BS Honors, Biochemistry, BGSU
MPH, Public Health Administration, UTOLEDO
MBA, Healthcare Management, UCONN
PhD, Medicinal Chemistry, UCONN
Advanced Business Certificate, Healthcare Finance, UCONN
Predoctoral Fellow, Pharmaceutical Science, AFPE
Postdoctoral Fellow, Medical Oncology, YALE
9 Peer-reviewed Scientific Publications PUBMED
20+ Publications in Influential Media Outlets
67 Curated Video Podcast Interviews
Co-Inventor for Patent on Epigenetic Agents (WO2013192554A1)
USPTO Trademark for Amplifying Scientific Innovation (Reg. No.6,377,047)
NACD Directorship Certified®
Creator, Host, Showrunner & Producer, Amplifying Scientific Innovation
Author, Leadership Perspectives on Scientific Innovation: Volume 1
Entrepreneur-in-Residence, YALE
National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) 40 Under 40 Minority Health Leader Award
Chapman University, Entrepreneur in Residence
Octane OC LaunchPad Accelerator, Panelist
Harvard Business Review (HBR), Advisory Council
Board Advisor, Daré Bioscience (NASDAQ: DARE), previously Board Director and Member, Nominating & Corporate Governance (N&CG) Committee & Compensation Committee
Advisory Council, Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network (DWEN)
Member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD)
Inaugural Member, EY Entrepreneurs Access Network (EAN)
President, Healthcare Businesswomen Association (HBA), New York Chapter Board of Directors
Member, Yale Alumni Association (YAA)
Mentor, Cartier Women's Initiative (CWI)
Women in Business Advisor, UCONN
Invited Guest Speaker, UCONN
Scientific Advisory Board Member, BioSortia Pharmaceuticals
Contributor, Entrepreneur Leadership Network
Member, Female Founders Collective
Woman of the Week, Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network (DWEN)
Member, Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MASSBIO)
Contributing Writer, Inc. Magazine
Woman of The Week (WoW) Podcast Guest, PharmaVoice
Guest Contributor & Host, Pharmacy Podcast Network
Venture Partner, FundRx
Advisor, Harvard Biomedical Careers Science Program
Editorial Advisory Board Member, Cell & Gene
Panelist, MIT Technology Review
Contributor, Life Science Leader
Contributor, PharmaBoardRoom
Member, HLTH Expert Network (HXN)
HBA Mentor Recognition
Spark Awardee, HBA (2 awards)
Certificate of Congressional Recognition, 30 Black Stars Award
Tradition of Excellence Award, UConn School of Pharmacy
Top Digital Health Influencer, Women's Health (FemTech), Commetric
First 1,000 National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Certified Corporate Director
Digital Directors Network (DDN) Masterclass in Systemic Cyber Risk Governance For Corporate Directors
Member, Private Directors Association (PDA)
Member, Equilar Diversity Network
Dr. Sophia Nnenna Ononye is a Nigerian American, Yale-trained Scientist, and Entrepreneur with over 15 years of cross-functional experience in the biopharmaceutical industry across drug discovery, medical affairs, strategic marketing, and corporate communications. Her diverse therapeutic area experience includes oncology, hematology, pain management, women's health, regenerative medicine, aesthetic medicine, rare genetic disorders, and mental health. In addition to her consultancy's Leadership Perspectives on Scientific Innovation book series, available only at BookBaby.com, she serves on the Harvard Business Review (HBR) Advisory Council. She has authored over 30 publications in leading outlets like WebMD, MIT Technology Review, Medscape, Entrepreneur, and Inc.
For her fifth entrepreneurial anniversary at The Sophia Consulting Firm, Dr. Ononye is scaling her business through digital transformation technology by launching an AI-enabled, global thought leadership platform focused on Amplifying Scientific Innovation®. Through authentic leadership stories on science advocacy and health equity, Dr. Ononye gained influence as the Creator, Host, and Producer of her consultancy's Amplifying Scientific Innovation Video Podcast on YouTube, which received nearly 2 million views globally from life science professionals and the public, and subsequently led to a USPTO trademark approval. The series has hosted 64 influential leaders, such as the CEO of the American Cancer Society and WebMD's Chief Medical Officer, and showcased panel discussions on the significance of clinical trial diversity in sustaining scientific innovations. Additionally, in August 2020, Dr. Ononye launched her consultancy's Virtual College Seminars to expand her impact and reach through targeted academic speaking engagements to ignite excitement about science for early career students, science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) enthusiasts, and other lifelong learners.
Dr. Ononye's multidisciplinary education, multicultural experiences, and diverse professional affiliations demonstrate her unwavering commitment to learning and knowledge sharing. She has been honored with numerous accolades, including the 2023 National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) 40 under 40 Minority Health Leader Award, 2022 Nasdaq closing bell recognition as one of the first 1,000 National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Certified Directors, a 2021 Commetric Top Digital Health Influencer, 2020 UConn Tradition of Excellence Award, and 2019 Face2Face inaugural 30 Black Stars Transformational Business Leader Award.
An experienced STEM educator, Dr. Ononye served as an Adjunct Professor of Chemistry for four years in Connecticut. Her expertise and influence transcend to community engagement and economic empowerment, particularly for women and minorities, through her roles as an Entrepreneur in Residence for Yale Ventures and Chapman University, a Panelist for Octane OC's LaunchPad Accelerator, and a Board Advisor for Daré Bioscience and Biosortia Microbiomics. She is also an Inaugural Member of EY's Entrepreneurs Access Network, a Mentor and Advisor for Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network (DWEN), and a former President of the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) New York Chapter.
Dr. Ononye obtained her Ph.D. in Medicinal and Natural Product Chemistry, an MBA in Health Care Management, and an Advanced Business Certificate in Health Care Finance and Insurance from the University of Connecticut. Additionally, she holds a Master's in Public Health (MPH) from the University of Toledo and a BS Honors in Chemistry from Bowling Green State University. She completed her postdoctoral training in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) research at the Yale University School of Medicine.
Investors and partners can contact Dr. Ononye at sophia@sophiaconsultingfirm.com
Operations Management
Mr. Arthur Manda is a PhD candidate in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Science at Chapman University where he spearheaded the design and characterization of an innovative multi-component nano-drug delivery system, advancing targeted delivery of siRNA and CRISPR technologies to cancer cells, demonstrating analytical r
Operations Management
Mr. Arthur Manda is a PhD candidate in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Science at Chapman University where he spearheaded the design and characterization of an innovative multi-component nano-drug delivery system, advancing targeted delivery of siRNA and CRISPR technologies to cancer cells, demonstrating analytical rigor, a capability for problem-solving and pioneering solutions in healthcare. Growing up in Zimbabwe, Arthur witnessed firsthand the challenges of limited healthcare resources, which fueled his passion for innovating treatments for global diseases. He leverages his extensive experience in pharmaceutical sciences to empower biotech insights through a strategic problem-solving approach and proven track record of research innovation to enhance patient care.
HEALTH DISPARITIES
Dr. Carmen E. Guerra, MD, MSCE, FACP, Vice Chair of Diversity and Inclusion for the Department of Medicine and Associate Director of Diversity and Outreach at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, specializes in eliminating the barriers to cancer screening tests in underserved populations. Carmen
HEALTH DISPARITIES
Dr. Carmen E. Guerra, MD, MSCE, FACP, Vice Chair of Diversity and Inclusion for the Department of Medicine and Associate Director of Diversity and Outreach at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, specializes in eliminating the barriers to cancer screening tests in underserved populations. Carmen is also an attending physician at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the Presbyterian Medical Center. As an American Cancer Society volunteer, Carmen has held leadership positions at every level of the organization, including president of the former East Central Division Board and has served on the American Cancer Society Board of Directors since 2016. Carmen received the St. George National Award for her dedication to our mission in 2017. Carmen has served on the Mission Outcomes Committee, ACS Clinical Guidelines Development Group, and the National Advisory Council on Health Equity.
STRATEGIC OVERSIGHT
Dr. James (Jim) Boyle is a co-founder and the Managing Director of the Yale Entrepreneurial Institute (YEI), a business/educational unit within Yale University that was formed with the mission of mentoring students with new venture ideas and that has expanded to include the development of faculty ventures. Prior to form
STRATEGIC OVERSIGHT
Dr. James (Jim) Boyle is a co-founder and the Managing Director of the Yale Entrepreneurial Institute (YEI), a business/educational unit within Yale University that was formed with the mission of mentoring students with new venture ideas and that has expanded to include the development of faculty ventures. Prior to forming YEI, Jim was responsible within the Office of Cooperative Research (OCR) for the licensing and venture startup of a number of engineering-based technologies. Before joining OCR, he developed and actively managed the University’s largest corporate research alliance, managing a large array of both Yale and external scientists in bioimaging-based collaborations. Earlier, Jim co-founded and grew a predictive analytics consulting practice, providing both technical and pricing guidance on new product development to a wide array of Fortune 1000 companies in the scientific equipment industry. Jim began his entrepreneurial career while still a Yale graduate student, developing novel instruments for characterizing trace biomolecules with the support of the National Institutes of Health, and later commercializing these devices through a wide array of OEM partnerships as part of a Yale startup.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Ms. Ellen Wingard is an early innovator in the field of leadership development and has for 30 years coached and advised CEOs and emerging leaders in health care, financial services, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, technology and higher education. She is co-author of Enlightened Leadership: How Women are Transforming
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Ms. Ellen Wingard is an early innovator in the field of leadership development and has for 30 years coached and advised CEOs and emerging leaders in health care, financial services, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, technology and higher education. She is co-author of Enlightened Leadership: How Women are Transforming the Practice of Leadership. She is past Board Chair of World Pulse Media, an media channel linking 50,000 grassroots leaders across 190 countries, and a member of the Women’s Leadership Board at Harvard Kennedy School, where she engages with 150 top global corporate leaders on the latest practices in global talent development, gender inclusion and socially responsible business. She is part of the Executive Coaching pool of the Harvard Business School Executive Education Program and has been a commentator on career navigation and intergenerational mentoring to the Committee of 200, the Fletcher School International Business Program, Harvard Kennedy School, and NPR Marketplace. She has also served as a Mentor for the Impact Center a program affiliated with the Federal Leadership Program for distinguished public sector women leaders.
Dr. Sophia Ononye's story as a Nigerian American Millennial Female STEM Entrepreneur was featured on Inc.
Video courtesy of Face2Face Africa where Dr. Sophia Ononye was honored with a 30 Black Stars award and personalized certificate of congressional recognition from Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee on November 15, 2019 in Houston, Texas.
In January 2022, Dr. Sophia Ononye participated in the Science of Aging Panel at the Aesthetics Tech Summit 2022 in Newport Beach, California. The dynamic panel with leading industry and subject matter experts discussed high level trends and the future of aesthetics R&D, preventative aging as well as intrinsic aging and cellular health.
In May 2022, the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) recognized Sophia Ononye, PhD MPH MBA as NACD Directorship Certified®. In August 2022, Dr. Ononye-Onyia was joined the Nasdaq Closing Bell Ringing Ceremony in NYC for her notable achievement as one of the first 1,000 NACD Certified Directors.
In August 2020, SCF launched the 'Amplifying Scientific Innovation®: Virtual College Seminars' to expand its impact and reach. Through targeted speaking engagements at leading academic institutions, Dr. Ononye aims to inspire the next wave of talent in the life science and healthcare space.
In April 2021, Dr. Sophia Ononye was appointed to the Board of Directors of Daré Bioscience (NASDAQ: DARE), a leader in women’s health innovation.
Dr. Sophia Ononye was recently honored with a Tradition of Excellence Award by the UConn School of Pharmacy. She also served as a Guest Speaker on "Healthcare Innovations" for the UConn Executive MBA program and was featured as the Alumna of the Month by the UConn School of Business Alumni.
In January 2021, Dr. Sophia Ononye was featured as the Most Influential Digital Health Influencer in FemTech on Twitter by Commetric, a media analytics solution company.
Dr. Sophia Ononye joined the the Advisory Council of the Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) and is the current President of the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA), New York Chapter Board of Directors.
Dr. Sophia Ononye was recently selected to join the inaugural class of EY Entrepreneurs Access Network (EAN). The EAN is part of an elite community of Black and Latinx business leaders with tailored programs designed to transcend barriers and scale businesses.
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Amplifying Scientific Innovation® is a registered trademark of The Sophia Consulting Firm (SCF). Leadership Perspectives on Scientific Innovation and What is Your Definition of Scientific Innovation are pending SCF trademarks. Copyright © 2024 The Sophia Consulting Firm LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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