ROCKVILLE, MD, Nov 27, 2012 -- The MdBio Foundation, Inc. today announced that it has named Brian Gaines as its CEO. Gaines brings more than 25 years of leadership, philanthropic and management experience to the MdBio Foundation. He has spent the majority of his professional career working for and creating several entrepreneurial endeavors in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. He will be responsible for advancing MdBio's overall mission, as well as day-to-day operations, fundraising, development and launch of MdBioSphere(TM), and supporting all educational programs, including the MdBioLab. The MdBio Foundation will continue to work closely with the MdBio Division of the Technology Council of Maryland to support the bioscience industry in Maryland.
"We are thrilled to have Brian on board at the helm of MdBio," said J.J. Finkelstein, chair of the MdBio Foundation. "His work in the philanthropic community, combined with his experience in finance and operations, and his entrepreneurial background, will make him a great asset in helping grow the foundation and supporting our mission."
Gaines joins the Foundation having most recently served as executive director of the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation & Community Relations. Previously, he served as vice president of Partnerships, Marketing and Regional Operations at College Summit, a nonprofit education organization that partners with high schools in underserved communities to raise their college-going rates. He has held key leadership roles at several nationally recognized nonprofits, assisting them in achieving increased social impact. He also was the founding executive director of the Joshua Venture, a venture philanthropy fund working to support innovative projects. Earlier in his career, Gaines was CEO and managing partner for Ben & Jerry's San Francisco/NYSF Partners. Gaines earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the State University of New York at Albany.
"The MdBio Foundation has a powerful mission, and from my past work in education, I know how critically important science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education is for our youth and for continued economic development," said Gaines. "I am looking forward to working with everyone involved in MdBio, to continue expanding awareness of life sciences and supporting our efforts to provide additional education and workforce development across the state of Maryland."
About MdBio Foundation: The MdBio Foundation is a private charitable organization that whose mission is to support bioscience awareness, education and workforce development in Maryland. Its signature program, the MdBioLab, is a custom-built mobile bioscience laboratory that provides a compelling learning environment centered on inquiry-based laboratory activities for high school students and their teachers throughout Maryland. The Foundation is also developing an innovative and immersive "serious" video game platform for science teachers and students nationwide, which is being targeted for launch in Maryland during the 2012-2014 school year. The online platform, called MdBioSphere(TM), seeks to advance student literacy in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and revitalize student interest in science-related careers through the use of innovative gaming technology. The Foundation is an affiliate of the Tech Council of Maryland. For more information, visit the MdBio Foundation website.
Media Contact: Brad Wills 240.752.7171 Email Contact
SOURCE: MdBio Foundation
