Fellows Sponsor:  The Higgins Group

Founded in 1998, the Higgins Group specializes in senior-level searches in both major pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology firms. Owner and Founder Donna Higgins has over two decades of experience in both emerging and large corporate environments, which translates into deep knowledge of and insight into the lifesciences world, a dedicated focus on the right results, and the willingness to understand and put clients' needs first. "The proof is in our track record of successful placements", says Donna Higgins. "Out of all the searches we've performed, 98% of those placed are still with their organizations and, of those on-board more than 18 months, over half have been promoted."

 

About the Fellows Program

Meet Our 2011 Fellows

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Past Fellows 

 

 

 

Meet Our 2010 Fellows

AWE is pleased to announce the 2010 Fellows:  Sarah L. Russell, Dr. Christine Martey-Ochola and Kendra Gaeta.  The 2010 Fellows were formally presented during the Annual Celebration and Iris Newman Award program held November 17, 2009, at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia.  Read Press Release

Fellow - Sarah Russell.jpgSarah L. Russell
Founder & CEO of Self-management Solutions, Inc.

Sarah L. Russell, M.D. is the founder and CEO of Self-Management Solutions, Inc.,  a company dedicated to providing low-tech tools for patient self-management of chronic disease and preventive health strategies.  SMS has patented a text message-based system, using a database server that is accessed through a web-based application, which patients use as a toolkit for daily self-adjustment of medications.  The company’s first customer is Merck, and is currently serving as vendor for a text message-based reminder system around vaccines and other preventive health measures.

Sarah graduated Magna cum laude with high honors from Harvard.  She was one of four Harvard graduates selected for the Harvard-Cambridge Fellowship.  She earned MPhil in Development Economics from Cambridge University in England in 2000.

After graduating from Cambridge, she went to Botswana, where she executed the social science arm of large NIH study on mother-to-child transmission of HIV.  

She then attended Medical School at Harvard and trained in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.  During her residency, she took a night class in Social Entrepreneurship and discovered her love for entrepreneurship.

Sarah went to South Africa to work in a public hospital and there developed a business plan around training hospital workers regarding the distribution of safety needles.  She also negotiated a deal with the Beckton, Dickinson Company for a safety needle contract for KwaZuluNatal Province.  She is currently at Wharton pursuing her MBA.

Fellow - Martey-Ochola (2).jpgDr. Christine Martey-Ochola
Vice President, Research & Development of Advent Beauty, LLC

Dr. Christine Martey-Ochola recently established Advent Beauty, LLC, a subsidiary of Advent Business Group of Collegeville, PA.  Advent Beauty develops, manufactures and sells hair care products specific to individuals of all races with curly hair, whether natural or chemically "permed". The unique aspect of Advent Beauty's products is that they are composed of all natural ingredients-no harsh chemicals such as those typically used in these products.  All formulations were developed by Christine herself, and intellectual property resides with the company.

Christine, a native Kenyan, has now planted roots firmly in Pennsylvania (she is a graduate of both East Stroudsburg University and Lehigh University), and she keeps her scientific mind sharp as an Assistant Professor at Villanova.  She maintains close ties to her native Kenya as president of the USA-Kenya Chamber of Commerce, an organization that facilitates trade between the US and Kenya.

Fellow - Kendra Gaeta.jpgKendra Gaeta
CEO of Kidzillions/Task Farm, LLC

Kendra Gaeta is the CEO of Kidzillions, an online allowance and chore rewards platform, geared towards teaching kids financial skills and civic values.

Her company participated in 2009's DreamIt Ventures program, at the Science Center in Philadelphia. Prior to that, Kendra was Creative Director at Lime Projects, a marketing company where she specialized in interactive media development.

An avid booster of the city, Kendra runs the "Move To Philly" website with her partner, Laris Kreslins, and together they give tours to people considering a move to Philadelphia.