With a passion for driving change, Alok Patel, a Delaware native since he was 9 years old, has enjoyed a rewarding and diverse career path.

In 2000, at MBNA, Alok formed and managed an effective team to tackle a multi-stage online support project. In 2001, he stepped into an inside sales position at W. L. Gore & Associates, where he used value-based propositioning to educate the public about the use of ePTFE in fabrics and eventually moved into a marketing associate role where he supported the Burton/Gore-Tex partnership.

Alok transitioned into the life science sector in 2008 when he began working under the vice president of business development & marketing at iBio, Inc. Eventually, in 2009 he began working with the Delaware BioScience Association (Delaware Bio) and the Delaware Technology Park. Specializing in relationship/project management, Alok helped coordinate community service projects like the AstraZeneca materials donation valued at over $1 Million to the public-school systems throughout the state. Over the course of the next 7 years at Delaware Bio, Alok advanced to the director of operations position helping elevate the association’s profile on a national level, almost doubling its membership and tripling its revenue.

Alok’s journey comes full circle in 2015, at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute (DBI), part of his alma mater. In his current role Alok bridges the technology innovation gap by fostering life science partnerships between academia and industry across the state. He has been able to secure over $4 Million during his time at the institute helping build a program which delivers over a 15x ROI. His expanding responsibilities include working with the Delaware Prosperity Partnership to help build a more innovative Delaware, supporting entrepreneurial activities throughout Delaware by partnering with organizations like the Small Business Development Center, Chambers of Commerce, incubators, developers and trade associations.