Meet our team

Frank Kumli, PhD

Frank Kumli has worked at Basel Area Business & Innovation since 2019.

Previously, Frank Kumli worked ten years for Ernst & Young in various global and local functions. Before that, he headed the business development efforts for health ingredients at Lonza and as Director of Marketing & Sales at Carbogen Amcis accompanied its development from start-up to a multinational enterprise.

Frank Kumli completed his PhD in organic chemistry at the Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium) and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Colorado State University (US), a Sales Management degree at the University of St. Gallen (CH) and an Executive MBA at the University of Rochester (USA/CH).

I am all about innovation but also about boosting research and development in the region in particular and in Switzerland in general. Read my interview with Le Quotidien here.

Dr. Adrian Sprenger

Dr. Adrian Sprenger has been working with Basel Area Business & Innovation since 2017.

Prior to that, he won his entrepreneurial spurs as the Managing Director of his own biotech start-up.

Adrian Sprenger studied biochemistry at the University of Tübingen and gained his doctorate at ETH Zurich, UC Berkeley and the University of Freiburg.

Find out how I can support you in turning your innovation into a successful business. Read more about it here or reach out to discuss how I can help you.

Albert Hilber

Albert Hilber joined Basel Area Business & Innovation in 2018.

He was a member of the management team in large ICT and high tech companies and as Senior Project Manager successfully managed international ICT projects for sports events and ICT infrastructure projects for industries and public transport. He was a mentor for startups and SMEs. In a part time assignment, he is a member of the administration of Elektra Oberrohrdorf.

Albert Hilber has a diploma in Electrical Engineering Dipl. El. Ing. FH and is graduate of the International Advanced Management Program at IMD Lausanne and the Schweizer Kurs für Unternehmensführung SKU.

Are you interested in a new way of exploring innovation in your company? Contact me directly or find out more about the i4Challenge to promote your Industry 4.0 solution. To the i4Challenge.

Anca del Río

Anca del Río joined Basel Area Business & Innovation in 2022.

She is a thought leader in global health and innovation governance with a passion for multi-stakeholder engagement and digital capacity building. Anca holds an international Masters of Science in Public Health and Healthcare Management (MSPH) and is pursuing a doctoral degree (DrPH) in the same field; Furthermore she completed the joint EIT Health Stanford Biodesign Fellowship in need-led innovation with the University of Oxford and IESE Business School, and holds several certifications in Health Systems Innovation, Health Economics and Strategy from the Harvard Business School and Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

Throughout her global career across Europe, the US and Australia, Anca wore several executive, strategic, and operational hats in organisations such as the EIT – European Institute of Innovation and Technology and its Alumni Community, EIT Health, Tirol Kliniken, and supported new business ventures in medtech and digital health by validating, developing and scaling up innovation.

How can we shape the future of health? Click here to learn more

Cécile Tardy-Srinivasan

Cécile Tardy-Srinivasan has been working for Basel Area Business & Innovation since 2021.

Previously, she worked at big pharma companies like Novartis, where she held various roles at country, regional and global levels. She brings a background in finance from working with EY. As a healthcare innovation consultant, she focuses on patient centricity and co-creating solutions among stakeholders of the healthcare ecosystem.

Cécile Tardy-Srinivasan studied Design Thinking at the MIT Sloan School of Management and holds a Master’s in Management from the EDHEC Business School, France.

How can we shape the future of health? Click here to learn more

Florian Saner

Florian Saner has been working for Basel Area Business & Innovation since beginning of 2021.

Previously, he was one of the Corporate Business Developers at Straumann Group in Basel, a global leader in dentistry. His responsibilities ranged from assessing and valuing strategic collaboration deals to managing the transaction process and negotiating final agreements, with a focus on distribution and M&A activities. He is also a member of the Innosuisse jury at the Medtech start-up training, named Business creation course, and teaches a course of negotiation and business development at the university of applied science in Delémont.

Florian Saner completed his BSc in Economics at the University of Lausanne (HEC) and Mannheim, an MSc in Accounting & Finance at the University of St. Gallen (HSG), is a Chartered Financial Analyst I (CFA) and holds several certifications in negotiation and sustainable strategies from the London School of Economics and Harvard Business School.

Looking to create, start or expand your own business or diversify into MedTech? Great! How about a good source of support along the way? Our free-of-charge services range from startup acceleration, events and workshops to inspiring collaborative workspaces. See here what we have been able to do in the canton of Jura.

Johannes Bohren

Johannes Bohren joined Basel Area Business & Innovation in 2022.

Prior to that he worked in Finland as an entrepreneur. He co-founded and led an IT company and an impact funding platform. Johannes studied Political Science, German Literature and Economics at the University of Fribourg and St. Petersburg.

I believe that many of our societal challenges can be solved through smart business concepts. Find out how we can help you to reach your goals and create positive impact through entrepreneurship here.

Martyna Wroblewska

Martyna Wroblewska has been working at Basel Area Business & Innovation since 2021.

Before joining Basel Area Business & Innovation Martyna Wroblewska worked as a Project Leader at Redbiotec AG (pre-clinical stage biotech), where she was responsible for the design, development, and management of projects focused mainly on oncology and vaccine development. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nicolaus Copernicus (Microbiology) in Poland and a Master’s degree in Biology from the University of Zürich (Evolutionary Biology).

Are you looking for help to launch and grow your exceptional biotech company? I would love to get in touch. In the meantime, click here to find out how BaseLaunch can help you.

Maurus Basler

Maurus Basler has been with Basel Area Business & Innovation since 2021.

After his bachelor studies, he has completed an internship at Rapp Group in mobility consulting. Prior to Basel Area, Maurus Basler had worked at Roche in Basel as a Financial Analyst and most recently as an Innovation Manager fostering an open innovation ecosystem both internally and externally. Maurus Basler holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from the University of Zurich as well as a master’s degree in International Management from the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland. He is also a professional handball player for the local Basel team.

Find out how I can support you in turning your innovation into a successful business. Read more about it here or reach out to discuss how I can help you.

Neil Goldsmith

Neil Goldsmith joined Basel Area Business & Innovation in 2018.

Previously, Neil Goldsmith was CEO and board member of Evolva SA, which he co-founded in 2004, taking it from a startup biotech venture to a leading synthetic biology company listed on the Swiss stock exchange. He co-founded Topotarget A/S and Personal Chemistry AB, now Biotage AB. He further founded and managed various life science ventures at an early stage.

Neil Goldsmith holds a 1st class honors degree in Zoology from Balliol College, Oxford University and set up his first company in 1984. He is a board member of Unibio and Double Bioventures.

Are you looking for help to launch and grow your exceptional biotech company? I would love to get in touch. In the meantime, click here to find out how BaseLaunch can help you.

Pascal Clisson

Pascal Clisson has worked at Basel Area Business & Innovation since 2023.

Previously, Pascal Clisson worked as a digital startup cofounder and startup mentor. He is a digital transformation consultant and part-time professor in several graduate and executive education programs at the ESAN Business School in Peru.

Previously he held managing positions for Sony Corporation in global and local functions in sales and marketing, mostly in Europe and Latin America.

Pascal Clisson is an active patient expert and advocate at the Alliance Maladies Rares in France and is EURORDIS and EUPATI trained.

Pascal Clisson completed his Executive MBA at the IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain. He holds a master’s degree in international Management from the EM Lyon Business School, France and has a degree in Political Sciences and Economy from Sciences Po Strasbourg.

Looking to create, start or expand your own business or diversify into MedTech? Great! How about a good source of support along the way? Our free-of-charge services range from startup acceleration, events and workshops to inspiring collaborative workspaces. See here what we have been able to do in the canton of Jura.

Stephan Emmerth, PhD

Dr. Stephan Emmerth joined Basel Area Business & Innovation in 2016.

He worked for i-net innovation networks switzerland as Life Sciences Manager before that.

Prior to this, Stephan worked for F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG as a research postdoc and in the Medical Affairs department of Lipomed. At the Friedrich Miescher Institute (Novartis), he was employed as a doctoral student between 2008 and 2011.

Stephan Emmerth studied biology at ETH Zurich and gained his doctorate at the Friederich Miescher Institute (Novartis) in Basel.

Are you looking for help to launch and grow your exceptional biotech company? I would love to get in touch. In the meantime, click here to find out how BaseLaunch can help you.

Sébastien Meunier

Sébastien Meunier joined Basel Area Business & Innovation in 2016.

Prior to this, he was Cleantech Manager at i-net innovation networks switzerland.

Sébastien Meunier worked at the CCI Sud Alsace Mulhouse Chamber of Industry and Commerce, most recently as Head of the Industry Department. He was Head of the Design Office, Laboratory and Measurement Technology at Zurfluh Feller.

Sébastien Meunier studied engineering science at the Institut Universitaire de Technologie in Besançon and at the Institut des Techniques d’Ingenieur de l’Industrie, where he gained his degree in mechanical and production engineering.

Are you interested in innovation and networking? In our trinational Industry 4.0 Technology Circles we bring together researchers, developers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders to foster cross-disciplinary exchange. Contact me directly or click here for the report from a previous technology circle.

Ursula Costa

Ursula Costa has been working for the Basel Area Business & Innovation since 2022.

Previously, she worked in different roles in the field of neurorehabilitation, ranging from clinical practice, academia, and med-tech, where she held global roles. She brings extensive experience in patient experiences and working with different stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem.

Ursula Costa studied Physical Therapy and completed her master’s and Ph.D. at the University of Barcelona. Her focus is on staying up to date and has completed her education with certifications in the fields of Change Management, UX/UI, healthcare economics, business, digital marketing, and Agile Methods.

Find out how I can support you in turning your innovation into a successful business. Read more about it here or reach out to discuss how I can help you.

Virginia Ballotta, PhD

Virginia Ballotta has been working at Basel Area Business & Innovation since 2021.

Before joining Basel Area Business & Innovation Virginia Ballotta was the Country Manager Switzerland for Catalyze, where she helped biotech entrepreneurs and researchers acquire funding and shape their business strategy. She holds a Master`s degree in Bioengineering from Politecnico di Milano (Italy) and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Eindhoven University of Technology (the Netherlands), where her main research interests were tissue engineering and immunology.

How can we shape the future of health? Click here to learn more

Yana Yoncheva

Yana has been working for Basel Area Business & Innovation since 2023.

She has spent many years managing an international community of innovators, and is a seasoned expert in event management. Yana has organized a wide range of high-level events focused on innovation in European cities.

Prior to that, she worked in the manufacturing and construction industries, where she performed various senior roles in business development, marketing, and sales in both B2B and B2C sectors.

Yana holds a Master’s degree in International Business.

How can we shape the future of health? Click here to learn more