gsbwww.uchicago.edu/student/pt/biopharma
“Investment Opportunities, Risks & Strategies in the BioPharma Industry”
John Banta-IllinoisVENTURES
John Banta serves as the CEO & Managing Director of IllinoisVENTURES, LLC, and the Managing Principal of the
Illinois Emerging Technology Fund, an early-stage technology venture capital fund. In this capacity Banta has
established the initial operating environment and infrastructure to facilitate the creation and development of businesses
based on a range of technologies. Banta is the former President and COO of DigitalWork, Inc., a Draper Fisher
Jurvetson, TL Ventures and Dell Ventures portfolio company, and served previously as its Senior Vice President of
Corporate and Business Development. Prior to DigitalWork, Inc., John served as Vice President of Corporate Services
for UBS PaineWebber (formerly Kidder Peabody), and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Investment
Management Consultant's Association.
Banta currently serves on the Board of Directors of several early-stage life science, medical device and IT businesses,
and on the Advisory Boards of the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Chicago West
Side Entrepreneurship Center. John earned an MBA in finance and statistics with high honors from the University of
Chicago Graduate School of Business and a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Illinois College of
Commerce.
Kristina Burow-ARCH Venture Partners
Kristina Burow joined ARCH Venture Partners in the spring of 2004 and is primarily focused on early stage companies
in the life sciences and materials sciences. Ms. Burow joins ARCH From the Novartis BioVenture Fund in San Diego
where she was involved in numerous life science investments. Previously, as an early employee at the Genomics
Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF), she directed Chemistry Operations and was active in Business
Development programs. Ms. Burow was a co-inventor of key technology platforms that formed the core of Kalypsys, a
GNF spin-off company. Ms. Burow works actively with Ensemble Discovery Corp., Achaogen Corp., Nura, Inc., and
Accelerator Corporation. Ms. Burow holds an M.B.A. from The University of Chicago, an M.A. in Chemistry from
Columbia University, and a B.S. in Chemistry from University of California Berkeley.
Robert Okabe-RPX Group
Robert Okabe joined RPX Group with a broad range of experience developed at companies from three person start-ups
to Fortune 50 multinationals. In the course of his career he has worked in every aspect of management from cost
accountant to Chief Executive Officer. Upon leaving the corporate world in 1999 and until he joined RPX Group in
2002 Bob was a consultant, employee, or advisor to a number of companies tackling the issues facing high growth
enterprises. These companies have ranged from raw startups to a ten-year-old, family owned equipment leasing
company where he served as CFO and Senior Credit Officer. Bob served as an investment banker from 1988 to 1999,
most recently as a Managing Director and group head at BancAmerica Robertson Stephens (now Banc of America
Securities). Bob also served as a Senior Vice President at Lehman Brothers and a Vice President at Kidder, Peabody
where he participated in hundreds of debt, equity, M&A, and advisory assignments.
He began his business career spending nearly six years developing a wide range of core financial and accounting skills
while on the fast-track financial management development program at General Electric. After leaving GE, Bob was a
senior bond rating analyst for Moody’s Investors Service for two years.
As an angel investor he has made eight investments since 1995, with one major liquidity event and two other positive
returns of capital. He is also one of the founders of Prairie Angels Capital Partners LLC, an angel fund in the Chicago
area. In 2001 Bob led the credit committee for a privately-held company which provided over $7 million in lease and
mezzanine debt facilities for early stage companies. Bob Okabe was awarded his Bachelor of Science in Finance and
Organizational Behavior from Boston University’s School of Management.
Carol D. Winslow- Channel Medical Partners
Ms. Winslow has spent more than 25 years in the medical technology industry, including 17 years of private and public
medical technology investment experience. Prior to founding Channel Medical Partners, she was the Senior Medical
Device Analyst at Jefferies & Company, Inc., Vector Securities Intl, Inc., and Dain Bosworth Inc with responsibility for
those firms’ equity research activities within the medical technology industry. Earlier in her career, Ms. Winslow held a
variety of management positions with Medtronic Inc. She serves on the board of directors of several private medical
technology companies in Channel’s investment portfolio and the non-profit American Refugee Committee. Ms.
Winslow received her A.B. degree from Mount Holyoke College and an MBA from the University of Minnesota.