Diana Yousef
Diana Yousef
Dr. Diana Yousef, Founder and Principal of Development Innoventures, works with early-stage spin-out and social impact ventures commercializing university-generated technologies in the cleantech, sustainability, mobile tech, life sciences and global health spaces. Bringing to bear her diversity of experiences in the life sciences, academia, strategy consulting, venture finance, and emerging markets private sector development, she helps these startups to navigate the various challenges around early proof-of-concept, business plan development, product development, market strategy, and financing.
Prior to her current work, she was the Venture Principal with Kidd and Company, building their early stage biotechnology and cleantech practices, while also working on a portfolio of later stage healthcare and energy private equity deals. At Battelle Ventures, she worked on spin-outs and early/seed-stage investments in biotechnology, health care, renewable energies, environmental management, IT and computing technologies. She has also worked for the International Finance Corporation (the private-equity arm of the World Bank) investing in growth-stage life sciences and agriculture companies in Asia. Diana was a consultant with McKinsey & Company, advising clients in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, high technology, consumer goods/retail, financial services, logistics and public health sectors in the functional areas of go-to-market, pricing and growth strategies; business development; operations; and post-merger integration. Additionally, she helped to establish and manage a UN-backed advisory facility to help private sector organizations identify Base-of-the-Pyramid (BoP) investment opportunities in developing countries in such areas as renewable energies, financial services, telecommunications and supply-chain sourcing.
Diana trained as a biochemist at Harvard University (B.A.) and Cornell University (PhD in Structural Biology and Biochemistry). She also holds an MBA and an MA in International Affairs from Columbia University. She advises incubators, startups, non-profits, and policymakers working on the blending of technological innovation, economic development, and social enterprise. She is an Advisory Board Member for the TED Fellows Program, and a Founding Council Member for NASA’s Launch Initiative. She co-founded the McKinsey Alumni in Development Network. She has advised and/or participated on Investment Selection Committees for various incubators (e.g. Triana Venture Partners, the NYC Accelerator for a Clean and Renewable Economy (ACRE)), and mentors a number of technology startups and social enterprises.