Working together to empower life science innovation

Behind every Danforth Health solution is a team of leaders who bring deep experience, diverse perspectives, and an unwavering belief in the power of partnership. Across practice areas, our leaders work shoulder to shoulder with life science innovators from concept to commercialization, turning bold ideas into meaningful breakthroughs.

Meet Our Team

Our strength lies in the collective expertise of our leadership—seasoned professionals across a variety of integrated practice areas. With decades of experience and a shared commitment to collaboration, our team partners with life science innovators to solve complex challenges, accelerate progress, and bring transformative therapies to the patients who need them most.

Dan Geffken

Co-founder, Managing Director
Danforth Advisors

Specialties

Fundraising
IPO preparation
Strategic planning
Investor and public relations, particularly for public companies
Business development strategy and execution
Experience in rare diseases and neuroscience

Dan Geffken

Co-founder, Managing Director

Dan is an accomplished life science executive officer with more than 30 years of life science experience leading finance and operations for both venture-backed and publicly-held companies. Prior to co-founding Danforth Advisors, he was COO or CFO of a number of life science companies, including biotechnology, medical devices, life science tools and diagnostics entities. From 1997-2002, he was CFO of Transkaryotic Therapies, Inc and participated in the launch of a drug to treat Fabry disease.

Dan holds a BS from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and a MBA from Harvard Business School.

Select Achievements

Participated in 14 IPOs and multiple filings, two SPAC mergers and numerous private placements
Participated in raising more than $2 billion through public and private financings
Past President of the Association of Bioscience Financial Officers

Steve DiPalma

Managing Director
Danforth Advisors

Specialties

Strategic planning and operational management
Corporate and business development
IPO preparation
International fundraising and corporate structuring
Mergers and acquisitions

Steve DiPalma

Managing Director

Steve is a well-established leader with more than 35 years of experience in life sciences and healthcare. He has served as a CFO, CEO and COO in companies ranging from venture-backed start-ups to subsidiaries of Fortune 100 firms and publicly traded entities. In these roles, he had responsibility for finance and accounting, human resources, information technology and facilities, and played a key role in business development and strategic planning. He was formerly Chairman of Cognoptix, and served on the board of Phytera.

Steve holds a BS from the University of Massachusetts and an MBA from  Babson College.

Select Achievements

Led multiple IPOs and public and private financings as CFO
Served as CFO for multiple public biotech companies
Co-founded and successfully exited two life science companies

Dan Dehner

Managing Director
Danforth Advisors

Specialties

Management advisory
Business development
Financing strategy
IPO preparation
M&A
Technical accounting

Dan Dehner

Managing Director

Dan brings over 20 years of experience in strategic advisory, accounting, and auditing for life science companies of all sizes. Prior to Danforth, he was a partner at CFGI, leading projects in audit readiness, IPO preparation, and M&A. He also ran his own accounting practice and spent over a decade with Ernst & Young and KPMG.

Dan is a Certified Public Accountant with a BS in Business Administration and Accounting from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo.

Select Achievements

Led multiple IPO projects on behalf of management
Built a professional services firm with 18FTE and $3m turnover
Led multiple international project teams focused on bribery, corruption, and financial fraud

Michael Cunniffe

Managing Director, UK
Danforth Advisors

Specialties

Scaling early-stage companies
International operating models
Corporate transactions
Financial strategy
IPO preparation / Capital Market readiness
Technical accounting
Investor & Ecosystem Connectivity
Gene Therapy & Rare Disease

Michael Cunniffe

Managing Director, UK

Michael Cunniffe is a seasoned life sciences executive with over two decades of experience spanning the full development and funding lifecycles—from discovery to commercial launch and from seed to public markets (IPO). His career has been defined by a strong focus on gene therapy, particularly in monogenetic rare diseases, where he has held executive roles at multiple pioneering companies, prompting him to undertake a Masters in Cell and Gene Therapy at UCL.

Michael’s financial expertise is underpinned by a Master’s in Finance from London Business School and CGMA accreditation. His career spans Big Four consultancy as well as leadership roles in both public and private companies. He brings a strong international perspective, having worked extensively across the UK, Europe, and Australia.

Select Achievements

Led IPO and multiple fundraising rounds
Led multiple IPO readiness programs on behalf of management
Launching international office and creating strategic geographic partnershipsDriving international expansion of industry focused not for profit organization

Barb Carlin

Managing Director
Danforth Advisors

Specialties

Start-up operations
Management advisory
Financing strategy
Team building
IPO preparation
Strategic planning

Barb Carlin

Managing Director

Barb is an accomplished finance executive with 25+ years of life science experience leading finance and operations for venture-backed and publicly-held companies. In addition to serving as a CFO consultant to several Danforth clients, Barb leads Danforth’s Mid-Atlantic practice, serving as a relationship partner for clients from Connecticut to Florida.

Prior to Danforth, Barb held CFO and senior finance leadership roles at companies, including Enterin, Egalet Corporation, SOBI, Topaz Pharmaceuticals, Genaera Corporation, Moksha8 and Vicuron.

Barb holds a BS and MBA from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.

Select Achievements

Led accounting / finance operations and S-1 preparation for several IPOs
Established corporate and finance organizations for multiple companies
Support clients raising capital from seed through IPO financings

Gregg Beloff

Co-founder, Managing Director Danforth Advisors

Specialties

IPO preparation
Capital raising
Mergers and acquisitions
Strategic planning, corporate and business development
Operational managementment

Gregg Beloff

Co-founder, Managing Director Danforth Advisors

Gregg is the founder of Danforth Advisors and an accomplished life sciences executive with nearly 30 years of experience in finance and operations for both venture-backed start-ups and public companies.

He served as CFO at ImmunoGen (NASDAQ: IMGN) and Archemix and previously worked as an investment banker at Adams, Harkness & Hill. Gregg began his career as a corporate attorney.

Gregg holds a BA from Middlebury College, JD from the University of Pittsburgh, and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University.

Select Achievements

Involvement in five IPOs and multiple filings, one SPAC merger, numerous private placements and three acquisitions as CFO to client companies
Built and managed operational departments including finance and accounting, human resources, facilities, corporate communications and information systems

Connacht Peterson

President
Elite BioPharma

Specialties

Clinical Development Operations
Clinical Program Management
Vendor Management
Inspection Readiness
Diverse Therapeutic Area Expertise

Connacht Peterson

President

Connacht brings over 20 years of experience as an accomplished biopharma executive specializing in Clinical Development Operations for leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies. As a Co-founder of Elite, Connacht provides operational and team leadership, working cross-functionally to collaborate with clients to provide strategic direction, managing internal and external partners as well as vendors to ensure cost efficiencies, timelines and deliverables are met. She specializes in clinical development operations, cross-functional team management, budget analysis and vendor management to ensure operational efficiency and compliance with applicable regulations.

Connacht holds a BA from the University of Connecticut and an MS in Business Administration from Boston College.

Shawna Evans

President
Elite BioPharma

Specialties

Global clinical operations leadership
Strategic advisory, and trial oversight
Comprehensive therapeutic area expertise
Biopharma, device, digital bio markers

Shawna Evans

President

Shawna brings over 27 years of experience in Clinical Operations and Program Management. As Co-founder of Elite, she shares a common goal with clients to optimize the development pathway and bring novel therapies to patients in need. Shawna provides tailored clinical development and program leadership throughout the trial execution, focusing on program oversight across all phases of clinical development ensuring operational efficiency and quality.

Shawna holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Castleton University.

Jill Bossi

President
Elite BioPharma

Specialties

Clinical operations leadership
Program and project management
CRO/vendor oversight
Drug and device therapeutic expertise

Jill Bossi

President

Jill has over 27 years of experience in clinical operations and program management, leading cross functional teams through all stages of clinical trials. With a broad history of industry roles and almost all areas of clinical development, she has the extensive knowledge required to successfully execute both early and late phase clinical development programs. As a cofounder of Elite BioPharma Consulting, she provides experienced leadership to clients to help drive excellence and their clinical programs.

Jill holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Psychology from the University of Vermont.

Réne Stephens

Managing Director

Specialties

Clinical outsourcing strategy and management
Contract structure and negotiation
Provider evaluation and selection
Process development and improvement
Provider oversight and issue resolution

Réne Stephens

Managing Director

Réne is a strategic clinical outsourcing expert with nearly 30 years of experience in procurement strategies, contract negotiations, vendor management, and governance. He has led global clinical outsourcing programs for Astellas, Pfizer, and TransCelerate Biopharma, and worked in business development at M2S, Neeman Medical International, and Harvard Clinical Research Institute.

Réne holds an MS in Health Sciences, Clinical Research Administration, from George Washington University and a BA in Corporate and Organizational Communications from Western Kentucky University.

Michelle Higgin, Ph.D

Chief Executive Officer
PharmaDirections

Specialties

Michelle Higgin, Ph.D

Chief Executive Officer

Michelle Higgin, Ph.D. CEO, PharmaDirections, a Danforth Health Company – Michelle is a versatile development strategist in all phases of drug development. She has been a pioneer in the virtual biotech model for the past 20 years and has successfully guided over 60 new drugs (all modalities) into the clinic in US, Europe, and Australia in all major therapeutic categories (CNS, rare, oncology, GI and metabolic). Her primary competencies are in tactical strategic development and translational sciences: taking therapeutic concepts from scientific infancy to a tactical clinical development and business model that is fundable and tractable. She has played C-level leadership roles in a number of biotech companies and has founded and funded several emerging biotech companies.

Cynthia Dinella, BS, RPh, Pharm D

Chief Executive Officer
Advyzom

Specialties

Global Regulatory Strategy and FDA Relations
Drug Development for Biopharmaceuticals and Combination Products
Leadership in Accelerated Approval Pathways and Orphan Drug Designations

Cynthia Dinella, BS, RPh, Pharm D

Chief Executive Officer

Cynthia is the President and Managing Partner of Advyzom, a boutique consulting firm specializing in regulatory strategy, medical writing, and regulatory intelligence for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. With over two decades of experience, Cynthia excels at guiding biopharma companies through global and U.S. drug development, working across therapeutic areas to meet health authority requirements.

Cynthia has a Doctor of Pharmacy from St. John’s University and a BS in Pharmacy from Rutgers University.

David Pitts

President
Argot Partners

Specialties

Special situations
Investor and public relations
Complex communications strategies

David Pitts

President

In 2007, Mr. Pitts and Andrea Rabney established Argot Partners as a life scienced-focused strategic communications consultancy to provide clients with a full suite of communications services to help communicate their narratives to key audiences at every stage of the biopharmaceutical lifecycle.

Mr. Pitts co-founded Argot Partners with Ms. Rabney after their close collaboration at ImClone Systems (acquired by Eli Lilly and Company), where they navigated communications for the regulatory failure and ultimate approval of the cancer treatment ERBITUX®, various government investigations, an exploration of strategic alternatives and a consent solicitation by investor Carl Icahn. Mr. Pitts worked for ImClone as a special situations advisor, and subsequently joined the company in 2004.

Mr. Pitts began his career in corporate communications at boutique special situations firm, Sard Verbinnen & Company, and later joined the Abernathy MacGregor Group, ultimately serving as a Senior Vice President. In these roles, he counseled multi-national clients through such matters as mergers and acquisitions, corporate crises, restructurings, proxy contests, initial public offerings, exchange listings and litigation.  Mr. Pitts earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Asian Studies from Trinity College in Connecticut where he graduated with honors and thesis distinctions. He is fluent in French and proficient in Mandarin and Spanish.

Select Achievements

Advised on numerous transformative communications scenarios in the life sciences, including initial public offerings, key data readouts, regulatory reviews and approval, advisory committees, product launches and M&A

Andrea Rabney

Chief Executive Officer
Argot Partners

Specialties

Strategic leadership and team building
Business development and growth
Special situations
Investor and public relations
Complex communications strategies

Andrea Rabney

Chief Executive Officer

Andrea co-founded Argot Partners in 2007 as a life sciences-focused strategic communications consultancy to help companies of all sizes and stages articulate their science and its value to key stakeholders. She leverages her 30+ years of experience as well as her relationships within the financial industry to counsel clients on matters such as corporate positioning, mergers and acquisitions, financings and shareholder activism. She previously served as Vice President, Corporate Communications at ImClone Systems, where she was a member of the Management Committee and, for 13 years, led the company’s communications department.

Andrea began her career as a compliance analyst at Smith Barney Shearson Inc and holds a J.D. from the Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center at Touro College and a B.A. from Boston University.

Select Achievements

Co-founded, lead, and built Argot Partners resulting in its acquisition by Danforth Health in 2023
Since the formation of Argot Partners, she has worked with more than 300 biopharmaceutical clients as a senior advisor at key inflection points across the corporate lifecycle

Jess Podgajny

Managing Director
Benchworks

Specialties

Pharmaceutical Product Launch Strategy
Global Team Leadership and Transformation
Sales, Marketing, and Operations Optimization

Jess Podgajny

Managing Director

Jess is a seasoned leader passionate about partnering with established and emerging pharma and biotech organizations to catalyze growth and maximize product launch potential.

In her 20+ years as a management consultant partnering with pharmaceutical companies, Jess has led transformational initiatives for global teams in Sales, Marketing, Operations, Strategy, C-Suite, Supply Chain, and HR.

Jess holds a BA from Penn State University.

Alexandra Daley

Managing Director
Benchworks

Specialties

Strategic brand positioning and launch planning
Rare disease and gene therapy launch expertise
Customer experience and engagement solutions
Talent development and collaborative excellence

Alexandra Daley

Managing Director

Alexandra is an experienced partner to biotech and pharma, with a focus on driving commercialization and brand success. She is a trusted advisor and strategic marketer with over 25 years of delivering insight-driven solutions. Her leadership has shaped impactful strategies that enable sustainable brand differentiation, activate customers, and drive engagement across the entire product lifecycle. A proven life sciences partner, she specializes in rare disease commercialization—partnering with clients to launch, scale, and lead.

AD is known for her deep commitment to collaboration, and thrives on building strong, trust-based partnerships to bring bold ideas to life.

Alexandra holds a BA from Fairfield University.

Select Achievements

Led successful commercialization of 6+ rare disease therapies, including first-in-class gene therapies
Developed breakthrough brand strategies for over 15 clients, resulting in increase in brand preference and accelerated market penetration.
Developed and managed cross-functional internal teams, creating trust-based leadership approach that delivered exceptional client outcomes and 65% growth in new accounts.

Tom McDonnell

Chief Executive Officer
Benchworks

Specialties

Commercial Leadership in Life Sciences
Product Launch and Lifecycle Management
Sales and Marketing Strategy

Tom McDonnell

Chief Executive Officer

Tom is an accomplished life sciences executive whose career in commercial leadership spans more than 20 years. He has held key roles at Shire, where he was the Vice President and General Manager of Vyvanse and Intuniv, and most recently served as Chief Commercial Officer at Neos Therapeutics. Tom possesses deep commercial experience in product launch, sales, marketing, and market access. Over the past 6 years, Tom has led the strategic growth and expansion of Benchworks, including the integration of multiple business units under the agency.

Tom holds a BA from Muhlenberg College

Allison Fuller

President
VPMR

Specialties

Global Market Research Strategy
Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methodologies
Healthcare and Life Sciences Insights

Allison Fuller

President

Allison leads VPMR in providing top-tier global market research to healthcare, pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device organizations. With expertise in both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, she oversees company sales, client management, and delivers key insights that support strategic decisions across the life sciences industry. Before founding VPMR, Allison was Group Director at Verispan, leading market research initiatives and developing extensive knowledge in healthcare analytics.

Allison holds a BA from Lehigh University.

Scotty Bowman

Managing Director

Specialties

US / Global Payer and Pricing
Specialty Pharmacy
Bio-Distributor
HUB

Scotty Bowman

Managing Director

Lead fully integrated best-in-class US Market Access group that includes both strategic and operational responsibilities. Provide leadership and strategic direction in developing and executing all US Market Access efforts for new product launches and lifecycle management of marketed products for large Rare Disease portfolio ensuring business objectives and product availability to patients.

Mike Cook

Chief Financial Officer

Specialties

Pricing and strategy
Sales operations
Team leadership

Mike Cook

Chief Financial Officer

Michael is a seasoned CFO with over 20 years of expertise in finance, sales operations, pricing, and product management across the life sciences and high-tech industries. Renowned for strong leadership, operational efficiency, and financial acumen, this executive excels at building and guiding teams while fostering strong customer relationships and delivering impactful financial strategies.

Previously, Michael held senior leadership roles at Dell Technologies and Intel. Michael holds a BS in Finance from Indiana University Kelley School of Business and an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business.

Valeria Escobari

Chief Operating Officer

Specialties

Talent strategy, acquisition and development
Culture building
Client experience management

Valeria Escobari

Chief Operating Officer

Val is responsible for Danforth’s operations and people strategy, bringing experience in both consulting and talent management. She joined Danforth in 2020 as the company’s first Chief People Officer, where she built and led talent acquisition and development. Before that, Val spent several years at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in client-facing roles and later as a Consulting Team Talent Manager, where she oversaw staffing, performance, career development, mobility, and initiatives in diversity, inclusion, mentorship, and well-being. Earlier in her career, she led strategic growth initiatives for companies including Iron Mountain, Univision Networks, and Skype.

Val holds a BA from Harvard University and an MBA from London Business School.

Chris Connors

Chief Executive Officer

Specialties

Strategic and operational leadership
People, process and technology scale-up to support rapid growth
Team building
Value creation

Chris Connors

Chief Executive Officer

Chris steers corporate strategy and operations for Danforth, including the company’s long-term vision and the plans required to support it. He joined Danforth in 2019 as the company’s first President, a role in which he led the establishment of a scalable infrastructure, the development of new services and markets, and quality initiatives ranging from client service to consultant mentorship. Chris previously spent 15 years in senior leadership positions at Vistaprint, where he was instrumental to the company’s growth from start-up operations to achieving over $1 billion in revenue. He previously served in technical consulting roles at Envisa and Accenture.

Chris holds a BS in Management Information Systems from Babson College.