SupplySide Stories Episode 9: Johnson & Johnson Innovation — JLABS fuels innovation in immune support – podcast

The Johnson & Johnson Innovation — JLABS Next in Naturals QuickFire Challenge on Immune-Support fosters innovation in naturally inspired health solutions, providing entrepreneurs with a platform to share their immune solutions for a chance to receive up to $50,000 in grant funding.

During this episode of SupplySide Stories, Kara Bortone, Senior Director of Portfolio Sourcing & Management, Johnson & Johnson Innovation — JLABS, explores how she and her JLABS team work hand in hand with entrepreneurs to bring their ideas to life and how the Next in Naturals QuickFire Challenge represents the future of natural R&D.

SupplySide Stories · Johnson & Johnson Innovation JLabs fuels innovation in immune support – podcast

About our speaker:

Kara Bartone, Senior Director of Portfolio Sourcing & Management, Johnson & Johnson Innovation — JLABS

Kara is responsible for setting the strategic direction and overseeing all pipeline activities for sourcing, selection, screening, onboarding, optimizing and tracking the portfolio across JLABS globally. Kara joined the JLABS team in 2012, shortly after the flagship JLABS site opened at Janssen R&D in San Diego. In her previous role, Kara executed on external engagement, sourcing innovation, portfolio management, operational excellence, educational programming, and P&L for the JLABS in San Diego site. Kara also serves as an Instructor for the I-Corps at NIH program, a program aimed at commercializing biomedical technologies, where she serves as Domain Expert in Therapeutics for NIH SBIR recipient companies.

Kara came to JLABS from Galapagos NV in Belgium, where she had various roles of increasing responsibility, including business development, marketing, investor relations and medical communications at a time when the company grew from 60 to more than 800 employees and completed its initial public offering on Euronext.

Kara holds a BS in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin.

"Innovators in the natural space face challenges around differentiating their products in a crowded market ... we're looking to help them introduce new forms to the category." - Kara Bortone, Senior Director of Portfolio Sourcing & Management, Johnson & Johnson Innovation — JLABS