Anthony Johnson

Director at 22nd Century Group

Mr. Johnson was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors in August 2021, serving on the Scientific Advisory and Compensation Committees. Mr. Johnson is co-founder, President, and CEO of Kodikaz Therapeutic Solutions, a next-generation non-viral gene therapy company. He is also a founding partner of Buffalo Biosciences, a life science strategic business management firm that supports the evaluation and commercialization of bioscience technologies from concept to market. Previously he was president and CEO of Empire Genomics, where he transformed a concept formed at a university lab into a preeminent oncology molecular diagnostic testing enterprise. He also served as the business leader of the stem cell and regenerative medicine franchise for Thermo Fisher (Invitrogen Corporation). Mr. Johnson has leveraged his business experience and numerous board positions to mentor technology startups and entrepreneurs, spur state and local job creation and introduce STEM curriculum into early childhood education. Mr. Johnson is an Aspen Institute Health Innovation Fellow and member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, and he currently serves on the board of the WNED/PBS broadcasting service of Western New York. Mr. Johnson is a founding board member of the Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative, which works to create positive change in the lives of low-income youth of color. Additionally, he serves as Michigan Street African-American Heritage Corridor Commissioner and was an Opportunities Council member for the University of Buffalo. Mr. Johnson holds an MBA from Manchester Business School, Manchester, UK, with an emphasis in international strategy, and a BA in biology from Fisk University, Nashville, TN.