Michelle Dipp
{{Undisclosed paid|date=October 2022}}
{{short description|American scientist, businesswoman and investor}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Michelle Dipp
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date =
| nationality =
| education = MD PhD
| alma_mater = Brasenose College, Oxford University
| occupation =
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| spouse = Bill Detwiler (2021–current){{cite web|url=https://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/bestbridal/announcements/engagements/newly-engaged-michelle-dipp-bill-detwiler/article_56363174-8821-11eb-8c90-db7e2968f9cb.html|title=Newly Engaged! Michelle Dipp & Bill Detwiler|first=Amanda|last=Dahl|website=STLtoday.com|date=March 23, 2021 }}
| mother = Mary Ann Dipp
| father = Mike Dipp, Jr.
| website = https://michelle-dipp.com/
}}
Michelle Dipp is an American scientist, businesswoman, and investor. She is the co-founder and a managing partner at Biospring Partners and serves on the board of Abzena and Kiniciti.{{cite web|url=https://www.biospring.com/michelle-dipp|title=Biospring Partners | Michelle Dipp|website=Biospring Partners}}
Early life and education
Michelle Dipp was raised in El Paso, Texas.{{cite web|url=https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/local/el-paso/2016/06/25/el-pasoan-star-biotech-industry/86007726/|title=El Pasoan a star in biotech industry|first=Vic|last=Kolenc|website=El Paso Times}} Her mother was a nurse in the ER and her father was a businessman.{{cite web|url=https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/money/business/2015/09/30/el-paso-native-fortune-40-under-40/73113330/|title=El Paso native on Fortune '40 under 40'}}
Dipp attended Loretto Academy, where she graduated in 1994.{{Cite book|title=Loretto Academy Alumnae Directory|publisher=Harris Connect|year=2010|location=El Paso, Texas|page=30}} She graduated with a bachelor's degree, an M.D., and a Ph.D. in physiology from Oxford University.
Career
After graduation, Dipp moved to Boston, Massachusetts. In 2005, she began working at Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, a startup that created drugs that were meant to slow aging and protect against degenerative diseases related to aging. The company researched and tested activators of sirtuin, such as resveratrol formulations.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/science/18aging.html?8dpc|title=Tests Begin on Drugs That May Slow Aging – The New York Times|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 17, 2009|last1=Wade|first1=Nicholas}} In 2008, she became vice president of corporate development at Sirtris Pharmaceuticals.{{cite web|url=https://www.fiercebiotech.com/special-report/dr-michelle-dipp-women-biotech-2012|title=Dr. Michelle Dipp – Women in Biotech 2012|website=FierceBiotech|date=November 8, 2012 }}
Sirtris was purchased and made a subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline in 2008.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/business/worldbusiness/23iht-glaxo.1.12262724.html|title = Glaxo to buy Sirtris, maker of a drug based on red wine|newspaper = The New York Times|date = April 23, 2008|last1 = Pollack|first1 = Andrew}} At GlaxoSmithKline, Dipp became the head of their Center of Excellence for External Drug Discovery.{{cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2009/10/05/focus15.html|title=Michelle Dipp As the head of the U.S. for the Centre of Excellence for External Drug Discovery (CEEDD)}}
=2008–2010=
In 2008, Dipp worked with Christoph Westphal, Richard Aldrich, and Alexey Margolin to found Alnara Pharmaceuticals, which was created to develop ways to formulate biopharmaceuticals so they could be taken by mouth, instead of by injection.{{cite news|last1=Timmerman|first1=Luke|title=Alnara Pharmaceuticals Aims to Make Biotech Drugs You Can Swallow, And That Go Right Where They Belong |url=http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/10/30/alnara-pharmaceuticals-aims-to-make-biotech-drugs-you-can-swallow-and-go-right-where-they-belong/|date=October 30, 2008}}
In February 2010, Dipp, Westphal, and Aldrich formed a new venture fund called Longwood Founders Fund. In August 2010, the Longwood team co-founded VeraStem by providing seed funding and office space its offices; Verastem aimed to isolate cancer stem cells and then discover drugs that would selectively kill them. The company held its IPO in 2012.{{cite web|url=https://xconomy.com/boston/2013/06/06/verastem-switches-ceos-as-westphal-steps-into-chairman-role/|title=Xconomy: Verastem Switches CEOs as Westphal Steps Into Chairman Role|date=June 6, 2013|website=Xconomy}}
=2015–2020=
In January 2015 Longwood and Dipp helped found Flex Pharma{{cite web|url=https://www.finsmes.com/2017/10/michelle-dipp-joins-general-atlantic-as-managing-director.html|title=Michelle Dipp Joins General Atlantic as Managing Director|date=October 12, 2017}}
In November 2016 Dipp and Longwood helped launch Axial Biotherapeutics where she took a board seat.{{cite web|url=https://www.biospace.com/article/new-boston-biotech-axial-biotech-launches-with-19-15-million-and-will-be-helmed-by-abbvie-glaxosmithkline-vet-|title=New Boston Biotech Axial Biotech Launches With $19.15 Million and Will be Helmed by AbbVie-GlaxoSmithKline Vet}}
In October 2017 Dipp became the Managing Director at General Atlantic,{{cite web|url=https://www.generalatlantic.com/media-article/dr-michelle-dipp-joins-general-atlantic-managing-director/|title=Dr. Michelle Dipp Joins General Atlantic as Managing Director}} a global growth equity firm based in New York City. Michelle launched their first life sciences investment platform and served as a member of the life sciences investment committee while at General Atlantic. Michelle served as a Board Observer for Ginkgo BioWorks and as a board member for PathAI and Immunocore.{{cite web|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190417005202/en/PathAI-Secures-60M-in-Series-B-Funding-Led-by-General-Atlantic-and-Existing-Investor-General-Catalyst|title=PathAI Secures $60M in Series B Funding Led by General Atlantic and Existing Investor General Catalyst|date=April 17, 2019|website=www.businesswire.com}}
In 2020, Dipp founded Biospring Partners with Jennifer Lum to conduct venture capital in the life sciences industry. Investments for Biospring Partners include funding for Abzena{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/biospring-partners-backs-drug-developer-and-manufacturer-abzena-11595891451|title=Biospring Partners Backs Drug Developer and Manufacturer Abzena|first=Laura Cooper and William|last=Louch|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=July 28, 2020|via=www.wsj.com}} who were subsequently selected to work on the antibody cocktail for COVID 19 treatment.{{cite web|url=https://www.pharmoutsourcing.com/1315-News/573005-Abzena-Selected-by-Immunome-to-Manufacture-Antibody-Cocktail-for-COVID-19-Treatment/|title=Abzena Selected by Immunome to Manufacture Antibody Cocktail for COVID-19 Treatment | Pharmaceutical Outsourcing – The Journal of Pharmaceutical & Biopharmaceutical Contract Services}} On June 30, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced that Michelle Dipp, a co-founder and former CEO of the now defunct OvaScience, Inc., agreed to settle fraud charges for misleading investors about the availability and commercial prospects for the company’s fertility treatments that were in development.{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/enforce/33-10794-s |title=SEC Charges Former Biotechnology Company CEO for Misleading Investors |publisher=SEC.gov |date=2020-06-30 |accessdate=2022-08-31}}
Awards and honors
- Stevie Award for Women in Business, Best Executive of a non-services business (2008)
- Fortune Magazine's "40 under 40" (2015){{cite web|url=http://fortune.com/40-under-40/2015/michelle-dipp-28/|title=40 under 40; Michelle Dipp-28|website=Fortune.com|date=2015}}