NellOne pitching at “Ag Biotech Entrepreneurship Showcase” today in RTP
By Tom Ballard, Chief Alliance Officer, Pershing Yoakley & Associates, P.C.
Today is a big day for Tracy Warren and Bem Culiat, the Co-Founders of NellOne Therapeutics.
In a March post, we mentioned that the Oak Ridge-based start-up had just learned that it had been invited to present at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center’s “Ag Biotech Entrepreneurship Showcase.”
Fast forward a couple of months, and Culiat will be on stage at the all-day event today in Research Triangle Park.
“It’s a great opportunity and venue for us,” an enthusiastic Culiat told us late last week. She is the Chief Scientific Officer for NellOne, while Warren is Chief Executive Officer.
NellOne Therapeutics is among a select group of invitees – nine in all – and the only one from Tennessee.
“This would not have happened without Pete (Nelson) connecting us with NCBio,” Culiat said. Nelson is President and Chief Executive Officer of Memphis-based Ag Innovation Development Group.
An estimated 150 people are expected to attend. They include investors, technology scouts, and researchers.
According to the NCBiotech webpage, the purpose of the one-day event is to drive “commercialization by showcasing investment-ready ag technologies.”
NellOne will be the first of four companies presenting in an afternoon session. The other four start-ups present during the morning. Interspersed throughout the day are individual presentations or panel discussions on topics such as international partnerships, capital resources available to grow companies, and commercialization pathways.
Nelson is moderator for the panel on capital resources.
After all presentations, a panel of judges will select two of the nine start-ups for cash awards to further advance their companies.
