A hearty welcome to LSEC’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence
It’s an exciting time for UC Berkeley Life Sciences Entrepreneurship Center (LSEC) as we kick off an entirely new initiative, our Entrepreneurship-in-Residence (EIR) Program. Created as part of our ongoing efforts to foster the amazing talent that resides in the life sciences at UC Berkeley, the EIR program allows a seasoned entrepreneur to explore cutting-edge, Berkeley-grown, life sciences research and potentially lead a startup through commercialization.
Ariel Notcovich has been selected as our inaugural Entrepreneur-in-Residence, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Ariel is a seasoned biotech and life sciences leader, startup founder, product development expert and investor. He has a strong background in leading biotech early-stage companies and extensive hands-on experience in managing research and product development across all stages. He offers particular expertise for validating the commercial potential of the portfolio of technologies incubated here at Berkeley.
Ariel had this to say about his new role: “Berkeley has long been a leader in scientific discovery and applied research, and this new EIR program is an incredible launchpad to turn research into transformative startups. I’m excited to roll up my sleeves, dive into the innovation pipeline, and help shape the next generation of biotech companies.”
Ariel will work closely with LSEC and UC Berkeley’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship office to leverage university and community resources. The goal of the EIR program is to work toward launching a new biotech startup based on Berkeley innovation.
The EIR program will serve as an extension of our popular Venture Fellows Program, and Ariel will collaborate closely with our three new LSEC Venture Fellows, helping to identify and assess new venture opportunities and support program activities. We recently announced the 2025 Nucleate Biotech Venture Fellows including Brayon Fremin, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher, Carlotta Ronda Lab, Innovative Genomics Institute; Nahtalee Lomeli, PhD candidate, Derfogail Delcassian Lab, Department of Bioengineering; and James Mbata, PhD candidate, Denis Titov Lab), Departments of Molecular & Cell Biology and Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology.
The Venture Fellows program offers hands-on experience in innovation landscaping and due diligence of new technologies. The newest recipients are part of the program’s sixth cohort, which runs through September, 2025, and will help drive the future of Berkeley innovation by identifying promising new technologies and helping to translate the tech into new ventures. After completing the fellowship, our three recipients will have the opportunity to gain hands-on operational experience with Nucleate Bio Bay Area
We are inspired by the growth of the LSEC program here on campus, and our new EIR program, coupled with our thriving Venture Fellows program, offers yet another avenue to merge business acumen with scientific breakthroughs. I am confident Ariel and our new Venture Fellows will continue the legacy we’ve created of building meaningful companies that are changing the face of health, medicine, the environment and much more.
