Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/848827
38 Hartford Business Journal • July 17, 2017 www.HartfordBusiness.com Evan Honeyman Q&A: What do you do in your current job? My role is com- prised of business development, identifying new part- nership opportunities, sales, deal-making, and overall strategy. Whether we're launching strategic integrations with our partners or releasing a new product to the mar- ket, I work hand-in-hand with our talented business and engineering teams to drive projects across the finish line. What are your goals in your current job? I strive to grow sales, maximize profitability, and carve out more market share, all while also finding new applications for our technology products to help grow together with our part- ners. For example, I am currently making a big push for companies to license our Seatics interactive venue maps. What's your biggest passion? Launching new business- es/ventures and entrepreneurship has been a passion of mine since I was a child selling lemonade and iced tea with my brother. At 16, I was running an eBay store with $100,000-plus in annual sales and trading stocks. Traveling is also a passion of mine — It gives me an opportunity to immerse myself in other cultures. Over the past 1 ½ years, I've traveled to Antigua, Aruba, Costa Rica, Iceland and various U.S. states. What are your future professional aspirations? Right now, I am laser-focused on growing our current busi- ness, as well as seeking out new partnerships and integration opportunities. I'm committed to Connecti- cut for the long-haul, and it is my plan to continue to grow my professional career here, while also becom- ing more involved in local and state politics. How are you involved in the community? My parents taught me how important it was to give back and make a difference. When there is a cause that I believe in, I rally support amongst friends, family and community mem- bers. Lately, I've been very involved with helping political candidates get elected to local and statewide offices. If you were governor of Connecticut for a day what is one policy you'd push to improve the state's future? Great businesses and talent are leaving Connecticut at an alarming rate. This is putting a major strain on our economy and tax base, which is having a dra- matic effect on our communities. We need a state that is welcoming to businesses and college graduates. As governor, I would surround myself with a team comprised of experienced business leaders, entrepre- neurs and innovators from both parties to create an environment where accountability is enforced, taxes are equitable, spending curtailed and businesses could thrive. This would require tough decisions, but Connecticut would once again be open for business. List four reasons why you deserve to be a 40 Under Forty: 1. I'm highly motivated and have launched mul- tiple businesses/ventures throughout my life in various industries. 2. Within six months of my new role at Ticket- Network, I doubled our client base, which included both domestic and international clients. This resulted in a sig- nificant lift in overall sales, profitability and distribution. 3. I actively give back to the community/local causes through volunteering efforts and donations. 4. I regu- larly provide campaign advice/strategy for candidates in Connecticut running for local and statewide positions, in an effort to spur positive change in our state. I'm a certified scuba diver, and I've cage-dived with Great White sharks in Australia, which was an exhilarating experience. Age: 26 Company: TicketNetwork Title: Director of Business Development Town where I live: Farmington Town where I work: South Windsor College: Bentley University FUN FACT Will McLean Q&A: What do you do in your current job? In my current job, I lead research to discover regenerative medicines that can be applied to many ailments throughout the body. Our lead indication is a drug treatment to treat hearing loss by regenerating lost cells in the ear that sense sound. What are your goals in your current job? My goal is to have a major impact on the lives of patients by creating new regenerative therapies. Essentially, these therapies are designed to activate your body's stem cells to restore and repair damaged tissue. This work is creating a new mode of treatment for diseases caused by cellular insufficiencies. What's your biggest passion? My biggest passion is making scientific discoveries that can help patients. In particular, I am passionate about regenerative medicine and researching what allows some species and organs to regenerate while others cannot. These insights are important for determining how to repair tissues for medical indications. I enjoy discovering drugs that unlock this regenerative ability in cells and tissues throughout the body because it has the poten- tial to help millions of people around the world. What are your future professional aspirations? My near-term future professional aspirations are to have a drug we are developing succeed in the clinic and improve the lives of people with hearing loss. In the future, I hope to use insights from my research to develop a regenerative therapy for Type 1 diabetes. How are you involved in the community? I have participated in events for scientific outreach to young people. This has included serving as a judge for school science fairs and presenting at ManyMentor events, which aim to encourage and support underrepresent- ed students' pursuit of scientific careers. If you had one wish to brighten Greater Hartford's economic future what would it be? I would like to see growth of vibrant entrepreneurial communities that leverage science and innovation. The value of such a community can be seen at UConn's Technology Incubation Program, where startups can advance their innovative ideas through connections to UConn, inves- tors and mentors. Such a community allows entrepre- neurs to collaborate and learn from each other to avoid pitfalls and improve their progress. It also provides an opportunity for Connecticut college graduates to find jobs in the state. While we often hear about the successful inventor in a garage, my experience at TIP underscores the value of community and connectivity. List four reasons why you deserve to be a 40 Under Forty: Co-founded a company that currently employs six Connecticut scientists, and recently closed on a $32 million series A funding round. Made key scien- tific discoveries in regenerating cells to treat hearing loss and other ailments, which have led to 12 filed patents. Scientific research has been published in high-impact journals and has received notable public attention. The work has been reported on by several news outlets, including NPR, STAT and the New Yorker. Participates in scientific outreach and the pro- motion of science and math careers for students. I grow and eat the hottest peppers in the world (Carolina Reaper, 300 times hotter than a jalapeño). Age: 30 Company: Frequency Therapeutics Title: Co-founder, VP of Biology & Regenerative Medicine Town where I live: North Haven Town where I work: Farmington College: Tufts University, MIT, Harvard Medical School FUN FACT 40 Under Forty 2017