ACG NJ Monthly Breakfast Meeting, September 17, 2019

Debbie Hart worked alongside NJ’s biotechnology industry leaders to establish BioNJ in 1994 and has been dedicated to building NJ’s life sciences ecosystem ever since. Debbie was recently named by Governor Murphy to the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology; as co-chair of the New Jersey Higher Education Strategic Plan Research, Innovation and Talent Working Group; and the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and Business Partnership. Debbie served as chair of the bipartisan, bicameral New Jersey Biotechnology Task Force which was charged with making recommendations to the Legislature for fostering the growth of the biotechnology industry in New Jersey.  The report was issued in June 2018.  Debbie is a founding board member and officer of OpportunityNJ, a non-profit organization working toward a strong and sustainable State economy; and serves on the boards of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and Choose New Jersey. Debbie was named one of the world’s 100 Most Influential People in Biotechnology by Scientific American Worldview; to ROI-NJ’s 2018 Influencers Power List; to the 2019 NJBIZ Health Care Power 50, to PharmaVOICE's 2019 100 Most Inspiring People list; one of New Jersey’s top CEOs by COMMERCE Magazine and for the seventh time in 2019 to the NJBIZ Power 100, a listing of the 100 most influential people in New Jersey business.  

Kathleen Coviello is the Vice President of Technology Life Science Investments at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA). She is responsible for working closely with the emerging technology and life science companies and investors in the state, and delivering various investments and financing products to this community. She joined the Authority in August 2005.

Under Ms. Coviello’s direction, the EDA has delivered over $1 billion in direct investments, business incentives, tax credits, and venture fund investments through the Edison Innovation Fund.

Prior to joining the EDA, she spent over seventeen years in the banking industry, with the last eight focused exclusively on the NJ Technology Venture Lending Market. Her venture lending experience includes employment at Silicon Valley Bank, Comerica Bank and Progress’ Techbanc.

In 2009, Coviello was the recipient of the John H. Martinson, Technology Leadership Award by the New Jersey Technology Council, an award recognizing her leadership in the NJ Technology community over the last ten years. She was named “Financier of the Year” by the New Jersey Technology Council in June of 2003. Coviello actively participates in numerous technology forums throughout the state as a speaker, judge and panelist.

Coviello sits on the advisory boards of several venture funds including – Edison Partners, the NJTC Venture Fund/Tech Council Ventures, and New Spring Health Ventures. She also sits on the boards of the NJ Technology Council, and the NJ Research & Development Council.