BioConnect Iowa
Steve Brody
President & CEO
Steve joined BioConnect Iowa in December 2021. He has more than 30 years of experience in public and private sectors and comes to BCI from Genus plc, a world-leading animal genetics company. Prior to Genus, he was at DuPont Pioneer in various roles over a 20-year career, leading global biotechnology and regulatory efforts, industry relations, sales and marketing planning and federal government relations. He holds a master’s degree in Agribusiness from Kansas State University and a master’s degree in Planning and Public Affairs from the University of Iowa.
Steve Smith
Commercial Officer
Steve joined BioConnect Iowa in 2019. He has 20+ years of experience in intellectual property, licensing, agribusiness, and startups. He has worked for Weil, Gotshal & Manges, McKee Voorhees & Sease, DuPont Pioneer (now Corteva Agriscience,) and The Context Network. Steve serves as CEO and co-founder of Inflexion Point Technologies, an Iowa-based prescription, on-planter seed treatment company. He earned a JD from Indiana University School of Law, Bloomington, and a Bachelor of Art degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Northern Iowa.
Heather Thomas
Administrative Assistant
Heather joined the BioConnect team in September 2023. She has over a decade of experience as an office manager, specializing in small team coordination and success. As a seasoned entrepreneur herself, Heather particularly enjoys being part of a team focused on bringing dreams and hard work to life, in support of Iowa startup founders.
Sam Martin
Administrative Assistant (G2M program)
Sam joined BioConnect Iowa in 2020 in a part-time role providing administrative support for the Iowa G2M project. He has a background in communications and marketing and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Iowa.
InnoVenture Iowa Fund
Kaylee Williams
Investment Director
Kaylee Williams joined BioConnect Iowa in 2022 as the Investment Director for InnoVenture Iowa, a $30 million co-investment fund designed to support early-stage startup companies in biosciences, advanced manufacturing, and information technology. She is the former President of VolunteerLocal, a volunteer management software company, and the former Head of Customer Development at Roboflow. She is a trusted advisor with deep expertise in SaaS operations, developing early-stage traction and building high-performing teams.
Safiya Lee-Evans
Program Manager
Having initially spent five years with BioConnect Iowa in operations, Safiya Lee-Evans now holds the pivotal role of Program Manager for the Iowa Venture Capital Co-investment Fund (IVCCF), the state’s $30 million public fund. In this role, she oversees the critical intersections of innovation, investment, and stakeholder engagement.
At the heart of Safiya’s responsibilities is the management of InnoVenture Iowa’s portfolio companies, where she plays a crucial role in shaping their long-term success.
With a career spanning 20 years, Safiya’s versatility is evident through her extensive experience in marketing, business development, and operations across both public and private sectors. Her dynamic skill set makes her an invaluable asset to both BioConnect Iowa and the startups within the InnoVenture Iowa portfolio.
Micah Walker
Investment Analyst
Micah is a recent graduate from Iowa State University Ivy College of Business with an MBA in Entrepreneurship. After an impressive semester as the inaugural InnoVenture Iowa Fellow with the IVCCF team, he officially joined us as an Investment Analyst in June 2024.
In his role, Micah is responsible for overseeing the vetting process of potential startups seeking investment from IVCCF, leveraging his expertise and entrepreneurial insights to identify promising opportunities.
An entrepreneur himself, Micah founded the innovative apparel company Stratus IAC. This entrepreneurial background uniquely positions him to provide both expertise and valuable insights to the founders who pitch to IVCCF.