Board of Trustees

Dr. Shoshana Shendelman, PhD is a scientist and entrepreneur, founder of several biotech companies, and a pioneer in developing drugs and therapeutics for rare and underserved diseases.

Dr. Shendelman is the President of Retension Pharmaceuticals and Response Pharmaceuticals, both clinical stage biotechnology companies developing drugs for underserved diseases. She also holds advisory roles for several early stage biotech companies, including companies working in the AI and oncology spaces.

Previously, Dr. Shendelman was the Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chair of the Board of Directors at Applied Therapeutics.  During her tenure at Applied, she led the company’s private funding rounds, an IPO, and multiple public financings; as well as led the development of two drugs through Phase three: govorestat for Galactosemia, a drug for the devastating pediatric disease with no treatment, and caficrestat for Diabetic Cardiomyopathy, a form of diabetic heart failure. 

Prior to Applied Therapeutics, Dr. Shendelman founded Clearpoint Strategy Group, a boutique life sciences consulting firm, where she served as the Managing Director; and served as an Analyst and Scientific Consultant at Bridge Scientific Consulting. 

Dr. Shendelman received a PhD from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular and Biophysical Studies, where she also completed her Master’s Degrees (both an MA and MSc).  Dr. Shendelman’s neurobiological research at Columbia focused on molecular mechanisms driving neurogenerative diseases, and her Doctoral thesis centered around molecular mechanisms of Parkinson’s Disease.  She completed her Bachelor’s Degree at Brandeis University, with a BA in biochemistry.

In addition to being a member of the Board of Trustees of Columbia University, Dr. Shendelman is also the Vice Chair of the Board of Advisors of Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Follow Dr. Shendelman: https://drshendelman.com/

IG: @DrShendelman

X: @DrShendelman  

Julissa is a partner at Winston & Strawn LLP. She has extensive policy and legal experience, engaging both as a lawyer in private practice and as an experienced senior diplomat and policymaker on behalf of the United States Government.

Julissa is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and multilingual partner who focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, regulatory enforcement, international arbitration, and cross-border disputes. She provides U.S. and international clients with strategic advice and risk assessment in managing transnational issues. She advises a wide variety of clients, including institutions, companies, and individuals over a range of sectors.

Julissa’s extensive experience includes analyzing and advising on complex cross-border litigations, investigations, and disputes before U.S. Courts and federal agencies. She has conducted arbitrations under major international rules, including the ICC and UNCITRAL, and managed a host of bilateral investment treaty disputes.

Julissa recently served as U.S. Ambassador to Spain and Andorra and was the first woman to hold the position. In her role as Ambassador, Julissa oversaw a critical U.S. mission with a host of U.S. federal agencies covering economic, political, and defense and security matters. She was a tireless advocate for American companies doing business in Spain and supported historic levels of investment by Spanish companies in the United States. During her tenure, Spain was the host of the 2022 NATO Summit and held the presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Prior to being confirmed as Ambassador, Julissa served as Assistant to President Joe Biden and Chief of Staff to Dr. Jill Biden, holding one of the most senior positions at the White House. While at the White House, Julissa managed a range of domestic and international matters for President Biden and Dr. Biden. While at the White House, Julissa was Co-Chair of the Gender Policy Council, the first policy council focused on gender equity and equality within the Executive Office of the President.

Julissa is the former United States Ambassador to Uruguay under the Obama Administration and served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. While in this role, she was charged with developing comprehensive security and rule of law strategies for Central America and the Caribbean. Prior to joining the U.S. Department of State, Julissa practiced at a major international law firm, where she specialized in antitrust law, international commercial arbitration, and international investment arbitration.

James R. Scapa brings deep expertise and experience in business growth, innovation, and cultural stewardship to his role as founder, chairman, and CEO of Altair (Nasdaq: ALTR), a global leader in computational intelligence software and technology.

Founded in 1985, Altair employs more than 3,000 scientists, engineers, and creative thinkers across 28 countries and serves more than 16,000 customers across a broad range of industries including automotive, aerospace, government and defense, finance, energy, technology, life sciences, architecture, and construction.

James holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Columbia University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan.

Adam Pritzker is an entrepreneur and philanthropist focused on building dynamic, forward-thinking organizations that are shaping the next generation of businesses and tackling the most pressing civic problems of our time.

Adam is the founding partner of Assembled Brands Group, a firm that partners with emerging direct-to-consumer companies to provide working capital, business insights, and a professional network to help scale their businesses. Under his leadership, Assembled Brands has incubated several successful companies, including Khaite, a leading digitally native luxury fashion brand.

In addition to his work with Assembled Brands, Adam is also a forward-looking investor and founding partner of Wholestack, an investment vehicle that supports early stage funds in emerging domains such as cryptocurrency, synthetic biology, regenerative agriculture, and more.

Prior to founding Assembled Brands and Wholestack, Adam began his entrepreneurial career as the co-founder of General Assembly, a pioneering co-working and education company focused on providing professional development and teaching the most in-demand technology, business, and design skills. Since its launch in 2011, General Assembly has trained over one million students at campuses across four continents.

Adam is also founding partner of The States Project, a nonprofit advocacy organization that works to win governing majorities in state legislatures across the country and promote smart, effective policies that will safeguard our democracy, protect individual rights and improve people’s lives.