Meet our team

Arjun Natesan, Ph.D. is the Board Vice President at Biotech Partners, as well as the Vice President of Translational Research at Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals, a company developing therapeutics for rare genetic diseases.

Prior to Ultragenyx, he was the Director of Research & Early Development at Medivation conducting research on novel cancer medicines.

Dr. Natesan started his career in biotechnology in 2005 moving to the SFBay area to join Geron Therapeutics, where he worked on developing stem cell therapeutics to treat neurological diseases.

Dr. Natesan conducted post-doctoral research at the National Institutes of Health, received his Ph.D. in neuroscience from Texas A&M University, and a B.A. in chemistry from the University of Chicago.

Throughout his career, socioeconomic and racial inequities in higher education, especially in STEM, have been readily apparent.

Dr. Natesan has a passion for the Biotech Partners mission to provide opportunities and experiences to underrepresented groups in order to overcome and repair these systemic societal obstacles.

Carla Carriveau is the Board President of Biotech Partners and a former scientist.  She is a seasoned attorney focusing on leading legal strategy in emerging technology industries.

She currently serves as the Chief Legal Officer of CoinList, a digital asset platform offering a full suite of services to support projects and communities working to grow use cases for blockchain technology.

Carla was previously Senior Counsel at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission serving in a number of capacities including as a top government affairs aide to former SEC Chair Mary Jo White.

In addition to her full-time role, Carla serves as advisor to a number of innovation-driven companies and organizations including the Blockchain Law for Social Good Center.

Carla originally became interested in Biotech Partners as a way to reconnect herself to the sciences, but quickly became inspired to join the Board by Lynda Gayden and her team and the incredible students the organization helps.

Keisha Mitchell earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering & Spanish Literature at Syracuse University, her M.S.E at Southern Polytechnic State University, and her MBA at the University of Michigan.  She is an experienced operations and supply chain professional who has spent the better part of her career working within the healthcare space.

Keisha has worked in a number of capacities within quality engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and now Procurement at Gilead Sciences supporting Research & Development and Pharmaceutical Development & Manufacturing.  She is passionate about doing work that contributes to the improvement of health outcomes for patients around the globe.

Keisha has always loved math and science and welcomes any opportunity to inspire young learners to embrace STEM and to encourage adolescents to seriously consider careers in related fields.

She is both grateful and humbled to be a part of Biotech Partners and is ecstatic about lending her skills and talents to helping the organization expand its reach and influence, enabling diversity and inclusion in biotech by creating a pipeline of talent from underrepresented groups.

Ahmed Akbar is a Director within Ernst & Young’s Strategy and Transactions practice, where he focuses on advising Life Science companies on their mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures.

He also leads the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for EY’s San Francisco office. He is an alumnus of UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

He is also an alumnus of Biotech Partners, where he acted as the student representative to Biotech Partner’s Board of Directors and worked at Bayer and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Ahmed is passionate about supporting pipeline programs that help underserved communities through education and job training.

Charles Belle is the Filecoin Foundation for Decentralized Web’s Teaching Fellow at the Center for Law, Tech, and Social Good at the University of San Francisco School of Law. Professor Belle’s research focuses on decentralized governance and oracles, and he is teaching a course on DeFi (DeFi: Decentralized Finance Law). Additionally, Professor Belle teaches Business Associations.

Professor Belle is a non-residential Fellow at Stanford University's Center for Internet and Society (CIS). His past fellowships include UC Berkeley's Center for Technology, Society & Policy. For nine years, he was a member of the Committee on Information Technology (COIT), the governance body that makes decisions regarding the future of San Francisco's technology.

Dr. Feldman is the Site Head and Scientific Director of Stanford’s GMP Facility, The Laboratory for Cell and Gene Medicine. Prior to joining Stanford in 2018, Steven was a member of the Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute (NCI) for 12 years.

At Stanford, he oversees all process development and cell and gene therapy manufacturing activities as well as viral vector manufacturing in support of Stanford investigator-initiated clinical trials. His current research efforts are focused on the directed modulation of cellular pathways to prevent T cell exhaustion and the development of novel cell therapy manufacturing platforms.

In addition, he is highly involved in work force development efforts with the goal of building the next generation cell and gene therapy work force.

Dr. Saffier is a retired family physician specializing in addiction medicine and chronic pain management who continues to work part time in the Contra Costa Public Department in their Choosing Change Program.

He is also is faculty in The Contra Costa Regional Family Medicine Residency in their affiliated University of California, San Francisco Department of Community and Family Medicine program.

He is Clinical Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. Tobias Schmid received his PhD in Neuroscience at UC Berkeley in 2021. He is a curiosity-driven neuroscientist, new venture builder, and early-stage biotech investor with a commitment to improving diversity and equitable opportunities for underrepresented talent in STEM.

Tobias is an investor on the healthcare ventures team at Mubadala Capital with a focus on creating and investing in biotech companies that develop therapeutics to address large unmet medical needs. He is also a co-founder of Nucleate Bay Area, a student-led nonprofit that helps launch new life sciences companies directly out of academia.

Motivated by the need to expand the pipeline of diverse talent in the biotech industry, Tobias established multiple mentorship and outreach programs through collaborations with Biotech Partners, Nucleate, and Biotech Connection Bay Area. He is excited to join as a member of the Board of Directors to help support the organization to train the next generation of biotech leaders.

Dr. Roman Urfer has held scientific, operational and executive leadership positions during his career in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. He holds a Master’s degree from ETH Zurich and a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Basel, Switzerland.

He has led drug discovery and development efforts in CNS disorders from target discovery to Phase 2 clinical development. He is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Selonterra, Inc., a San Francisco Bay Area-based biotechnology company focused on the discovery of novel therapies for complex neurodegenerative disorders with strong genetic links, notably Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

He is committed to scientific excellence and innovation as a named inventor on >20 issued patents and author of publications in peer-reviewed journals. He is excited as a member of the Board of Directors to help Biotech Partners to achieve its mission.

As Biotech Partners Executive Director, since 2014, Lynda has brought over 30 years of experience in executive leadership, financial management, organization development, strategic planning, program development and evaluation and development. Ms. Gayden has launched non-profits, developed and secured funding to pilot programs and directed services for children, youth and families that became best-practice and/or evidence-based model programs. Ms. Gayden taught elementary education for several years.

Having joined the Biotech Partners team in 2020, Dr. Hugenberger brings a wealth of knowledge and experience within both science and education fields. She received her B.S. in biology from California State University, East Bay before obtaining her Ph.D. from the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of California Berkeley in Comparative Physiology and Endocrinology. 

Dr. Hugenberger participated in a variety of research opportunities involving vertebrate physiological and endocrine systems throughout her graduate and post graduate work at UC Berkeley. She also taught a variety of biology courses mainly revolving around her background in Physiology and cell biology at both public and private schools and Universities in the Bay Area. 

Her experience teaching science to students ranging from 5 to 65 years of age continues to drive her work as she enjoys the challenge of developing needs-based curriculum, especially for underrepresented student populations. This role offers her the opportunity to utilize her skills as both a scientist and educator to prepare the students for the challenges they will encounter while obtaining a STEM degree at the post-secondary level and helping them on their journey to a successful scientific career.

After high school, Alejandra attended UC Berkeley and received a B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biologywith an emphasis in Cell and Developmental Biology. While at Cal, she participated in SAGEMentorship, where she volunteered as a tutor and mentor to middle school students in Oakland. Alejandra has also been an AVID tutor for Berkeley Unified School District at various middle schools. Sheserved as a Public Health Coordinator for Global Medical Training in which she developed and led sessions discussing medical terminology and public health issues within healthcare. She was a recipient of the ASUC Academic Affairs Office Public Service Fund for medical volunteers scholarship that allowed her to participate in a mobile clinic medical training overseas in theDominican Republic. Alejandra has also interned with neurologist Dr. Teske in the Imperial Valley. Shehas also been a social research assistant for authors and educators Miriam Pawel and Gretchen Laue regarding the farmworker’s union and activism. There is a piece written in the New YorkTime’s by Miriam Pawel in which she was mentioned, called “Can Californian’s Still Find a Path toMobility at the State’s Universities” published in May of 2019.

“I am a first generation Mexican-American student who grew up in a low-income single parent household. I come from a family of field workers and la cosecha, or the harvest has impacted my life in more ways than one. As a migrant student, I have lived in multiple cities throughoutCalifornia. Due to financial hardship, housing insecurity and witnessing disparities & medical complications due to inequality in health care, I continued my education to ultimately mold a career in which I am able to bring the three worlds together: education, science, and medicine. Education is a never ending window of opportunities when students are guided, supported, and understood by educators and those who work in the education sector. Science is an amazing field that continues to evolve and support education and it is also an integral part of medicine.However, inequity and injustices affect all three systems and in order to impact these systems, individuals must work from within to drive change. Biotech Partners dedicates time, resources, and passion to students who come from underrepresented and underserved communities. This makes a long-lasting impact that can affect students for the rest of their lives and I am grateful and honored to be a part of such an organization.”

Ms. Cruz obtained her A.A. in Liberal Arts: Math and Science and her A.S. in Biology from College of the Desert, all while participating in Genomics and Bioinformatics research, and helping her peers as a Math and Science tutor. Ms. Cruz transferred to UC Berkeley and obtained her B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology and minored in CalTeach: Math and Science Education. While pursuing her degree at Cal, she served as a lab assistant and curriculum editor for Amgen Biotech Experience at the Lawrence Hall of Science. She was also a research assistant in the Mofrad Lab which specialized in Molecular Cell Biomechanics and as a peer advocate at the UC Berkeley Transfer Student Center.

“Being interested in both science and education, the program coordinator position for Biotech Partners was the perfect role that encompassed both of my passions, I was amazed by the amount of opportunity and exposure to Biotech careers that Biotech Partners gave to underrepresented students. Knowing first hand the hardships they experience, I am grateful to be a part of making a difference in these student's educational and career goals through encouragement and support.”

Having just started in January 2023, Ms. Boynton is the newest member of the Biotech Partners team.She graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2005. Since then, she has worked in a multitude of different scientific industries and laboratories. She has experience working in a winery laboratory, a pathology lab, an environmental lab, a wastewater treatment lab, and a water quality lab. All these jobs have given her a broad knowledge, as well as experience in many laboratory techniques and procedures. She has always been interested in the sciences and was inspired by wonderful teachers during her middle and high school years to pursue a path in science.

She is extremely excited about this new career opportunity, to work with students who possess an interest in the sciences, just like she has had from a young age. She cannot wait to work with and hopefully inspire the future scientists of the world.

She grew up in Napa, CA, moved to San Luis Obispo for nine years, and currently lives in Sonoma, CA. In her spare time, she can be found spending time with her family; her husband, four-year-old son and two dogs. She enjoys doing anything active; hiking, kayaking, camping, working out, exploring new places.She also enjoys cooking and trying new recipes. She is always down for a good game night or jigsaw puzzle. Lastly, she enjoys practicing mindfulness and meditation.

Born in Kathmandu, Nepal, Meghana earned her degree at UC Merced, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and a minor in Business Management & Economics. Her interest in healthcare began when she was young, after witnessing the birth of her younger brother—she wants to give back to others the same happiness she felt then, by pursuing a career as a nurse. Working as a Program Coordinator at Biotech Partners is an excellent blend of her expertise and her passions, allowing her to apply her pre-med education to make a meaningful impact on the students she works with. Through education and support, she can give them the momentum they need to pursue their own careers and bring happiness to themselves and their communities.

“I really enjoy my position right now because I can contribute to making changes in the life of the students I am working with.”

Since Joining the Biotech Partners team in 2013, Katrina has become an integral part of the program’s day-to-day operations. Having worked with multiple cohorts of Biotech Academy students, she understands the complex needs of our students as they go through our program and helps facilitate the logistical aspects of their internship programming. Coming from another non-profit focused on changing the lives of Bay Area youth through art based jobs and job training, Katrina brings a wealth of experience within the non-profit sector.

“When I first came on board, I was inspired by the dedication of the staff towards the success of the students. Nobody was willing to stand by to just let students fall through the cracks; everyone is focused on providing whatever support was needed to help them stand on their own two feet. This is what these students need and what this kind of work needs in order to be done well.”