NewHavenBIZ

20 n e w h a v e n B I Z | F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 3 | n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m dominated by men. Frey currently serves as chief executive officer at the New Haven-based biosci- ence company Siduma erapeutics. e company, founded by Yale University professor Craig Crews, aims to use the body's innate biology to create a new class of medicines. Frey is leading Sidu- ma's efforts to develop therapeutics that target disease-causing proteins. Frey, who joined Siduma in 2021, has over two decades of experience in drug development, manufacturing and com- mercialization in a range of therapeutic areas. Frey has previously had leadership roles in biotech startups including EvolveImmune erapeutics, Cardurion Pharmaceuticals and Prevail erapeu- tics, and she spent a decade working in medical affairs, research, development, and manufacturing at Alexion Phar- maceuticals. Frey earned a doctorate in pharmacy from Northeastern University. Frey has actively been working to increase the number of women leaders in the bioscience industry. She is among the women who launched Executive Women in Bio of Connecticut, the state's first chapter of the national organization, Women in Bio. It serves as a network for women in the industry, so they can help each other succeed. It fosters connections and opportunities and aims to build a pipeline of women biotech leaders, while also raising the profile of female scientists and executives. Frey also serves as venture partner with Elm Street Ventures and as an independent director on the board of Halda erapeutics. Siduma and Halda are portfolio companies for Elm Street Ventures. Siduma inked a lease for space in the Elm City Bioscience Center, at 55 Church St., in 2022. At the time, Frey said Siduma's team was delighted to be moving in, and advancing the company's science and mission in the heart of the city's life science ecosystem. Erik Clemons, CEO, ConnCORP Erik Clemons is working to make the Dixwell Plaza revitalization proj- ect in New Haven come to fruition. Clemons is CEO of ConnCORP, the Connecticut Community Outreach Revi- talization Program. e Dixwell project includes replacing a mostly vacant shopping plaza with a mixed-use development, including nearly 150 housing units, 20% of which will be affordable, and 15 affordable townhouses. e 7.6-acre site will be revitalized into a retail, business, residential and cultural center with a 300-seat performing arts center, banquet hall and restaurants, supermarket, retail sites, development agency headquarters and an entrepre- neurial incubator for minority-owned businesses, along with an early child-care center and greenhouses for urban farm- ing initiatives. Developers recently announced they are ready to start construction aer securing private funds and $10 million from the state Bond Commission. Clemons said it is ConnCORP's sig- nature project, among multiple ventures aimed to rejuvenate neglected parts of New Haven and fight poverty. Clemons expects the project to generate hundreds of jobs. ConnCORP also works to attract busi- nesses to New Haven. ConnCORP is the for-profit community economic devel- opment arm of workforce development nonprofit ConnCAT, the Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology. Clemons is the founding CEO and president of ConnCAT, which creates arts-based educational environments for at-risk public school students and training programs for underemployed and unemployed adults. Clemons has a lengthy background in nonprofit leadership. Before he joined ConnCAT, Clemons served as executive director of Leadership, Education, and Athletics in Partnership (LEAP), which provides academic and social enrich- ment programs to children and youth between the ages of five and 23. Clemons has also been very active on various boards and commissions, including the Housing Authority of New Haven, Connecticut State Board of Ed- ucation, Elm City Market and Yale-New Haven Hospital. Lizz Acee, Partner, Barclay Damon Lizz Acee, a partner with the prominent area law firm Barclay Damon, serves on its management committee as managing director of major markets. As such, she oversees its New Haven, Boston, New York, Newark, and Wash- ington D.C. offices. Acee has helped oversee the firm's growth. Acee recently indicated that the firm's major market offices had a com- bined 25% increase in attorneys in the past year. e staff increase, according to Acee, is part of the firm's continued effort to grow on a national scale and expand services it offers to clients. Acee first joined Barclay Damon in 2019, and was among a group of attor- neys the firm hired from the now defunct LeClairRyan. Acee writes regularly about employ- ment issues, such as legal issues related to workforce downsizing, and has been quoted in media outlets about topics such as evolving state employment laws. Acee is involved in the firm's Women's Forum, which was established to provide mentoring to female attorneys and help them succeed. It provides networking events for women clients and community contacts. Acee has more than 20 years of ex- perience as an attorney. She focuses her practice on employment and business litigation, internal investigations and em- ployment counseling. Acee regularly de- fends employers in a range of industries, such as higher education, health care, biotech, manufacturing, retail, hospitality and finance. In addition to serving as a litigator, Acee conducts internal investigations for clients involving allegations of workplace misconduct. She also helps her employ- er clients avoid litigation by counseling them on best policies. Robert Koenig, Founder & CEO, Woodbridge International Robert Koenig founded New Haven-based global merger and acquisition firm Woodbridge Inter- national in 1993. Koenig, the firm's CEO, has been growing the company ever since. e firm recently announced that it had closed 32 deals in 2022 alone. e 32 business sales gener- ated $619 million in liquidity for clients, according to the company. ree of those deals closed in December. Woodbridge focuses on the lower middle market, or transactions in the $5 million to $100 million range. While the large-deal segment of the M&A market has seen a slowdown, Koenig said the lower middle market has continued to thrive because it is less affected by interest rate hikes. Koenig said there are many buyers looking for transactions in the lower middle market level, and he anticipates the positive trend to continue in 2023. Information technology, transportation and supply chain, consumer products, energy, utilities and waste were the top industries in the lower middle market sold by Koenig's company in 2022. For example, in December, Wood- bridge announced the acquisition of its client, Rocky Mountain Restoration, an Arizona-based property damage restoration company, by HighGround Restoration Group Inc. In November, Woodbridge client RedWeek Inc., an on- line timeshare marketplace, was acquired by Arrivia Inc., a travel loyalty provider. Koenig was an established business- man when he launched Woodbridge. He previously grew Koenig Corp., an art supply retail distribution and manufac- turing company, from $5 million to $100 million in sales. While president of Koe- nig, he completed 30 add-on acquisitions and grew the company to capture 10% of the art supply market before ultimately selling the company. At Woodbridge, Koenig has built a database of companies and private equity groups to help quickly identify potential buyers. Justin Elicker, Mayor, New Haven e city of New Haven is garner- ing positive and widespread recog- nition under May- or Justin Elicker's leadership. e New York Times recently named the city among its recommended "52 Places to Go in 2023." "It's wonderful to see New Haven rec- ognized as a premier world destination to visit and experience the arts, culture, food, distinctive neighborhoods, and so much more," Elicker said. Elicker, the city's 51st elected mayor, is quick to point out that the city has a "treasure trove" of things to see and do, and he looks forward to welcoming more visitors and tourists. Meanwhile, Elicker's administration is implementing the city's first Cultural Equity Plan, which aims to ensure that traditionally under-represented local artists, cultural organizations, and civic institutions are celebrated and supported. Elicker notes that New Haven's cultural assets, such as theaters, venues, designers and musicians, are concentrated down- town, away from where many minority residents live. With the Cultural Equity Plan, the city aims to expand its footprint of cultural institutions throughout New Haven, while also providing resources so Black and brown artists can thrive, according to Elicker. Elicker also has worked to increase the amount the city receives from the state PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) program. He led a coalition of municipal leaders to advocate for change, an effort which he says led to $49 million in addi- tional funding for New Haven. Elicker's efforts to get Yale University to pay more to the city have proven fruitful. In 2021, Yale pledged to give the city an additional $52 million in voluntary con- tributions over a six-year period, raising Yale's total contribution in that timeframe to $135 million. Prior to becoming Mayor, Elicker served for four years on the city's Board of Alders. His career also includes work- ing as a foreign service officer in the U.S. State Department. Josh Geballe, Managing Director, Yale Ventures Josh Geballe, managing director of Yale Ventures, works to turn Yale University research into real-world products and busi- nesses. Geballe in 2022 went to work for Yale Continued from previous page P o w e r 2 5 G r e a t e r N e w H a v e n

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