# Winnie H. Wan

> Winnie H. Wan is a company founder, former ForteBio president and CEO, board director, angel investor and mentor. Trained at Skidmore, Yale, Rockefeller and Columbia, she helped commercialize analytical instruments and later advised companies and entrepreneurship programs. She is a Skidmore College trustee.

- **Role:** Trustee at Skidmore College; board director and executive advisor
- **Organizations:** ForteBio, Skidmore College, Life Science Angels, Saccharo, Inhalon BioPharma, Kryptos Biotechnologies, Miller Center for Global Impact, Chameleon Biosciences, OncoHealth, BEING Biopharma, GeneTrol BioTherapeutics, Becton Dickinson, Guava Technologies, SyStemix, Hana Biologics, Baxter Travenol
- **Education:** BA in Chemistry, Skidmore College, PhD in Biochemistry, Yale University, Postdoctoral training in cell biology, Rockefeller University, MBA, Columbia University
- **Known for:** Helped launch and commercialize ForteBio’s Octet analytical platform., Led ForteBio during its 2005 $17.3 million Series B financing., Received Skidmore’s 2014 Creative Thought Matters Award of Distinction.

## Career timeline

- **1974** — Graduated from Skidmore College.
- **1979** — Completed Yale doctorate; subsequent postdoctoral work at Rockefeller University.
- **1981** — Entered Columbia to pursue an MBA.
- **1991** — Recruited by Becton Dickinson to build a new business; later led its Cellular Imaging Systems division.
- **1997** — Co-founded GeneTrol BioTherapeutics; served as president and CEO through 2003.
- **2004** — Co-founded ForteBio, according to Skidmore’s alumni biography; other company histories use an earlier corporate founding date.
- **2005** — Led ForteBio during its $17.3 million Series B and the November commercial introduction of Octet.
- **2007** — Joseph Keegan succeeded her as ForteBio president and CEO; she remained a director.
- **2008** — Founded BEING Biopharma; the venture could not raise sufficient capital during the global recession.
- **2014** — Received Skidmore’s Creative Thought Matters Award of Distinction.
- **2020** — Listed to teach angel investing in a UCSF entrepreneurship course.
- **2024** — Welcomed as a new Skidmore trustee at the October board meetings.
- **2025** — Listed as a speaker for the March 27 PBSS financing webcast.
- **2026** — Judged the February 27 Skidmore entrepreneurship competition finals.

## Achievements

- Helped launch and commercialize ForteBio’s Octet analytical platform.
- Led ForteBio during its 2005 $17.3 million Series B financing.
- Received Skidmore’s 2014 Creative Thought Matters Award of Distinction.
- Appointed to Skidmore College’s Board of Trustees.
- Taught angel investing in a UCSF entrepreneurship program.

## Latest updates

- **2026-02** — Served as an alumni judge at the Skidmore entrepreneurship finals on February 27.
- **2025-03** — Listed to present financing lessons from a serial entrepreneur and angel investor at the March 27 PBSS webcast.
- **2024-10** — Welcomed to Skidmore’s board as a new trustee.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/winnie-h-wan-17b1ab6/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/winnie-h-wan
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-25