Erika Smith

Erika Smith is the CEO of ReNetX Bio, a clinical stage, venture funded company in New Haven, CT, committed to advancing first-in-class, disease modifying therapy in the central nervous system. Over the past 25 years Erika has held key executive roles at leading life-science including Respironics (Philips Healthcare), Hyperion and IVAX.

She also launched and led the advancement of three separate successful investment funds including the $25M Blavatnik Fund for Innovation at Yale, YEI Innovation Fund and the Bio-Life Fund at the Center for Innovative Technology in partnership with Johnson & Johnson.

Erika was awarded “Entrepreneur of the Year” in 2019 by BioCT and Women of Innovation in 2020 by the Connecticut Technology Council. She is on the board of Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), Vice Chair of the Healthcare and Biotechnology Governor’s Workforce Council and an Entrepreneur in Residence at Technology Incubation Program (TIP) at UConn. She is an invited TedX presenter, taught life-science translational classes at the National Institutes of Health and Georgetown and co-authored a playbook for best practices of “Empowering Women Entrepreneurs” sponsored by JPMorgan Chase.

Erika holds a bachelor’s in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering and an MBA from Vanderbilt University.