Brian is an experienced business and nonprofit leader, entrepreneur, and attorney. In 2018, Brian joined his close friend Rich Freed and inventor Dr. Brian Freed to co-found RheumaGen, Inc., with a mission to develop gene-editing therapies to cure autoimmune diseases. A major inspiration is that his mom has suffered from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for more than 25 years. 

 As COO of RheumaGen, Brian directs and oversees daily operations. In this role, he manages the company’s finances and IP portfolio; expands business development; manages licensing, partnerships, and contracts; counsels regarding strategy and direction; and navigates regulatory requirements.

With his steady leadership, RheumaGen’s parent company raised an investment seed round of $4.6M in fall 2019. From there, RheumaGen secured an exclusive license agreement with the University of Colorado for all of the relevant intellectual property. In partnership with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and specifically CRO ClinImmune Cell & Gene Therapy, RheumaGen has successfully advanced its lead program to treat RA, achieving all of its preclinical milestones to date.

 Most recently, in May 2023, RheumaGen received positive written responses from the FDA to the company’s first submission (INTERACT package), which, while non-binding guidance, provides RheumaGen with a clear path to IND approval for its lead program of RA and offers a roadmap for its following indications (including MS, T1D, and AS).

 In his nonprofit and volunteer efforts, Brian helps lead LightHouse DC (which he co-founded in 2017). As a direct service nonprofit in Washington, DC, LightHouse helps families and individuals transitioning from homelessness move into and furnish their homes. What started as a grassroots, volunteer-powered organization based in Brian’s living room -- helping approximately 70 residents in its first year -- has grown into a regional nonprofit with multiple warehouses, over 50 partnerships, and over 1,000 residents served just last year.

 Brian spent about 7 years as an attorney practicing law in the Washington, DC office of Paul Weiss LLP, gaining valuable experience, among various areas, in intellectual property, business law, and pharmaceutical litigation.  He has a JD from Georgetown University and a BA in Economics and English from Amherst College. Originally from Pennsylvania and Vermont, Brian loves sports, reading, and enjoying time with his friends and family.