Erika Smith

Entrepreneur-in-Residence

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 lifescience including Respironics (Philips Healthcare), Hyperion and IVAX. She also launched and led the advancement of three separate successful life sciences 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, is on the boards of Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), and the Crossroads Venture Group – venture capital organization of CT, and is an Entrepreneur in Residence at University of Connecticut. She is an invited TedX presenter and co-authored a playbook for best practices of “Empowering Women Entrepreneurs” sponsored by JPMorgan Chase for the International Business Innovation Association. Erika holds a bachelor’s in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering and MBA from Vanderbilt University.