Stephanie Vogel
Managing Director

Stephanie Vogel is a global business developer and marketing strategist with deep expertise in international market entry, innovation ecosystems, and cross-border collaboration. She leads WorldUpstart’s U.S. Market Gateway Accelerator, providing strategic support to international Life Sciences, MedTech, and Digital Health startups entering the U.S. market. Stephanie also cultivates a broad network of investors, mentors, industry experts, and alumni across key U.S. and global innovation hubs.

In 2025, she serves as Program Director of the HiveBio Accelerator Cohort 1, powered by WorldUpstart Impacts, the nonprofit arm of WorldUpstart, where she is also Executive Director.

Stephanie’s career spans work with Fortune 500 companies and startups across Europe, Asia, and North America. In 2020, she secured grant funding to launch How to Succeed as an Innovator, a virtual youth exchange introducing 50 top STEM students from Egypt and the U.S. to innovation mindsets, Life Sciences careers, and entrepreneurship pathways.

She currently serves on the Boards of Directors of the German-American Chamber of Commerce of Philadelphia and the German Society of Pennsylvania, advancing international ties and community engagement.

Vered Nohi
Head of Business Development and Partnerships

Vered is a seasoned business and economic development executive with expertise in international business development, growth strategy, and partnership building, and a focus on market entry, technology adoption, and innovation ecosystem development. With more than 25 years of international business development experience, Vered has built and led cross-border partnerships among startups, global companies, investors, academia, and public-sector stakeholders. She has helped companies scale and enter new markets across the United States, Israel, and Asia, including in the life sciences, MedTech, healthcare, and advanced technologies sectors.

Vered joined WorldUpstart in February 2024 as a mentor, became an advisor in summer 2025, and now serves as Head of Business Development and Partnerships. In this role, she leads the organization’s growth strategy, global partnerships, and U.S. market-entry initiatives, supporting international life sciences and MedTech companies as they commercialize, build strategic relationships, and secure funding. She advises program graduates on technology adoption, fundraising strategy, and long-term growth. Passionate about strengthening regional innovation ecosystems, Vered also mentors life sciences, food tech, ag tech, and sustainability companies at The Innovation Space in Delaware.

Vered founded Kitov Impact, LLC in June 2023, where, as Principal, she advises companies, nonprofits, and economic development organizations on strategic expansion, partnerships, marketing, and government affairs. She also represents the U.S.–Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation, on behalf of the Philadelphia–Israel Chamber of Commerce, in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and southern New Jersey, facilitating binational R&D and commercialization partnerships and preparing U.S. and Israeli collaborators to compete for grants of up to $1.5 million, including in life sciences and MedTech.

Vered’s career includes nearly a decade as Executive Director of the Philadelphia–Israel Chamber of Commerce, where she advanced U.S.–Israel trade, structured binational agreements and R&D collaborations, supported mutual market entry, expanded access to venture capital, and strengthened innovation ecosystems (2013–2022).

Earlier in her career, Vered spent nearly 14 years at the Port of Wilmington, Delaware (Diamond State Port Corporation), leading marketing, public affairs, branding, and international trade development. Her rich experience at the nation’s leading U.S. seaport for perishables, defined her affinity to global logistics, commerce and economic development.

Brianna Amato
Communications and Program Lead

Brianna Amato, previously an intern at WorldUpstart, has returned full-time as the Communications and Program Lead at WorldUpstart and WorldUpstart Impacts. A 2024 Temple University graduate with a degree in Biology and a minor in Healthcare Policy and Management, Brianna is driven by a passion for supporting the people behind scientific discovery and healthcare innovation. She has always been drawn to leadership and entrepreneurship, taking on various leadership roles within the College of Science and Technology at Temple University.

Before rejoining WorldUpstart, Brianna worked at Fox Chase Cancer Center as a Science Program Recruitment Administrator in the Office of Academic Affairs. There, she supported international scientists transitioning to Philadelphia, created a sense of community through events, and contributed to communications and recruitment efforts. This experience deepened her understanding of the challenges faced by researchers and emphasized the importance of strong administrative support in fostering scientific success.

Returning to WorldUpstart full-time, is especially meaningful for Brianna, as it allows her to build on her prior experience while advancing the organization’s global mission to drive scientific breakthroughs, improve patient care, and strengthen healthcare systems. With a passion for both science and leadership, Brianna is dedicated to making a lasting impact in the healthcare and medtech industries, ultimately improving lives through innovation and collaboration.

Glen Gaddy, PhD
Advisor

Glen Gaddy has experience in technology, advanced materials, real estate, consumer product development and venture funding. He has been an active angel investor since 2003, funding technology, real estate, day care and business services ventures. His prior experience includes heading a research and development laboratory for a leading building materials company, leading real estate services for the world’s largest consulting engineering firm and running a closely held real estate investment company. He has published in professional journals and has served as the Principal Investigator on over $8M of government research programs. He is an active reviewer of applied research grant applications in both the United States and abroad, an active speaker on startups and early stage funding, and the reviewer of numerous business plans each year. He holds a Ph.D., M.S.E and

B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.

Heather A. Steinman, PhD, MBA
Advisor

Heather Steinman, Ph.D., MBA, is Vice President for Business Development and Executive Director of Technology Transfer at The Wistar Institute, the nation’s first independent research institution devoted solely to biomedical science and a world leader in cancer, immunology, virology and infectious disease research.

Dr. Steinman joined Wistar in 2014. Since then, the Business Development team has been working to advance Wistar science and technology development through creative partnerships to turn innovative discoveries into transformative treatments. Dr. Steinman’s proactive approach involves removing risk from early stage science by forging new strategic partnerships with industry experts, non-profits and local academic research institutions, and accelerating commercialization opportunities for Wistar’s growing pipeline of biomedical discoveries including small and large molecule therapeutics, diagnostics, vaccines and target discovery/validation platforms in the oncology, immunology and infectious disease space.

Dr. Steinman brings more than 24 years' experience in technology transfer and commercialization of early stage-life science discoveries. She previously served as Director of the Penn Center for Innovation, Perelman School of Medicine Office at the University of Pennsylvania. There, she played an essential role in supporting Penn’s UPstart program. Before that, Dr. Steinman spent more than a decade in roles of increasing responsibility as a technology licensing professional in the Office of Technology Management at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Dr. Steinman holds a doctorate in biomedical sciences from the University of Massachusetts Medical School and an MBA from the university’s Isenberg School of Management. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Baldwin-Wallace College with dual degrees in biology and psychology in the honors program.

Heather is a member of Robin Hood Ventures and Delaware Crossing Investor Group; Co-Chair of PHL Life Sciences, Board Member of Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, Pharmaceutical Consulting Consortium International, The Pheo Para Alliance, BioStrategy Partners, and Advisory Council Member of Dornsife School of Public Health, Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce.

J. Todd Abrams, PhD
Advisor

Dr. Abrams is presently the Senior Director, New Ventures and Business Development in Temple University’s Office of the Vice Provost for Research. His principal responsibilities are to help place new technologies on the critical path for commercial development and shape teams to establish new ventures to implement the plan. Prior to joining Temple Todd was Manager of JT ABRAMS CONSULTING where he supported institutions in our region to develop new approaches to support emerging technologies, as well as advising early stage technologies on how to access those new resources.

Prior to consulting, Dr. Abrams Served as Director, Philanthropy and Business Development at the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR) in Wynnewood PA, a position in which he expanded his interest in advancing early stage technologies. Among other responsibilities he oversaw LIMR’s technology development initiative, including its biotechnology incubator, technology transfer office, and philanthropy efforts. Before joining LIMR, Dr. Abrams was Executive Director, New Product Development at Meniscus Limited, a medical education and publishing company. He received a BA in biology from Lafayette College in Easton, PA, and his Ph.D. in immunology from the University of Pennsylvania. After receiving his Ph.D., Dr. Abrams spent over a decade performing cancer research, with positions at The Wistar Institute, the University of Miami School of Medicine, and Allegheny University of the Health Sciences now Drexel’s School of Medicine. Dr. Abrams also served as President, Foundation for Research Into Diseases of Aging (FRIDA) and Chaired the All Partners Committee of BioLaunch 611 + Keystone Innovation Zone. He previously served on the Board of Directors of BioStrategy Partners, and also is President of Intracell, LLC, which holds patents for the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.