Marcia B. Mellitz

Marcia Mellitz is President of Bioscience Strategies.  She was formerly Vice President, Program Development for BioSTL, focused on growing the St. Louis bioscience cluster.  In 1996, she founded and served as President and CEO of the Center for Emerging Technologies (CET) through 2010, supporting the development of early-stage biomedical and other advanced technology companies in the St. Louis region by providing entrepreneurs access to business, technology and financial resources.  She collaborated with community partners to develop the specialized facilities, capital, resources and services necessary to grow a vibrant bioscience industry, writing many successful grants for federal, state and private funding.  She continues to work with bioscience and other technology companies.

Education

BS, Microbiology
University of Maryland

MBA, Marketing and Research Management, Washington University in St. Louis

Awards

  CET received the US Economic Development Administration (EDA) 2003 award for Excellence in Tech-led Economic Development and National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) designation as one of the Nation’s top ten incubators, first in company revenue growth.  The 46 companies while she was at CET included:  medical diagnostics, therapies, instruments and devices, working in cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and others; plus advanced IT, materials and bio-fuels.  They obtained $800 million in financing while at CET (including graduates, $1.4 billion) providing an economic impact to the region of $2 billion and creating 600 direct and 2,000 indirect jobs. The Bio Entrepreneur Development (BED) Program she developed has created another 65 companies or ventures, which created 96 jobs and attracted more than $7 million in investment during their first three years. CET’s Board of Directors included representatives from UM-St. Louis, Washington University, Saint Louis University (two medical schools), business and venture capital.

Ms. Mellitz has been engaged in the development of the CORTEX Innovation District, in partnership with Washington University, Saint Louis University, University of Missouri-St. Louis, BJC HealthCare and Missouri Botanical Garden and in T-REX, an IT commercialization center in downtown St. Louis.  Ms. Mellitz continues to assist companies and consults on strategic planning regarding technology-based economic development for various regions around the country as well as in St. Louis. She is a national leader in commercialization of university technology and technology company development. She is invited to speak at national conferences and has received numerous awards. 

Ms. Mellitz’s previous work experience includes:

■    Microbiology research at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and FDA

■    ITT Commercial Finance, marketing the IBM account

■    Operation Food Search, a national model distributing S14 million of surplus food

■    Extensive consulting on entrepreneurship , innovation and technology commercialization

She has served on a variety of civic and cultural boards, including:

■    Washington University School of Medicine Institute of Clinical & Translational Sciences (NIH CTSI grant) Governing Board

■    Association of University Research Parks (AURP)

■    CORTEX Innovation District and Planning Committee

■    Co-Founder, Translational Medical Alliance  Conferences

■    Hope Happens organization to support the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine

■    Advisory Board, BALSA, providing teams of Washington University graduate students and postdocs for company research and assessment projects

■    BioGenerator (creates companies from university and other technology)

■    Chair, Missouri Botanical Garden Sub-district Commission for the St. Louis Zoo Museum District

■    Science and Leadership Committee – St. Louis Science Center

■    Advisory Board, Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience (magnet STEM high school)

■    Coulter Oversight Committee, Washington University School of Biomedical Engineering

■    Chair, St. Louis County Air Pollution Appeal Board

■    St. Louis Regional Competitive Initiative Steering Committee

■    International Women’s Forum, St. Louis affiliate