Neema Mayhugh PhD
Managing Partner
“I want to get as many medical technologies as possible to all the people who need them.”
Neema Mayhugh knows, from a purely biological perspective, that humans are on this earth to reproduce. But, she also understands, at a deeper level, that life without health isn’t a particularly desirable outcome. In her own words, “the healthier people are, the better the world is.” And that’s why her entire career has been predicated on ensuring people get the medical technologies they need to make their lives easier and to experience the best health possible.
Neema wasn’t always clear on her mission, but she did know she belonged in science. She received her B.S. in Human Physiology from Boston University and her Doctoral degree in Pharmacology & Toxicology from Dartmouth College. She gained considerable expertise in research training but realized that she didn’t want to spend her life at the bench. Experience in healthcare management consulting and at Pfizer, Inc. ultimately led to her joining the Cleveland Clinic where she focused on start-up formation, licensing, intellectual property portfolio prioritization, clinical trial management and execution, research program negotiation, management of commercialization, and strategic portfolio oversight. It was an exceptional foundation, but Neema didn’t want to limit herself to operations—she wanted to move technologies forward. She saw a hole in the market for smart, accomplished people who wanted to move life-altering technologies forward over and over again, and left her job to found Wave Strategy, LLC.
Now, she spends every day working with “dedicated people who do cool things,” helping to improve and ensure the health and well-being of humans. This is what she did to get where she is today:
Managing Partner, Wave Strategy, LLC.
Dartmouth Cancer Accelerator External Review Panelist, Dartmouth College
IBD Ventures Review Board Member, Chron’s & Colitis Foundation
Innovation Advisory Council Member, Foundation Fighting Blindness
Selection Committee Member/Mentor. German Entrepreneurship
Technology Validation and Startup Fund Committee Member, University Hospitals Ventures
Corporate Board Member, Athersys
CTP Case Technology Validation Program Committee Member, Case Western Reserve University
Chief Operating Officer, Mobile Hyperbaric Centers