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Career GPS helps Greater Philadelphia biopharma workers navigate region

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The life sciences sector in Greater Philadelphia is using a decidedly green approach in “recycling” a large segment of its employee base. Three very active and visible organizations, the University City Science Center, Wharton Small Business Development Center, and BioAdvance, recently teamed up to help displaced biopharmaceutical professionals navigate the region’s entrepreneurial career eco-system.

That help comes in the form of Career GPS, which targets life sciences company managers and above and assists them in navigating opportunities within the region’s new and emerging ventures.

“As the recent Milken Institute study of life sciences in our region noted, Greater Philadelphia is in a unique position to redeploy displaced executives into emerging biosciences companies and new ventures and harness the region’s world-class talent to create an unparalleled global hub for new life sciences companies,” says BioAdvance CEO Barbara S. Schillberg.

Career GPS, funded in part by the Delaware Valley Innovation Network, will be held on Friday, Nov. 20 at the Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania’s Huntsman Hall. The program will provide attendees with education and resources related to a variety of career and transition options and will highlight opportunities ranging from entrepreneurship to emerging needs within the sector.  A panel of life sciences business professionals will also discuss skills in demand for the fast-moving entrepreneurial set.

The three sponsoring organizations will sponsor a second program, Career On-Ramp, in the first quarter of 2010. That program will target prospective entrepreneurs who already have intellectual property.

“Nurturing the next generation of life sciences entrepreneurs  and start-ups is central to the Wharton SBDC mission,” says Therese Flaherty, Wharton SBDC director.

Sources: Barbara S. Schillberg, BioAdvance; Therese Flaherty, Wharton SBDC. 
Writer: Joe Petrucci

Entrepreneurship, Higher Ed, Life Sciences, News, Venture Capital

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