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Our Capabilities & Team

Hibiscus BioVentures provides the Technology Capital People necessary to build transformative biotechnology companies.

Formed in 2019 with a core focus of moving patient care forward through the development of commercially viable technologies. These technologies must aim to address serious unmet medical needs for patients.

Hibiscus has the capabilities to build and develop patient-focused companies by bringing all the necessary resourcing in-house. We leverage a differentiated venture studio model to build Studio Companies in combination with Hibiscus Capital Management, our venture capital investment arm.

The Hibiscus team has decades of investment and operational experience taking scientific discoveries from the lab bench to patients’ bedsides.

Hibiscus Biotechnology Logo

Venture studio focused on building companies from the ground up around innovative technologies.

Hibiscus Capital Management Logo

Patient-focused venture capital arm investing in transformative biotechnology companies.

Josh Barer, Managing Director of Hibiscus BioVentures
Managing Director & CEO

Josh Barer

Josh Barer is Managing Director of Hibiscus BioVentures, as well as Barer & Son Capital, LLC which forms...

Josh Barer is Managing Director of Hibiscus BioVentures, as well as Barer & Son Capital, LLC which forms, restructures and funds early-stage cutting edge biotechnology companies.

Prior to HB and B&S, Josh has spent his career at several boutique investment banks and consultancies, including Trout Capital and the Maxim Group, and has a passion for early-stage drug development to serve patients with unmet medical needs. He is also a Venture Advisor at the Israel Biotech Fund (IBF).

Josh is on the boards of Asclepix, Inc. and NexImmune, Inc. (board observer). He is also on the Boards of several-not for-profit organizations focused on education and economic development, including Trickle Up, Family Promise, and Getting Out and Staying Out (Action Board).

Josh received a Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers College and studied Conflict Management at Drew University.

Warren Martin
Partner & CFO

Warren Martin

Warren has a very diversified professional background having been a senior partner with PwC where...

Warren has a very diversified professional background having been a senior partner with PwC where, among other roles, he was the market managing partner for their technology practice and led financial due diligence teams for a significant number of M&A transactions. He also co-founded a registered investment bank and was the COO of an AM LAW 25 global law firm. His career has included national and international public and privately owned clients where he participated in capital raising efforts through numerous IPOs, private equity and venture backed rounds of financing. He advised on a large array of M&A transactions including buy and sell side transactions and carve-outs. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of a global software company and has held numerous other Board of Directors roles. Warren is a graduate of Boston University’s Questrom School of Business.
Partner & COO

Jim Bennethum

Jim Bennethum is a Principal of Hibiscus BioVentures and a seasoned Venture Capital and Family Office leader...

Jim Bennethum is a Principal & General Partner of Hibiscus BioVentures and a seasoned Venture Capital and Family Office leader. Jim has served as a trusted advisor to ultra-high net worth individuals with investments in the life science, automotive, retail, and venture capital sectors.

An accomplished senior executive with an exceptional track record in profitable growth for global automotive and technology companies (global P&L > $3B per annum). Transformative operations leader with extensive international cross-cultural expertise in strategic planning, sales, business development, operations, M&A, restructuring, talent and emerging market development. Jim was honored by Johnson Controls as The Chairman’s Award Winner for leading his team to be the first in the company’s 135+ year history to book more than $1B of new business in one fiscal year. Expert in risk management, crisis preparedness and business continuity planning.

Philanthropic leadership roles as Vice-Chairman of the Board of the Karmanos Cancer Institute and as Chairman of the Board of the Karmanos Cancer Foundation as well as a member of the Board of the Karmanos Cancer Center.

A United States Coast Guard volunteer pilot and accomplished private aviator with broad experience in corporate aviation fleet operations.

Mike Cola, Operating Partner
Operating Partner

Mike Cola

Michael Cola is formerly Chief Executive Officer of Avalo Therapeutics (formerly Cerecor, Inc.)...

Michael Cola is formerly Chief Executive Officer of Avalo Therapeutics (formerly Cerecor, Inc.). Prior to joining Avalo, Mr. Cola served as President and CEO of Aevi Genomic Medicine since September 2013. Prior to joining Aevi Genomic Medicine,

Mr. Cola served as President of Specialty Pharmaceuticals at Shire plc, a global specialty pharmaceutical company, from 2007 until April 2012. He joined Shire in 2005 as EVP of Global Therapeutic Business Units and Portfolio Management. Prior to joining Shire, he was with Safeguard Scientifics, Inc., a growth capital provider to life sciences and technology companies, where he served as President of the Life Sciences Group. While at Safeguard, Mr. Cola served as Chairman and CEO of Clarient, Inc., a cancer diagnostics company subsequently acquired by GE Healthcare, and as Chairman of Laureate Pharma, Inc., Prior to Safeguard Scientifics, Mr. Cola held senior positions in product development and commercialization at Astra Merck, a top 20 U.S. pharmaceutical company, and at Astra Zeneca, a global biopharmaceutical company. Mr. Cola received a B.A. in biology and physics from Ursinus College and an M.S. in biomedical science from Drexel University. He serves on the Board of Directors of Sage Therapeutics and Phathom Pharmaceuticals, and currently Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia.

Moniza Khokhar, Principal
Principal

Moniza Khokhar

Skylar Bennethum
Principal

Skylar Bennethum, MEV

Sol Barer
Chairman

Sol Barer, Ph.D.

Founder of Celgene Corp. and Centrexion Therapeutics Corp., Sol J. Barer is a businessperson who has...

Founder of Celgene Corp. and Centrexion Therapeutics Corp., Sol J. Barer is a businessperson who has been at the helm of 14 different companies and is currently the Chairman of the Boards of NexImmune, Inc., Centrexion Therapeutics Corp., Aevi Genomic Medicine, Inc., Medgenics Medical Israel Ltd and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Dr. Barer received a doctorate from Rutgers State University of New Jersey and an undergraduate degree from Brooklyn College.

Robert Spiegel
Advisor

Robert Spiegel, M.D.

Dr. Spiegel was an Assistant Professor and Director of the Developmental Therapeutics Program at New York...

Dr. Spiegel was an Assistant Professor and Director of the Developmental Therapeutics Program at New York University Medical Center and then spent 25 years at Schering-Plough (subsequently acquired by Merck & Co.), where he joined as the first Director for Oncology Clinical Research. He subsequently held a series of senior executive positions, including Senior Vice President for Worldwide Clinical Research and Chief Medical Officer. During his time at Schering-Plough he led teams that took numerous drug candidates through clinical development and was involved with over 30 New Drug Application approvals by the U.S. FDA. For the last seven years, he has been a consultant to the biotech industry and has served on the Scientific Advisory Board and Board of Directors of multiple biotech companies.
Sapna Srivastava, PhD
Advisor

Sapna Srivastava, Ph.D.

Dr. Srivastava is the Chief Financial Officer at eGenesis and is a seasoned industry executive with extensive...

Dr. Srivastava is the Chief Financial Officer at eGenesis and is a seasoned industry executive with extensive experience leading finance activities and guiding corporate strategy. Most recently, Dr. Srivastava served as the chief financial and strategy officer at Abide Therapeutics (acquired by Lundbeck), prior to which she held a similar role at Intellia Therapeutics. In these roles, she has played a key role in equity financings including a successful initial public offering, strategic alliances including M&A, as well as in shaping the strategic direction of the company. She also has experience as a board member for public and private biotechnology companies. Before Intellia, Dr. Srivastava spent more than a decade on Wall Street as a senior biotechnology analyst for Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and ThinkEquity Partners, LLC. She began her career as a research associate at J.P. Morgan.

Dr. Srivastava earned her B.S. in Biology from St. Xavier’s College at the University of Mumbai and her Ph.D. in neuroscience from the New York University School of Medicine.

The recommendations of the Advisory Board shall be advisory only. No Managing Partner may be a member of the Advisory Board. The Advisory Board will meet from time to time as determined by the Partnership.  The processes of the Advisory Board will be subject to its charter.