Philadelphia, PA (December 17, 2018)—Advancing its long-term goal to engage with Israel to strengthen the economy of the Delaware Valley region, The Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce continues to diversify and strengthen its leadership team, with the installation of five new Board Members, each of whom connects directly with innovation and technological advance that can mean jobs and opportunity for Greater Philadelphia.
Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce welcomed regional seasoned leaders to its Board of Directors at its board meeting on December 10 at Independence Live in Philadelphia. (R-L): PICC new Treasurer Immanuel John K.; Elizabeth D. Sigety, Esq., Partner, Fox Rothschild; Neil A. Cooper, Esq., Executive Partner, Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC and President, Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce; Mike Kelsen, Chief Executive Officer, Paramount Enterprises International, Inc.; Lori Gavrin, PhD, Executive Director of Business Development, Tmunity Therapeutics Incorporated; and Vered Nohi, Executive Director, Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce.
PICC membership elected Immanuel John K. to its Executive Committee as Treasurer, and the following professionals as Directors of the Board:
- Rajesh Aggarwal, MD PhD FRCS FACS, Senior Vice President, Jefferson Strategic Ventures, Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health
- Lori Gavrin, PhD, Executive Director of Business Development, Tmunity Therapeutics Incorporated
- Michael Kelsen, Chief Executive Officer, Paramount Enterprises International, Inc.
- Elizabeth D. Sigety, Esq. Partner, Fox Rothschild LLP
“It is my honor and privilege to welcome five regional leaders to the Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Their diverse experience with advanced technologies will complement the Chamber’s mission and activities growing joint ventures between and among companies, investors, researchers, executives and academics in Israel and Greater Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey and Delaware,” said Neil A. Cooper, Esq., PICC President.
Members of the Board and Advisory Board of the Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce welcoming its newly elected Directors of the Board at its board meeting at Independence Live in Philadelphia. (R-L) Seth Freedman, Director of Corporate Development & Innovation, Independence Health Group, Independence Blue Cross; J. Todd Abrams, Ph.D., Senior Director, New Ventures and Business Development, Temple University; Matthew I. Fingerman, ChFC®, CFP®, Wealth Manager, Bank of New York Mellon Wealth Management; David J. Allon, Managing Representative, Woodbury Financial; Immanuel John K.; Elizabeth D. Sigety, Esq., Partner, Fox Rothschild, LLP; Neil A. Cooper, Esq., Executive Partner, Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC and President, Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce; Lori F. Reiner, Chief People Officer, Philadelphia, EisnerAmper LLP; Lori Gavrin, PhD, Executive Director of Business Development, Tmunity Therapeutics Incorporated; Mike Krupit, Founder & Lead Coach, Trajectify LLC; Steven L. Friedman, Esq., Partner, Duane Morris LLP; Mike Kelsen, Chief Executive Officer, Paramount Enterprises International, Inc.; E. Carolyn Hochstadter Dicker, Esq., Managing Partner, E. Carolyn Hochstadter Dicker LLC; Nili Lesnik, General Manager, Golden Number Solution Corp.; and Vered Nohi, Executive Director, Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce.
Immanuel John K. is a former PICC Board and Advisory Board Member, and a retired Partner at Grant Thornton LLP, the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd, one of the world’s leading organizations of independent audit, tax and advisory firms. He has held several key leadership roles with Grant Thornton and served clients in the technology, medical devices, life sciences, software, manufacturing, telecommunications and service industries.
Dr. Rajesh Aggarwal is an expert surgeon at the Bariatric & Metabolic Surgery Program at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health. Most recently, as Senior Vice President, Jefferson Strategic Ventures, he leads Jefferson’s initiatives investing in innovative Israeli companies.
Dr. Lori Gavrin has nearly two decades of experience in drug discovery and development. She has held leadership roles within Wyeth, Pfizer and GSK in a variety of disciplines including medicinal chemistry, medical affairs, strategy, external innovation and business development. Since August 2018, Lori has served as Executive Director of Corporate and Business Development for Tmunity, a University of Pennsylvania spin-out company focused on developing T-cell therapies to treat, and ultimately cure, cancer.
Mike Kelsen is CEO of Paramount Enterprises International, Inc. (PEI), an international/intermodal logistics company specializing in the shipping, storage and handling of explosives and related high-value/sensitive cargo for commercial, aerospace and defense customers. An entrepreneur, Mike previously served as Managing Director & General Counsel of technology-focused investment and advisory firm Katalyst and founded s2s Communications, Inc.
Elizabeth D. Sigety, Esq. is a Partner of Fox Rothschild LLP, a national law firm with 26 offices across the United States. She is Co-Chair of Fox Rothschild’s Emerging Companies & Venture Capital practice as well as the firm’s Franchising, Licensing & Distribution practice. She is Managing Director and Co-Founder of Delaware Crossing Investor Group, an angel network providing capital and counsel to emerging companies in the Greater Philadelphia region. She is active in many organizations supporting emerging and franchise companies and a frequent speaker and writer in these areas.
PICC’s new Board members will be in a position to contribute to the success of PICC programming in 2019, featuring innovation in life sciences, food tech, automation, cybersecurity and more. The PICC will also promote regional joint ventures with Israeli innovators leveraging on funding from the U.S.-Israel Binational Industrial R&D Foundation (BIRD), the 2017 signed Israel-PA Memorandum of Understanding supporting joint ventures, and regional investors.
Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce:
The unique mission of the Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce is developing business and academic ties between Greater Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey and Delaware, and Israel. The PICC is a non-profit, non-denominational, independent organization focused on creating commercial and investment opportunities between the two regions.
The PICC also represents the US-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD), which has made more than $10 million in industrial R&D grants regionally to U.S.-Israeli technology ventures (5 grants awarded to PA and DE 2016-2018). For more information Ms. Vered Nohi, Executive Director Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce 302.540.6374 PICC@PhillyIsraelChamber.com