James Zanewicz
CEO
Bio:
James Zanewicz, JD, LLM, RTTP is the CEO of Connect, a nonprofit venture and innovation organization based in San Diego, where he is leading a bold transformation to evolve Connect from a regional convener to a global architect of innovation. He also serves as Executive Vice President, Medicine and Research for the investment fund MAYKR, which focuses on AI and robotics in science and medicine, sustainable energy, and data infrastructure.
Previously, James served for a decade as the Chief Strategy Officer at Tulane University School of Medicine, a role he performed after establishing the open science functions at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus - one of the most innovative experiments in scientific research. His work at Tulane included biotech business development, industry and investor engagement, marketing and communications, and crisis response. He played a central role in reshaping academic medicine branding and navigating a hospital partner transition to develop a premier academic medical center.
James’s career has also spanned roles as a chemist for Rhône-Poulenc Rorer, founder of the “new media” division at the syndicated news show EXTRA, and leadership positions at the University of Illinois and the University of Louisville, where he helped launch their innovation and engagement functions.
He currently hosts “The Connect Current” podcast and served as Board Treasurer and Executive Committee member for the Alliance for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare (AAIH), now powered by Connect, in addition to co-chairing the Academic-Industry Network for BIO. He is a former Chair of the Board of ATTP (the international organization for knowledge transfer professional accreditation), and has held board roles with AUTM, NACRO, and the BioJudiciary Project.
Known for his collaborative, forward-thinking mindset and his ability to align diverse stakeholders around shared goals, James works to create win-win scenarios that accelerate innovation and deliver impact.