About Us

Prior to founding Elephas, Maneesh served as CEO of Farcast Biosciences, a venture-backed cancer diagnostics company focused on improving treatment outcomes for cancer patients. Earlier in his career, Maneesh spent a decade as Chief Operating Officer at Exact Sciences, where he helped scale the company from 3 employees to more than 3,000. During his tenure, Exact Sciences advanced its mission of early detection and prevention of colorectal cancer, including the development and commercialization of Cologuard in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic.

Before Exact Sciences, Maneesh held leadership roles at Third Wave Technologies, a molecular diagnostics company acquired by Hologic in 2008. There, he led business strategy and commercial operations and was later appointed Chief Financial Officer. Maneesh holds a BA in Economics from the University of Chicago and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Dr. Premal Patel is Chief Medical Officer at Elephas. Premal is a physician-scientist and biotechnology executive with over two decades of leadership experience spanning Genentech, Pfizer, Juno, Lyell, and eFFECTOR Therapeutics. He was most recently the Chief Executive Officer of Cellinfinity Bio, focused on a next-generation in vivo CAR-T therapy. As Chief Medical Officer at eFFECTOR, he redefined clinical strategy and helped guide a successful IPO.

Premal holds a BS in Pharmacy from Rutgers University, an MD and PhD from the University of Washington and completed his oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Patel will add critical clinical insight as the company advances to launch.

Carolyn serves as Chief Commercial Officer at Elephas, bringing more than 20 years of experience driving growth in the life sciences industry. Prior to Elephas, she was Chief Growth Officer at Precision AQ, where she managed multiple P&Ls, led global teams, and played a key role in executing strategic acquisitions in the U.S. and internationally.

Carolyn is widely recognized for her leadership, having been named one of PharmaVoice’s 100 most inspiring leaders in life sciences and receiving the MM+M “Women of Distinction” award. She has also been recognized in Orange County’s “40 Under 40.” She is actively involved in organizations including the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, International Women’s Forum, Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, and Women in Biotech. Carolyn holds a BS in Business Communications from Bentley University and is dedicated to mentoring future leaders through programs such as Pay it Forward for Tomorrow’s Women Today.

Hinco brings more than 25 years of experience in oncology and genomics across both academia and industry. Prior to joining Elephas, he served as Vice President of Product Development at Integra Connect, where he led the development of enterprise analytical software solutions for clinicians and biopharma researchers. Earlier in his career, he was the Team Lead for scientific software at Illumina, contributing to the company’s Precision Medicine Platform.

Hinco earned his PhD in Oncology and Genomics from the University of Amsterdam and completed his postdoctoral research at Stanford University, where he focused on whole genome sequencing and bioinformatics. His work has resulted in more than 25 scientific publications, over 6,900 citations, and a patent.

Terry is Chief Financial Officer at Elephas with more than 20 years of experience in finance and accounting. Prior to joining Elephas in 2020, Terry served as CFO at Farcast Biosciences. He also spent seven years as CFO of Freedom Graphic Systems, where he oversaw accounting, corporate development, purchasing, and legal functions.

Earlier in his career, Terry was a partner at a turnaround and management consulting firm and worked in public accounting at KPMG. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Accounting from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Mike brings decades of experience in advanced imaging and optical innovation. Before joining Elephas, he founded Prairie Technologies, where he served as President and Chief Systems Architect until its acquisition by Bruker in 2013. Following the acquisition, Mike joined Bruker as General Manager, leading the integration of Prairie Technologies and establishing the company's Fluorescence Microscopy Division.

Mike has been a pioneer in laser microscopy, contributing to the development of the first commercial multi-photon microscope capable of combining electrical recording with imaging and photoactivation. He has also led innovations in confocal microscopy and high-speed laser scanning technologies with impact across academic and industry research labs worldwide. Mike earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Ann brings more than 25 years of experience in Quality and Regulatory Affairs across medical devices, biopharmaceuticals, and consumer products. Since joining Elephas in 2020, she has played a key role in advancing quality systems and regulatory compliance. Prior to Elephas, Ann held leadership roles at Mueller Sports Medicine and Thermo Fisher Scientific and operated her own consulting business for nearly a decade.

Her experience includes establishing ISO 13485-compliant quality management systems, leading regulatory remediation efforts, and developing training and supplier quality programs. Ann holds a BS in Animal Science from Iowa State University, an MBA in Quality Management from Upper Iowa University, and a professional certificate in International Biopharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs from Northeastern University. She is also a Certified Manager of Quality and Organizational Excellence through the American Society for Quality.

Steve brings more than 20 years of experience in information technology, software development, and systems implementation. Prior to joining Elephas, he served as Vice President of IT Operations at Exact Sciences, where he led enterprise IT strategy and supported systems for products including Cologuard® and Oncotype DX.

Earlier in his career, Steve founded and led multiple technology companies, including Sampleminded, a SaaS provider of laboratory information systems for life sciences and clinical trials, and Helio, a system integrator focused on ERP, supply chain, and customer experience platforms. He holds an MBA with a specialization in Management of Technology from the University of Utah.

Tammy brings more than 25 years of operational leadership experience across the life sciences industry. At Elephas, she oversees manufacturing, supply chain, engineering, and technical operations. Prior to joining Elephas, Tammy served as Vice President of Operations at Exact Sciences, where she supported multiple product lines including Cologuard®, Oncotype DX, and other laboratory-developed tests.

Previously, Tammy held leadership roles at Thermo Fisher Scientific, where she managed the production of over 500 life sciences products and established SelectScreen Screening and Profiling Services. She began her career at Schering-Plough Research Institute in high-throughput screening and drug discovery. Tammy earned her PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Minnesota and a BS in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Erin Kaminsky currently serves as VP, Chief of Staff, and has held roles of increasing responsibility since the launch of Elephas in 2020. Previously, Erin held the role of Executive Business Partner for Farcast Biosciences, a venture-backed cancer diagnostic company.

Prior to her time with Farcast, Erin spent 8 years with Wolverine Worldwide, a global footwear manufacturer with a portfolio of owned and licensed brands. During her tenure Erin led merchandising and operational functions for multiple brands and was consistently recognized for operational excellence. Erin’s experience also includes additional corporate retail roles focused on planning and allocation.

Erin graduated Magna Cum Laude from Western Michigan University’s Haworth College of Business.

Steven K. Galson, MD, MPH, is a consultant to Amgen and serves on the Board of Directors of Insilico Medicine and Biocryst Pharmaceuticals. Until June 2020 he was a senior vice president of Research and Development at Amgen. He joined the company in 2010 as vice president of Global Regulatory Affairs. Prior to Amgen, Dr. Galson was senior vice president for Civilian Health Operations and chief health scientist at Science Applications International Corporation.

Dr. Galson spent more than 20 years in government service, including two years as acting Surgeon General of the United States. Previously, he served as director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), where he provided leadership for the center’s broad national and international programs in pharmaceutical regulation.

Dr. Galson began his public health service career as an epidemiological investigator at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) after completing a residency in internal medicine at the Hospitals of the Medical College of Pennsylvania. He also held senior-level positions at the Environmental Protection Agency; the Department of Energy, where he was chief medical officer; and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Dr. Burris most recently served as President and Chief Medical Officer of the Sarah Cannon Research Institute, where he helped launch the institute’s first community-based phase 1 drug development program in 1997. Over his tenure, he oversaw more than 850 first-in-human trials, leading to numerous FDA-approved therapies that reshaped standards of care in oncology.

A former President of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), he currently chairs Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation. He was named a Giant of Cancer Care in Drug Development by OncLive in 2014, recognizing his career-long focus on expanding early-phase drug development beyond academic medical centers and into community oncology settings.

Dr. Burris completed his undergraduate education at the United States Military Academy at West Point and earned his medical degree from the University of South Alabama, followed by a residency and fellowship in hematology/oncology at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Corey Ritter is a Partner at ARCH Venture Partners, having joined the firm in 2018. Corey’s work at ARCH focuses on new company formation and early-stage investments. He co-founded Vizgen and Scale Biosciences, and he is a director at several life science and technology companies, including Slingshot Biosciences, Enumerix, and Quantum Circuits, Inc. Prior to ARCH, Corey was an associate with the University of Chicago Innovation Fund, a seed fund that supports and invests in spinouts from U Chicago and Argonne National Lab. Previously, Corey was an active duty officer in the US Army. He holds a BA in Astrophysics from Princeton University and completed his MBA at the University of Chicago.