Rosalind Franklin University’s Helix 51 biomedical incubator celebrated five years of operations with the entry of five new companies, bringing the roster of startups to twelve, including its first international representative.
Growing biotech companies choose to grow in Lake County because of its wealth of industry leaders and resources, including Helix 51, which helps startups make the leap from discovery to commercialization of urgently needed new therapeutics and diagnostics for a wide range of disease types including cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, and autoimmune disorders.
The Regional Office of Education has launched a new initiative - Career Navig8 Lake County - to connect students in grades 8 - 12 with local employers and nurture career exploration. Career Navig8 will kick off with a large-scale, immersive event on October 30th at the Lake County Fairgrounds. Applications are now being accepted from employers who wish to participate and help shape the next generation of Lake County talent.
Manufacturing Month is fast approaching, and there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate while tapping into talent and connecting with industry leaders. With an array of events geared towards showcasing best practices, engaging the next generation, and bringing students and employers together, there is something for everyone in October. The festivities will cap off with the formal establishment of a new Manufacturing Alliance to provide unparalleled opportunities for growth and success in Lake County.
We host exciting groundbreakings, ribbon cuttings and engagements all year long, but our signature "Invested Together" event is our opportunity to do what we do best: bring together the public and private sectors to reflect on our success and inspire continued collaboration.
The headline of this year's Invested Together was this: Our work has driven $204 million in direct investment and helped to create 300+ new jobs and retain 259 existing jobs so far in 2024. These aren’t just numbers—they are real people with real opportunities, and they’re all contributing to Lake County's vibrant, thriving economy.
Michael S. Rosen Managing Director of the Innovation and Research Park and Helix 51 Incubator, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
The Helix 51 incubator just celebrated its 5th anniversary. How does it support new startups?
Helix 51 companies are typically very early-stage and include 2-4 employees each. We have the unique ability to support them in a variety of ways, such as:
Wet and dry labs for product development and access to specialized equipment such as biological safety cabinets, chemical fume hoods, lab refrigerators and freezers, cell incubators, and a class 100,000 "clean" room;
Entrepreneur-in Residence Program that provides key access to intellectual property strategy, legal strategy (investors, licensing, partnerships, etc.), grant-writing, business plans and pitch decks, management building, product scaleup and development, and FDA regulatory strategy;
Internships from our College of Pharmacy, Northwestern's Masters of Biotechnology, and Kent School of Law - all paid for by Helix 51;
Research Cores for inexpensive access to expensive scientific equipment that most small companies can't easily afford:
Funding opportunities through angel and venture capital investor exposure: and,
Frequent programming on key disease topics related to cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's and genetics as well as entrepreneurial subjects.
Can you tell us about the tenant mix at Helix 51?
The 13 companies in Helix 51 represent drug development, medical devices and diagnostics, with technologies coming from RFU, Northwestern, UIC, University of Chicago, Rush, Lurie Children's Hospital and Advocate Aurora hospitals.
We even have our first international company from Mexico working on stem cell technology for cancer and other diseases. At least 4 of the companies are working on new approaches to cancer, two in the cardiovascular disease area, two in the infectious disease area, and a number in the immune disorders area.
How does the university foster networking among life science leaders?
We leverage events to showcase the powerful impact that RFU research has on genetic diseases and cancer. At our recent Biomedical Innovation Day, we hosted expert insights from keynote speaker Tim Walbert, the former Chairman/CEO of Horizon Therapeutics - a company that he built from scratch in Lake County and sold to Amgen for $28 billion last year. The event was also a prime example of our ability to engage Lake County's multinational companies, such as Amgen, and the many professional networks in the region, including the Chicago Biomedical Consortium, Qral Ventures and Women in Bio.
Lake County has a deep bench of life science talent, and we are well positioned to bring industry leaders together to fuel innovation, technology and medicine in positively impact healthcare outcomes.
Get Involved!
The LCP Board of Governors welcomes its newest member:
Michael Murphy, Senior Vice President, Byline Bank
