Kris ElverumFounder

United States - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Kris Elverum is passionate about transforming the lives of patients as President and CEO of AIRNA, a company pioneering the discovery and development of RNA editing therapeutics. AIRNA has a best-in-class RESTORE+ platform to develop RNA editing therapeutics and deliver on the promise of genetically defined medicines for patients with rare and common diseases.

Kris was previously Chief Executive Officer of Diagon Therapeutics, a stealth regenerative medicines company, and led business and corporate development for multiple biotechnology companies, including Rubius Therapeutics (RUBY), Turnstone Biologics, and SQZ Biotechnologies (SQZ). In those roles, Kris led negotiations for strategic pharma partnerships (>$2b in total deal value), technology acquisitions and inlicenses, corporate restructuring, and equity financing. Earlier in his career, Kris worked at Novartis, where he held leadership roles in CAR T cell therapy launch planning, neuroscience sales and marketing, and Sandoz global strategy and market intelligence. Kris began his career at McKinsey & Co. advising health care companies on strategy and corporate development.

Kris holds an MBA and BS from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, where he was the valedictorian of his MBA class, has attended executive courses at the Harvard Business School and Tuck School of Management, and is a published cell and gene therapy thought leader.