Don Drakeman

Investor

Princeton, New Jersey

Writes $25K – $5M checks · typically $1M

About

Don Drakeman spent 25 years as an entrepreneur and chief executive in the biotechnology industry, founding and running companies that advanced multiple medical products from research concept through clinical trials to FDA approval, including two treatments recognized in the 2018 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. He is now a Venture Partner with Advent Life Sciences. In parallel, he built an academic career as a scholar of law, religion, and constitutional interpretation, serving as a Distinguished Research Professor at Notre Dame's Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government and a Fellow at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School. He has authored seven books, including works on constitutional theory and the business of biotechnology, and holds degrees from Dartmouth, Columbia, and Princeton. He also writes about wine, holding the WSET Diploma.

LinkedIn ↗Website ↗Blog ↗

Invests in

Biotech

Beyond investing

Founded: Founded a biotech company whose two developed medicines were recognized in the 2018 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for revolutionizing cancer therapy.
Education: Received an A.B. from Dartmouth College. Earned a J.D. from Columbia University. Holds a Ph.D. in Religion from Princeton University. Awarded the Diploma in Wines (with merit) from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust.
Boards: Founding Chairman Emeritus of the Advisory Council of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University. Served as a trustee of Drew University. Served as a trustee of the University of Charleston. Served as a trustee of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.
Awards: Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, the Royal Society of Biology, and the Burgon Society. His book Church, State, and Original Intent was named a CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title.
Hobbies: Has a family interest in wine and blogs about the WSET Diploma.
More: Co-devised the New Jersey Technology Business Tax Certificate Transfer Program, credited with creating or saving thousands of medical research jobs. Has authored seven books spanning constitutional theory and the business of biotechnology.

From Don's own website — common ground for a warm intro.