The Polsky Center is hosting a fireside chat with Jeff Aronin, chairman and CEO of Paragon Biosciences as a part of this year’s Chicago Venture Summit. The fireside chat will cover entrepreneurship, creating successful companies, and the future of healthcare. Bala Srinivasan, PhD ’95, vice president for Global Initiatives and Strategy, Deputy Provost, and interim head of the Polsky Center at the University of Chicago will moderate the program. Prior to the discussion, various startups will pitch their business plans to those in attendance. Students and members of the public are welcome to attend this fireside chat though attendance at the rest of the Chicago Venture Summit is by invitation only and managed by World Business Chicago.

About the speaker // 
Jeffrey Aronin is chairman and CEO of Paragon Biosciences and has nearly 20 years of experience developing global biopharmaceutical companies and innovative solutions to complex human problems. Aronin also serves as chairman of several of Paragon Biosciences’ portfolio companies, including Castle Creek Pharmaceuticals, Harmony Biosciences, Emalex Biosciences, and Skyline Biosciences. Previously, he served as president and CEO of Ovation Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company he founded in 2000 that was acquired by Lundbeck, Inc. in 2009. Aronin’s patient-focused approach and expertise in novel drug development have made him one of the most successful leaders in the bioscience sector. Driven by his passion for helping patients and by focusing on addressing unmet medical needs, he and his team have received over 31 novel drug approvals from the FDA, created thousands of jobs, and improved countless lives.