Shawn W. Cloonan serves as Life Science Lead & General Counsel of McCord

Development, Inc., where he oversees all legal aspects of the firm, advises on strategic development projects, and leads McCord’s efforts in developing assets to serve the life science and biotechnology industry.

Prior to joining McCord in 2020, Cloonan served as Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President & General Counsel of Texas Medical Center since 2013. In his role at TMC, Cloonan was responsible for all operations, planning and development as well as all legal aspects of the corporation including compliance with the TMC covenants.

Before joining the Texas Medical Center, Cloonan was a public finance attorney

representing health care, governmental and higher education clients for Vinson & Elkins LLP and Bracewell LLP. In addition to representation on bond financing, Cloonan represented clients on general counsel matters and real estate and development.

Cloonan holds a Bachelor of Arts – Magna Cum Laude in government from the

University of Texas at Austin and earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence with Honors from The University of Texas School of Law.

He currently serves as Chairman Emeritus of the Buffalo Bayou Partnership and is

active on its Executive Committee and Board of Directors. Cloonan was honored to receive the Houston Business Journal 40 Under 40 Award in 2013 and was named to the Top 100 Irish Lawyers in America List in 2015.

Monique serves as the Executive Director for the venture capital firm

Portal Innovations in Houston; where their mission is to provide

crafted capital to enable life sciences innovators to build their

companies where they live. Monique has more than 15 years of

experience in supporting the growth of research scientists and

clinicians committed to developing translational life-saving

therapeutics into the clinic. She served as a technical sales

consultant for Miltenyi Biotec for ten years where she strategically

developed and progressed pipelines pertinent to organizational and

revenue growth targets primarily in the immuno-oncology therapeutic

market in the Texas Medical Center. Prior to joining Portal, Monique

was the regional sales manager for Sartorius Stedim North America in

the Bioprocessing Solutions division where she established and led a

team of dynamic account managers across the Central US.

Scott joins Vitrian from GlenLine which he founded in 2019. Prior to GlenLine, Scott spent 15 years with Carr Properties, a $3 billion private REIT and one of the Washington, DC region’s most active investors and developers. At Carr, Scott had primary responsibility for acquisitions and dispositions activity in metro Washington and Boston, MA – closing over 40 transactions valued in excess of $2.5 billion while managing many of Carr’s institutional joint venture partnerships.

Prior to joining Carr, he executed industrial investments in the Baltimore-Washington corridor at Grange Partners and covered East Coast markets at Archon Group (Goldman Sachs Realty Management).

Scott is a graduate of Dartmouth College and has 24 years of commercial real estate experience. He is a mentor in the Urban Land Institute Washington Mentorship Program and a former board member of the Real Estate Group. Outside of commercial real estate, Scott serves as a trustee of the National Center for Children and Families and in development/strategic growth capacities for Jubilee JumpStart and Miriam’s Kitchen.

As a Board-certified veterinarian, former Senior VP of a pharmaceutical

company, and a veteran lab manager, Jim possesses a unique skill set. From

his time as a researcher to his work developing several drugs and medical

devices that are on the market today, Jim’s background as a scientist gives

him an advantageous user/scientist perspective on technical operations.

Jim is a problem solver. Pragmatic thinking, driven by his knowledge of

scientific procedures and manufacturing, allows him to come up with design

solutions for some of the most complex challenges. His work philosophy aims

at taking multiple approaches to a challenge or an idea to discover what

works, what doesn’t, and what options will be the best choice for the client.

Jim’s years of experience working in and operating laboratories and

manufacturing medical therapies, combined with his imaginative thinking

and knack for problem solving are the perfect combination when it comes to

tackling the challenges of scientific planning.

Danielle M. McGuire AIA, DBIA is the Science Practice Director at Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, overseeing the firm’s diverse global portfolio of science and engineering projects. Danielle grew-up thinking she was destined for a career in the sciences and the only question was scale - studying gluons or hot jupiters. While at University, Danielle became fascinated with how the built environment tells the story of the people for whom the buildings were created and how in turn those buildings affect those people's lives.

After graduating with a Master of Architecture, Danielle worked on a wide variety of projects eventually finding her niche, combining her love of science and drive to create places to improve the lives of their inhabitants. Infinitely curious, Danielle focuses not just on understanding what is needed in research buildings today - but in working with her clients to project what will be needed in the ever changing world of discovery.

With over 30 years of experience, Danielle’s portfolio includes commercial, university and government research buildings. These projects are intentionally designed to be adaptable and grounded in creating research environments that are as much about the people who work in them as they are about the equipment they use.

“Even as technology advances, it’s people—their thinking, ideas, and “a-ha” moments—that are the key to discovering what we don’t yet know. We partner with our clients to create adaptable buildings to house new technology and tools, while never losing sight of the need to design good spaces for the people who fuel discoveries.” Danielle McGuire

Kurt’s professional engineering career spans over 40 years. His expertise includes structural engineering design for Mission Critical Facilities such as Data Centers, Health Care Facilities such as Hospitals and Clinics and Life Sciences Facilities such as Biopharmaceutical Pilot Plants and Production Facilities around the United States and the World. His area of expertise is in designing buildings to be occupable after natural disasters including Tornados, Hurricanes and Earthquakes. He has been the structural engineer of record for conventional “fixed Base Buildings” ranging from 1-23 stories, “Base Isolated Buildings” ranging from 1-5 stories, and the retrofit and new construction of buildings incorporating Fluid Viscous Dampers ranging from 1-22 stories. He has published numerous papers on passive energy dissipation and presented the findings at various conventions in Boston, San Francisco and Milan.

For over 23 years as the Founding Principal at PARADIGM Structural Engineers, Kurt spends most of his time developing new leaders at PARADIGM and mentoring staff in Chicago and San Francisco.

Lisa Bovermann specializes in providing healthcare and life sciences real estate solutions to healthcare institutions, CRO’s, clinical investors, developers, and healthcare providers. As Senior Vice President within the Gulf Coast region, Lisa brings 17 years of commercial real estate experience dedicated to healthcare and life sciences. Specializing in both tenant and landlord advisory services, she provides a diverse and complete spectrum of transaction management services offering real estate transaction management, analytics and consulting for life sciences companies, healthcare institutions, physician groups, specialty groups, behavioral health operators, and public & private healthcare real estate investors. For her corporate life science clients, Lisa implements real estate and facilities strategies centered around growth planning, facility compliance and controls. Her vast expertise allows her to apply a complete understanding to any opportunity, resulting in optimal outcomes for clients she represents in the marketplace.

For over a decade, Jon has been an active mentor and advisor to over 500 startups around the world with a focus on Human Potential, Space Commercialization and Autonomy. Jon currently leads business model validation, value creation and strategy for MassChallenge and manages their Texas locations. Jon is also a partner in Anthropy Partners, an early-stage venture fund targeting Human Potential applications around the world and teaches at the Wolff Center of Entrepreneurship at the University of Houston.

Jon has a lengthy background in coaching founders on problem / solution fit, value creation, market strategy, talent management and business model validation. Jon has held several leadership roles at Startup Development Organizations where he was focused on building infrastructure for startup development, community building and growing innovation economies. He has launched and led multiple efforts to support startup communities including several not for profits, a corporate fund of funds and accelerator programs.

Wesley’s key strengths are focused in the areas of Business and Technology Strategy. With a bachelor’s in engineering and computer science, Wesley has a deep understanding of the foundations of technology. As a career business developer with sales and marketing experience, he scripts models that overcome the challenges of consumers adopting a new technological product. Wesley’s strategy in building and scaling a competitive company begins with defining a company’s core, value, purpose and solutions. He believes that “Technology has a purpose in the community, but our companies must intimately bond to the communities they plan on serving before successful growth will occur”.

He desires to help all businesses develop their product or services by first defining their core purpose and position in their industry, and second to build the RIGHT team, while keeping in mind to be economically sensitive to each company’s financial journey.

Tim is a Principal and Senior Project Designer at HOK, leading projects ranging from innovation districts, science and technology, corporate office, government, and institutional. His work in St Louis’ Cortex Innovation Community began with masterplan studies in 2002 and has continued to the present with six core/shell projects for two developers, and over two dozen tenant fitouts for the likes of Microsoft, Boeing, Cambridge Innovation Center and other innovation and technology-focused organizations. Tim’s innovation center work also includes Hines’ Levit Green in Houston, The uCity Square innovation district in Philadelphia; Mayo’s Discovery Square and Destination Medical Center in Rochester, Minnesota, Moffett Research Park in San Francisco. He understands the complexities of innovation community infrastructure and the attributes integral to transcendent solutions.

Cynthia serves as the Texas Science & Technology Market Leader at Stantec. Her mission is to deliver tailored design solutions that respond to the rapidly evolving fields of research and science education. She has recently worked with institutions such as Texas A&M University, MD Anderson Cancer Center, UTHealth-Houston, University of North Texas, Prairie View A&M University and Texas Woman’s University as well as confidential Life Science clients. Cynthia’s ability to envision and portray the “big picture” helps her spot and address the needs shaping the future of the life sciences market and community. A recognized industry leader with 28 years of experience, Cynthia has presented at a number industry events such as Tradeline, Lab Design, and TCUF. She specializes in award-winning facilities that accommodate unique & innovative equipment and resources, as well as champions opportunities for collaboration, recruitment, and retention for small and large institutions. Cynthia is a member of the Rice Design Alliance, American Institute of Architects, and Texas Society of Architects. She earned her Bachelor of Architecture degree from Rice University.

Dr. Verena Kallhoff serves as Sr. Director, Global Life Sciences at the Greater Houston

Partnership. She works together with local, state, national, and international players to spur

and support the growth and development of the greater Houston region’s life sciences

ecosystem and assists companies looking to relocate or expand in the region.

Verena first moved to Houston in 2003 to attend Baylor College of Medicine, graduating in 2008

and subsequently obtained an MBA from University of Houston – Clear Lake. Verena has held

positions with Harris Health System as Quality Assurance Analyst, and Houston Methodist

Research Institute, where she began as Administrative Fellow and later served as the Innovative

Managing Director of CyBHOR, an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center sponsored

by the National Science Foundation.

In 2017, Verena relocated to Austin joining the innovation initiative at Dell Medical School at

The University of Texas at Austin where she developed and led programs to build an innovation

ecosystem. Organizing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Verena is a founding member of

TEXGHS, the Texas Global Health Security Consortium and was instrumental in developing and

implementing business strategies for the consortium’s activity.

Verena also served as the VP for Omics and Precision Medicine at Equideum Health, a health

tech startup, where she developed partnerships with research organizations and built networks

to accelerate omics-related research to enable authentic, personalized precision medicine.

Craig Laher, CEO, Wellness Districts LLC, is a results-driven senior executive with thirty-three (33) years experience as an accomplished, senior-level real estate development professional with significant experience in public-private-partnerships (P3), wellness, healthcare, life sciences, and mixed-use projects being responsible for raising capital (equity and debt), business development, sourcing, acquisition, ground-up development, and lease-up of assets valued at approximately $2,000,000,000.

Craig’s key project relationships with major institutions and corporations include McKinsey & Company (life sciences real estate special project consulting), Quest Diagnostics (BSL2 & BSL3 life science wet labs + CLIA labs), OneMedical, Texas A&M University System, Texas A&M Health Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Sam Houston State University (BSL2 life science wet labs accelerator & prototyping facility + simulation hospital), Texas Tech University Physicians, Tenet Health, Kaiser Permanente, Surgery Partners, Inc., GE, Texas Capital Bank, Principal Financial Group, Bass Pro Shops, and the Atlanta Braves organization (AA baseball stadium).

Prior to being CEO, Wellness Districts LLC, Craig was SVP, Head of Healthcare & Life Sciences division responsible for leading business development, sourcing, financing (raising equity and debt capital), leasing, and ground-up development of mixed-used suburban master-planned communities and wellness districts, P3 discovery districts (life sciences / BSL2 labs / clean energy technology parks) and prior to that role he was SVP of a national development firm where he led high-rise development of healthcare, life sciences, and mixed-use projects (30+ stories and as many as 6 uses in a given high-rise project), including multi-family, office, retail, medical office buildings, bio-medical, life sciences, student housing, and hospitals (both short-term acute care & post-acute care).

Craig was recently selected to serve on the Life Sciences Committee of the Greater Houston Partnership and is active in the Economic Development Partnership of The Woodlands (Woodlands EDP). He also has hosted monthly the Cup-of-Joey technology networking group in The Woodlands (50-60 attendees each month representing various technology spaces). Craig is also selected to speak annually at both the Bisnow Healthcare and Bisnow Life Sciences conferences in Houston. He has also spoke before the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) regarding various topics including wellness & life sciences initiatives.

Craig was recently responsible for raising capital (equity and debt financing) and the business development for ground-up projects including 1.) 2,000,000 square foot Texas A&M Innovation Plaza, a mixed-use, high-rise public-private-partnership (P3) development including biomedical office, MOB, life sciences, retail, and student housing all located in the Texas Medical Center; 2.) 140-bed acute care teaching hospital campus on 37 acres in conjunction with Texas Tech University Physicians and Tenet Healthcare including 110,000sf on-campus medical office building; 3.) development of a new $50MM inpatient rehabilitation facility in California leased to a national rehab operator; 4.) 17-story T-Mobile Tower adaptive reuse office building redevelopment in Houston pursuant to T-Mobile naming rights deal and lease; and 5.) 100,000 square foot redevelopment of the Kaiser Permanente Premier Health Plaza ambulatory care center in Colorado Springs that included new leases and naming rights for the Kaiser Permanente ambulatory care clinic and Surgery Partners, Inc. ambulatory surgery center.

Craig earned a BA, Economics while graduating with Cum Laude Honors from the Colorado College and later earned an MBA from Clemson University with additional MBA-level Certificate in International Business Studies obtained while based for 12 months in Munich, Germany from the Consortium Institute of Management and Business Analysis (CIMBA).

Craig and Ann are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary in 2024 and are proud parents of 2 teenagers, Catherine and Thomas.

As Assistant Director, Alba is responsible for business development and fiscal duties in support of the City’s comprehensive economic development activities that include business attraction, investment and development, and implementing strategies to foster economic growth within the community. Alba holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in International Business from Houston Baptist University

Brian J. Malone currently serves as vice president of the Pearland Economic Development Corporation (PEDC), where he oversees the implementation of strategies to attract new jobs and new investment in Pearland. His primary responsibilities include generating new business prospect leads and facilitating the attraction of new companies, along with coordinating business retention and expansion efforts. Malone also oversees the Pearland Innovation Hub and Pearland Workforce Development Strategy.

Malone’s recent projects include working with Lonza Houston to build a new 300,000 square-foot biotech facility, Endress+Hauser to build a new 110,000 square foot Regional Headquarters and Millar’s new 56,000 square-foot headquarter and manufacturing facility in Pearland.

Malone has over 25 years’ experience in the economic development profession and has worked in several Texas communities. Malone currently serves as Chairman on the Board of Directors of Team Texas and as Vice Chairman on the Lower Kirby Pearland Management District.

Malone earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing and his MBA from Texas Tech University and received the designation of as a Certified Economic Developer in 1994 from the International Economic Development Council. Brian and his wife Leslie reside in Pearland and have three children.

Kevin Cole was sworn in as Mayor for the City of Pearland in November 2020. Prior to becoming mayor, Cole has a combined nine years of prior City Council service. Cole has also served on various committees and boards for local economic development, including serving with the Greater 288 Partnership, the Northern Brazoria County Education Alliance, and the Pearland Chamber of Commerce. He has also volunteered his time with local nonprofits, including the Vic Coppinger Family YMCA and various private schools. In his professional career, Cole spent 20 years developing real estate, currently serving as the principal for Cove Matrix Development.