Our Story

Kevin Slawin, M.D. is the Founder and Managing Partner of Rapha Capital Management, LLC (https://raphacap.com). Formerly a robotic oncologic surgeon, he is now a biotech investor and founder focusing on disruptive healthcare technologies. He is the founder of Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., leading Bellicum to a successful $161 million IPO in December, 2014. He also plays a guiding role in several of the investments managed by Rapha Capital in certain companies, serving as the board Chairman of FIZE Medical, Inc. (https://fizemedical.com). He served as a board member and interim CEO of portfolio company AsclepiX Therapeutics, Inc. (https://asclepix.com) in 2020, engineering their $35 million Series A financing led by Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund in mid 2020. Rapha Capital Management manages thirteen legacy SPIVs, Rapha Capital Investment I – XIII. Rapha Capital Management offers alternative asset management services to its private equity fund, Rapha Capital PE Life Sciences Fund VI (https://raphacapitalpe.com) which is the current vehicle for all investments managed by Rapha Capital Management.

He is also the founder and CEO of Ponce Therapeutics, Inc. (https://poncetherapeutics.com), which reunites the team that founded Bellicum Pharmaceuticals and that is using advanced technologies to develop novel therapeutics targeting the fundamental mechanisms of aging, and DELiver Therapeutics, Inc. (https://delivertherapeutics.com), which is applying high throughput DNA encoded library (DEL) drug screening combined with other advanced technologies in novel ways to deliver small molecule and peptide therapeutics that address some of the most challenging and, some previously termed “undruggable”, targets in clinical medicine.  Both have R&D facilities located at K2Bio in Houston (https://www.k2-biolabs.com/), a coworking research facility for biotech and pharma startups recently opened in Houston, where he is a co-founder, investor, and board member.  He is also the Founder, Chairman and CEO of PrintBio, Inc. (https://printbio.com), a commercial stage company with products powered by advanced bio-printing technologies.

Slawin graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biochemistry from Columbia University, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his medical degree in 1986 from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. He trained in General Surgery and then Urology at the Mount Sinai Hospital and at Squier Urologic Clinic at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, both in NYC. Later, he was awarded a two-year fellowship, from 1992-1994, as an American Foundation of Urologic Disease (AFUD) scholar at Baylor College of Medicine to continue to study the development and treatment of prostate cancer under the tutelage of renowned prostate cancer surgeon and thought leader, Dr. Peter Scardino. Slawin joined the Baylor College of Medicine as Director of The Baylor Prostate Center in 1994 and was appointed the Dan Duncan Family Professor in Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases in 2003, established by the well-known Houston oil man and philanthropist of the same name. He is co-Inventor of the FDA-approved “prostate health index (phi)” test licensed and marketed by Beckman Coulter and utilized around the world. He has published extensively in top medical and scientific journals including the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI), and the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). He has also been routinely listed in America’s Top Doctors for Cancer (Castle Connolly Medical) and The Best Doctors in America (Woodward/White). In 2003, he was awarded the F. Brantley Scott, Jr., Award for Innovation and Creativity in Urology.  He currently lives in Miami, FL where he is Founder and CEO of Miami Medicos (https://miamimedicos.com), a membership organization of physicians, founders, executives, and investors catalyzing the healthcare entrepreneurial ecosystem in Miami and worldwide.

Daniel Cohen, Ph.D., is the Chief Operating Officer of PrintBio. Prior to PrintBio, he was the co-founder of 3DBio.  Prior to that, Daniel was an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company in New York, where he focused on manufacturing, industrials, healthcare, and 3D printing. He received his Ph.D., as well as B.S. and M.S. degrees, in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, with minors in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering. Dr. Cohen was awarded both the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, and the Department of Homeland Security Graduate Fellowship. At Cornell, he focused on bioprinting technology, completing his doctoral dissertation on 3D printing & bioprinting and holds numerous publications and patents in the field.

Nathaniel Bachrach, Ph.D., is Consulting EVP, Strategy, Science and Product at PrintBio.  Previously, he was the Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of 3DBio Therapeutics. Prior to 3DBio, Nathaniel was the Vice President of Research & Technology at LifeCell (NASDAQ: LIFC), which was acquired by Allergan. Nathaniel came to LifeCell from Organogenesis. Dr. Bachrach received his Ph.D., as well as B.S. and M.S. degrees, in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University in New York, where his research focused on cartilage and regenerative medicine.

Colin was the Chief Financial Officer of 3D Bio Therapeutics.  He has 15 years of combined experience helping companies navigate capital markets as an advisor, investor, partner and leader.

Prior to 3DBio, Colin worked with companies on public markets readiness to prepare for and evaluate fundraising opportunities across both traditional and non-traditional paths. Before that, he worked as a portfolio manager and analyst poring over companies’ financial statements and strategies to allocate capital across public equities.

Colin started his career at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and UBS and holds a Bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.

Kayvon serves as a Principal at RNA Capital Advisors, a financial and strategic advisory firm, and as VP, Finance & Strategic Analysis at Hawthorne Effect, Inc, a healthcare technology company focused on decentralizing clinical trials. Previously, Kayvon was a director in the consulting group at Burr Pilger Mayer, Inc., a consulting and accounting firm headquartered in San Francisco. Kayvon was also a director in the valuation and financial advisory services group within the corporate finance and restructuring division of FTI Consulting, Inc. His predecessor company, The Salter Group, LLC, a leading independent financial and strategic advisory firm, was acquired by FTI.

In life sciences, Kayvon has developed dynamic patient-flow and other financial models to facilitate the forecasting and valuation of biopharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostic products, companies, complex securities, and royalty interests for transaction, bankruptcy, tax, and accounting oriented purposes. Kayvon has worked with companies ranging from large, publicly traded entities, to small, venture capital-backed organizations.

Kayvon holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Corporate Finance from the University of Southern California. He has been a guest lecturer and presenter at the University of Southern California and the California Institute of Technology, among others.

Jill Tierney is the Comptroller at PrintBio. Ms. Tierney specializes in standing up early-stage biotech organizations. She currently advises multiple venture capitalist backed portfolio companies and reports directly to the CEO and Board of Directors as well as serves as the Vice President of Finance at AsclepiX Therapeutics, Inc. Prior to these current roles, she served as the Manager of FP&A at Aerie Pharmaceutics and was involved in the expansion of the company’s finance department during its transition from development-stage to a fully integrated commercial organization. Ms. Tierney has over 15 years of experience in corporate finance, financial planning and analysis in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.

Janet Vargo, Ph.D. was the VP of Regulatory and Clinical Affairs of 3DBio Therapeutics.  Janet has over 20 years of medical device, diagnostics, and combination product regulatory and clinical experience including 13 years at Johnson & Johnson in positions of increasing global management responsibility within product and evidence development.  At Johnson & Johnson, Janet last served as a Board member and Head of Regulatory and Clinical Affairs for  Mentor Worldwide, LLC.

Kevin Slawin, M.D. is the Founder and Managing Partner of Rapha Capital Management, LLC (https://raphacap.com). Formerly a robotic oncologic surgeon, he is now a biotech investor and founder focusing on disruptive healthcare technologies. He was the founder of Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., leading Bellicum to a successful $161 million IPO in December, 2014. He also plays a guiding role in several of the investments managed by Rapha Capital in certain companies, serving as the board Chairman of FIZE Medical, Inc. (https://fizemedical.com). He served as a board member and interim CEO of portfolio company AsclepiX Therapeutics, Inc. (https://asclepix.com) in 2020, engineering their $35 million Series A financing led by Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund in mid 2020. Rapha Capital Management manages thirteen legacy SPIVs, Rapha Capital Investment I – XIII. Rapha Capital Management offers alternative asset management services to its private equity fund, Rapha Capital PE Life Sciences Fund VI (https://raphacapitalpe.com) which is the current vehicle for all investments managed by Rapha Capital Management.

He is also the founder and CEO of Ponce Therapeutics, Inc. (https://poncetherapeutics.com), which reunites the team that founded Bellicum Pharmaceuticals and that is using advanced technologies to develop novel therapeutics targeting the fundamental mechanisms of aging, and DELiver Therapeutics, Inc. (https://delivertherapeutics.com), which is applying high throughput DNA encoded library (DEL) drug screening combined with other advanced technologies in novel ways to deliver small molecule and peptide therapeutics that address some of the most challenging and, some previously termed “undruggable”, targets in clinical medicine.  Both have R&D facilities located at K2Bio in Houston (https://www.k2-biolabs.com/), a coworking research facility for biotech and pharma startups recently opened in Houston, where he is a co-founder, investor, and board member.  He is also the Founder, Chairman and CEO of PrintBio, Inc. (https://printbio.com), a commercial stage company with products powered by advanced bio-printing technologies.

Slawin graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biochemistry from Columbia University, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his medical degree in 1986 from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. He trained in General Surgery and then Urology at the Mount Sinai Hospital and at Squier Urologic Clinic at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, both in NYC. Later, he was awarded a two-year fellowship, from 1992-1994, as an American Foundation of Urologic Disease (AFUD) scholar at Baylor College of Medicine to continue to study the development and treatment of prostate cancer under the tutelage of renowned prostate cancer surgeon and thought leader, Dr. Peter Scardino. Slawin joined the Baylor College of Medicine as Director of The Baylor Prostate Center in 1994 and was appointed the Dan Duncan Family Professor in Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases in 2003, established by the well-known Houston oil man and philanthropist of the same name. He is co-Inventor of the FDA-approved “prostate health index (phi)” test licensed and marketed by Beckman Coulter and utilized around the world. He has published extensively in top medical and scientific journals including the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI), and the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). He has also been routinely listed in America’s Top Doctors for Cancer (Castle Connolly Medical) and The Best Doctors in America (Woodward/White). In 2003, he was awarded the F. Brantley Scott, Jr., Award for Innovation and Creativity in Urology.  He currently lives in Miami, FL where he is Founder and CEO of Miami Medicos (https://miamimedicos.com), a membership organization of physicians, founders, executives, and investors catalyzing the healthcare entrepreneurial ecosystem in Miami and worldwide.

Frank McGuyer is the Founder, Chairman of the Board and CEO of McGuyer Homebuilders Inc. (MHI), which was one of the largest private builders in Texas, ranked 24th in the Builder 100 ranking of largest homebuilders in the nation in 2012. MHI was started in 1988 and the majority of assets were sold to Dreamfinders Homes in 2021. Over 50,000 homes were sold during this time and assets included mortgage, title, development, model home company and related affiliates.  Board affiliations include MHI, Redstone Bank, Bellicum Pharmaceuticals. He is a native Houstonian and earned a B.B.A. with honors at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, TX.

James F. Brown is a seasoned investor, executive and entrepreneur with extensive experience in venture investing, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and operations across several industries, including technology, biotech and healthcare. He currently serves on several public and private company boards, including Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLCM), Promise Healthcare Holdings LLC, and Landmark Infrastructure Partners, LP (Nasdaq: LMRK). From 2009 to 2017, he was the chief investment officer for AVG Holdings, a large diversified private investment fund. From 2003 to 2009, Mr. Brown was an independent investor and served on a number of private company boards of directors and also held a number of operating roles in technology companies, including CEO, COO, CFO and General Counsel. From 1999 to 2002, he served as Executive Vice President and General Manager of OpenTV, Inc., a public technology and media company which he helped to take public and where he co-founded and managed the company’s applications business unit prior to the company’s sale to Liberty Media in 2002. Earlier in his career, Mr. Brown was a partner in the law firms of McDermott, Will & Emery and Pillsbury Madison & Sutro.

Mindy Tucker currently serves as Managing Director, MC Real Estate Partners LLC, a privately held owner/operator of office and multi-family properties in the Northeast. She previously served as Chief Financial Officer of Meritage Properties and has over 30 years of experience in corporate finance, investor relations, capital markets transactions, strategic planning and corporate development. Mindy graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. from University of Pennsylvania and earned an M.S. in Molecular Genetics from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Mindy is a Founding Member and Treasurer of the Board of School in the Square Public Charter School, serving children from Pre-K through High School in New York City.