sneaking in a round of bad golf.