Ella is a biotech entrepreneur, C-level executive and Founder/Managing Director of EKS Ventures. She is an active investor and operator of companies, holding roles as co-founder and CEO of Virano Therapeutics and co-founder of Virica Biotech.  In her various C-level, VP and Business Development engagements she has built successful commercial, business development and marketing teams, raised Seed to Series B venture capital and drove liquidity events.  She has closed various licensing transactions with pharma companies, some valued at over $100M USD and led successful sales programs resulting in annual sales of over $50M.  Ella is a biotechnology ecosystem builder, having advising start-ups and commercial stage companies, supporting accelerators such as Capital BioVentures and founding not for profit organizations like TOHealth! and Gene Therapy Canada.  Ella holds an MSc in Medical Genetics from the University of Toronto and an MBA from Dalhousie University.