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Join us to create the future.

Cleveland Clinic’s Global Venture Philanthropy Fund provides unique opportunities for donors to help us find answers to problems once thought unsolvable as we discover and implement new and better ways to deliver healthcare solutions worldwide.

The Global Venture Philanthropy Fund is a collaboration between Cleveland Clinic Innovations and Cleveland Clinic’s Philanthropy Institute.

Meet the Team

Cleveland Clinic Innovations brings the discoveries of our world-class researchers and clinicians to the world. We assess, protect, build, test and commercialize the most promising ideas of our caregivers. Since our inception in 2000, we’ve been Cleveland Clinic’s commercialization engine, resulting in: • 2,400+ patents issued. • 600+ active licenses. • 40+ active startups.

The Philanthropy Institute connects the generosity of donors to Cleveland Clinic’s mission of caring for life, researching for health and educating those who serve. Gifts of every size are critically important for advancing our highest priorities, including groundbreaking neurological research, the new Cleveland Innovation District, community/ workforce development and the growth of our enterprise to benefit more patients around the globe.

About Cleveland Clinic Innovations

About Cleveland Clinic's Philanthropy Institute

As Executive Director of Cleveland Clinic Innovations, Dr. D. Geoffrey Vince aligns Cleveland Clinic’s technology development strategies with scientific and research priorities – including unprecedented growth in data and computing sciences – to accelerate the discoveries of new treatments and drugs. Dr. Vince and his team build strategic partnerships and alliances in these areas to drive revenue growth through the commercialization of intellectual property. Dr. Vince has vast experience as a researcher, inventor and leader in academia as well as in industry, coupling expertise in biomedical engineering research with a broad understanding of business practices and goals. He holds 12 patents. His virtual histology technology was licensed by Volcano Corp., which later sold to Philips.

Executive Director | Cleveland Clinic Innovations Chair | Biomedical Engineering The Virginia Lois Kennedy Endowed Chair in Biomedical Engineering and Applied Therapeutics

Lara A. Kalafatis

Chair | Philanthropy Institute

Opportunity

At Cleveland Clinic, inventions spring from the leading minds in medicine. Our 72,000+ researchers and clinicians are ready to turn ideas into next-generation products for patients. By blending talent, experience and the resources of one of the world’s leading healthcare organizations, we’re prepared to achieve exceptional results for patients as well as inventors, investors, partners and philanthropic supporters.

Your donation will empower forward thinking.

Much has changed since Cleveland Clinic was founded more than a century ago. Nonetheless, when you look back on our history of advances in care, research and education, you’ll find a common through line: innovation. It’s one of our core values. Many major medical breakthroughs have originated here, ranging from the first coronary angiography to the first near-total face transplant to the first use of deep brain stimulation for stroke recovery. We reinvented patient care based on an integrated delivery model that allows us to bring innovative discoveries to patients faster, and our caregivers continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in healthcare.

Your donation will build upon a legacy of innovation.

Cleveland Clinic employees have more promising ideas than we currently have funding to pursue. We’re working with a community of venture philanthropists to shape the future with us. Every dollar from every donor means more big ideas that will lead to transformative impact. Will you join us?

Your donation will make a difference now.

If you answered “yes” to any or all of these questions, we invite you to create the future with us through Cleveland Clinic’s Global Venture Philanthropy Fund. When you donate to support this collaboration between Cleveland Clinic Innovations and the Philanthropy Institute, you’ll help turn breakthrough inventions into patient-benefiting medical products and companies, using our proven approach to assess, protect, build, test and market the most promising ideas brought forth by Cleveland Clinic researchers and clinicians. Donations to the fund will be pooled to provide the vital capital needed by the highest-impact companies in our portfolio.

Do you want to match your philanthropic passion with a program that has the high-risk/high-reward potential to solve healthcare problems?

Are you interested in diversifying your support for Cleveland Clinic to achieve broader philanthropic goals?

Do you want to achieve transformative impact that will further Cleveland Clinic’s legacy of lifesaving and life-changing innovations?

What is the Global Venture Philanthropy Fund? The Global Venture Philanthropy Fund is a philanthropic fund comprised of donations from Cleveland Clinic’s generous supporters. Are contributors to the Global Venture Philanthropy Fund considered investors? Contributors are considered donors, not investors. All contributions are considered philanthropic.

How are proceeds/earnings distributed? Any proceeds/earnings from the Global Venture Philanthropy Fund are unrestricted and revert back to the fund for future growth. How is the Global Venture Philanthropy Fund managed? Cleveland Clinic Innovations manages fund capital and makes investment decisions. The Philanthropy Institute generates capital for the fund through donations from Cleveland Clinic supporters.

Click to view frequently asked questions

FAQs

Portfolio

With dozens of spinoff companies, the diverse portfolio of Cleveland Clinic Innovations showcases our mission to make the latest scientific discoveries and inventions available to patients around the world. A dedicated team of business experts supports our ventures throughout their life cycle, from formation, management and governance to funding and potential acquisition. Startup companies can access our state-of-the-art technology Incubator, as well as the vast resources of Cleveland Clinic and its Lerner Research Institute. These are just a few examples of innovation at work here.

Enspire DBS Therapy aims to revitalize stroke recovery using deep brain stimulation alongside physical rehabilitation to restore motor function for stroke survivors living with disability.

Enspire DBS Therapy

Mitria Medical is developing a minimally invasive transcatheter mitral valve repair implant.

Mitria Medical

Cleveland Diagnostics is improving cancer diagnostics with highly efficacious, lab-friendly, affordable tests using proprietary technology.

Autism Eyes

Centerline Biomedical has created FDA-cleared endovascular navigation technology for medical procedures that reduces radiation exposure, allows intraoperative 3D visualization and provides real-time guidance of catheters and guidewires.

Centerline Biomedical

Abcon Therapeutics is dedicated to the development of first-in-class therapeutics for T-cell mediated diseases and related cancers.

Abcon Therapeutics

Method AI's image-guided navigation platform is designed to enable improved outcomes and to enhance robotic surgical procedures, initially impacting patients’ surgical oncology journey.

Method AI

Disclaimer: These examples are for information purposes only. Contributions to the Global Venture Philanthropy Fund are unrestricted and support the Cleveland Clinic Innovations portfolio as a whole, not individual companies.

Take the Next Step

For more information about Cleveland Clinic’s Global Venture Philanthropy Fund, contact us at giving@ccf.org.

Your donation will empower forward thinking.

Your donation will make a difference now.

Your donation will build upon a legacy of innovation.

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D. Geoffrey Vince, PhD

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D. Geoffrey Vince, PhD

Lara A. Kalafatis brings more than 25 years of experience in philanthropy to her leadership role at Cleveland Clinic, one of the world’s top nonprofit multispecialty academic medical centers. As Chair of the Philanthropy Institute, she is responsible for all philanthropic initiatives across the enterprise. From 2014 to 2021, she led The Power of Every One Centennial Campaign, the most successful fundraising effort in Cleveland Clinic’s history. It raised nearly $2.6 billion, with 800,000 gifts received from 375,000 donors across the U.S. and around the world, ultimately factoring into more than 100 million patient visits. Ms. Kalafatis is also a member of the Operations Council of Cleveland Clinic.

Lara A. Kalafatis

Zehna Therapeutics is an early-stage biotech company focused on developing novel small molecules targeting specific gut microbial pathways to treat chronic disease.

Abcon Therapeutics

Avaneer Health is a first-of-its-kind network and platform created exclusively by healthcare leaders to facilitate true interoperability and data fluidity to simplify processes, reduce costs, create transparency and improve outcomes.

Method AI

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