Management Team
Neal Hunter
Executive Chairman
Neal Hunter was the founding investor of Novan, Inc. and served as the Company’s Chairman for eight years, personally orchestrating the fund raising of over $100M in private financing. His 25 year track record of successfully raising capital for technology companies in both the public and private sectors began as a Co- founder of Cree, Inc. (NASDAQ:CREE). Mr. Hunter served multiple roles at Cree, including as the public company CEO and Chairman from 1994 to 2001 and then Chairman until 2005. Mr. Hunter has been either co-founder, founder, co-founding investor or founding investor in over ten significant start-up ventures in the areas of semiconductor materials and devices, aesthetic materials, software, gourmet food service, commercial and residential real estate, LED lighting systems and life sciences. Mr. Hunter’s proven expertise in technology transfer, from inception of innovations to the creation of market-changing products, has led to the transition to his new role as Managing Director of KNOW Bio, LLC, an RTP based incubator for platform based medical technology and biotechnology companies. Vast Therapeutics, Inc. and REVIAN, Inc. are two companies that have emerged from the KNOW Bio platform.
Mark Tapsak, Ph.D.
President
Dr. Mark Tapsak has worked as a medical device research scientist for more than 25 years. With 66 US patents to his credit, his professional experience centers on polymer synthesis, polymer characterization, medical device design and intellectual property management while working at various posts for companies such as Dexcom, Inc. and Medtronic. Mark also taught as a Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry served in various positions including Interim Dean of Graduate Programs and Sponsored Research at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania.
Dr. Tapsak obtained his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota, and his Ph.D. in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California.
Dr. Tapsak obtained his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota, and his Ph.D. in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California.
Mark Schoenfisch, Ph.D.
Chief Scientific Officer
Mark Schoenfisch is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he has developed a dynamic research program in the field of nitric oxide. With nearly 20 years of experience as a chemist, he has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles on nitric oxide-related technologies. He has a long-standing interest in developing macromolecular scaffolds that store and release nitric oxide for drug delivery and disease management applications.
John Oakley
Chief Financial Officer
John Oakley joined Know Bio and its group companies as Chief Financial Officer in July 2017. Prior to joining the Know Bio group, Mr. Oakley has served in senior financial positions and as a Director for both publicly traded and privately held companies such as Cleaver-Brooks, Inc., Flanders Corporation, and Home Meridian International. Mr. Oakley began his career in the audit division with Arthur Andersen, LLP after earning a B.S. degree in accounting from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Board of Directors
Neal Hunter
Executive Chairman
Neal Hunter was the founding investor of Novan, Inc. and served as the Company’s Chairman for eight years, personally orchestrating the fund raising of over $100M in private financing. His 25 year track record of successfully raising capital for technology companies in both the public and private sectors began as a Co- founder of Cree, Inc. (NASDAQ:CREE). Mr. Hunter served multiple roles at Cree, including as the public company CEO and Chairman from 1994 to 2001 and then Chairman until 2005. Mr. Hunter has been either co-founder, founder, co-founding investor or founding investor in over ten significant start-up ventures in the areas of semiconductor materials and devices, aesthetic materials, software, gourmet food service, commercial and residential real estate, LED lighting systems and life sciences. Mr. Hunter’s proven expertise in technology transfer, from inception of innovations to the creation of market-changing products, has led to the transition to his new role as Managing Director of KNOW Bio, LLC, an RTP based incubator for platform based medical technology and biotechnology companies. Vast Therapeutics, Inc. and REVIAN, Inc. are two companies that have emerged from the KNOW Bio platform.
Mark Schoenfisch, Ph.D.
Mark Schoenfisch is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he has developed a dynamic research program in the field of nitric oxide. With nearly 20 years of experience as a chemist, he has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles on nitric oxide-related technologies. He has a long-standing interest in developing macromolecular scaffolds that store and release nitric oxide for drug delivery and disease management applications.
John Oakley
John Oakley joined Know Bio and its group companies as Chief Financial Officer in July 2017. Prior to joining the Know Bio group, Mr. Oakley has served in senior financial positions and as a Director for both publicly traded and privately held companies such as Cleaver-Brooks, Inc., Flanders Corporation, and Home Meridian International. Mr. Oakley began his career in the audit division with Arthur Andersen, LLP after earning a B.S. degree in accounting from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.