When the VIC Fellows Program was established, its mission was clear: to identify and train the next generation of life science leaders by immersing them in the high-stakes world of venture creation. We didn’t just want to teach the theory of commercialization; we wanted to provide a platform for top-tier scientists and strategists to transition from evaluating innovation to driving it.
Today, as we look back at the program’s evolution, the most compelling evidence of its success isn't just in the technologies we've vetted, it’s in the people who have stayed within the ecosystem to lead our portfolio companies and our own strategic initiatives.
Here, we highlight three former Senior Fellows who have transitioned from the program into pivotal leadership roles, embodying the "founder-first" mentality that defines VIC Tech.
Matt Leming, PhD: From Senior Fellow to Co-Founder & CEO of Enhance Health
During his tenure as a VIC Senior Fellow, Dr. Matt Leming stood out for his ability to dissect complex healthcare challenges and identify the commercial "white space" where innovation could thrive. His background, spanning a PhD in Biology from Notre Dame and deep experience in tech transfer, provided the perfect foundation for venture creation.
Today, Matt is the Founder and CEO of Enhance Health, a VIC portfolio company. Under his leadership, Enhance Health (formerly Enhance Diagnostics) has evolved from a diagnostic-focused startup into a comprehensive provider of continuous chronic disease health monitoring. Matt’s journey from evaluating the potential of life science assets as a Fellow to steering a company’s entire strategic vision is a testament to the program’s ability to bridge the gap between bench science and executive leadership.
Sobha Pisharody, PhD: Leading the Charge at icosiMED
Dr. Sobha Pisharody joined the VIC Fellows Program as a seasoned life sciences executive with a PhD in Molecular Oncology and Immunology. Despite her already impressive resume, including raising over $100M for previous ventures, Sobha utilized the Fellowship to sharpen her focus on early-stage academic innovation and the investor side of the table.
That transition culminated in her appointment as Co-founder and CEO of icosiMED. Unveiled by VIC Tech in late 2025, icosiMED is tackling one of the most significant hurdles in modern medicine: metabolic health. While current blockbuster weight loss drugs often lead to significant muscle loss, Sobha is leading icosiMED in developing a first-of-its-kind oral medication designed to decrease fat while preserving lean muscle mass. Her ability to identify this massive market need during her Fellowship and then step in to lead the solution demonstrates the unique "talent-to-venture" pipeline we’ve built.
Andres Lorente, PhD: Scaling AI Strategy at VIC Tech
The impact of the Fellows Program isn't limited to our portfolio companies; it also strengthens the core of VIC Tech itself. Dr. Andres Lorente joined the program with a world-class pedigree in biochemistry and a track record of helping drive acquisitions through data-driven insights including a $7.3 billion transaction.
After serving as a Senior Fellow, Andres moved into a critical internal leadership role as the VP of AI Strategy & Enablement at VIC Tech. In this capacity, he is responsible for ensuring that our entire ecosystem, from the way we source new technologies to how our portfolio companies scale, is powered by the most advanced AI frameworks. By keeping high-level talent like Andres within the VIC team, we ensure that the rigorous standards of the Fellowship are reflected in our long-term corporate strategy.
The Future of Innovation is Human
The stories of Matt, Sobha, and Andres illustrate that the VIC Fellows Program is more than a professional development course, it is a launchpad.
By providing Fellows with the tools to de-risk technologies and build business cases, we are effectively "pre-boarding" the future CEOs and VPs of the life science industry. As the VIC ecosystem continues to grow, we look forward to seeing more Fellows take the leap from identifying the "next big thing" to being the ones who bring it to the patients who need it most.