Nola Masterson, Founder

Nola Masterson works with clients on governance practices and coaches Directors and aspiring Directors. She is an experienced global executive and Board leader serving on public company, venture- backed private company and non-profit organization Boards. Her career includes successful business experience, with Millipore for eight years and as CEO and co-founder of Sequenom, (SQNM), and the first analyst in biotechnology on Wall Street with Drexel Burnham Lambert and Merrill Lynch. She has managed her own venture fund, and has been a Venture Partner in a major European IT and life sciences venture fund, TVM Capital. She is also a Lead Investor In Portfolia , a FemTech focused venture fund and has led several investments by the fund. During her 14 years on the Repros Therapeutics (RPRX) Board she advised the CEO on strategy, finance, operations and Board recruitment. She served as Chair of the Board for 5 years and as Chair of the Compensation Committee and a member of the Audit Committee.

Ms. Masterson’s areas of expertise include medical device, pharmaceuticals, scientific tools, separation processes and diagnostics technology as well as genetic analysis. One of Ms. Masterson’s key strengths is her understanding of the “DNA” that makes a company great. Her leadership style is as a synthesizer, to create a professional environment that aligns with, and contributes to success at every stage of company development. Ms. Masterson is certified by the American College of Corporate Directors as a Certified Professional Director, and she is listed in the Boardwise Registry of Corporate Directors. She has many years of experience in Board position recruitment and transition processes, in building productive Board cultures, and in aligning processes and cultures with CEOs and other senior executives with respect in particular to accountability and performance measurement.

Ms. Masterson is Managing Director of Science Futures Management Co. LLC and in that positon acts as a lead investor in Portfolia Femtech Fund, an angel fund, dedicated to supporting women early stage investors with education and investments in women focused healthcare companies. She sits on the board of Prime Genomics, Inc. and LynxBio Inc. She is an Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco in the graduate school of arts and science teaching biotechnogy entrepreneurship. Ms. Masterson is the co-chair of the San Francisco Chapter of Women Corporate Directors (WCD) and sits on the non-profit board of the American Diabetes Association and is president of the Los Viajeros Riding Club.

Her hobbies include horseback riding and oil painting.