Susan Solomon

Business leader, Change Agent, Entrepreneur, Parent, Social entrepreneur

Susan L. Solomon is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute, the world’s leading independent non-profit research institute dedicated to translating cutting-edge stem cell research into clinical breakthroughs and cures for patients. The NYSCF global community includes over 190 researchers at leading institutions worldwide, including the NYSCF – Druckenmiller Fellows, the NYSCF – Robertson Investigators, the NYSCF – Robertson Stem Cell Prize Recipients, and NYSCF Research Institute scientists and engineers. The NYSCF Research Institute also continues to develop pioneering stem cell technologies, including the NYSCF Global Stem Cell ArrayTM. Since 2005, NYSCF has invested in “tipping point” stem cell research, accelerating progress in finding treatments and cures in over 80 disease areas including diabetes, ALS, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, cancer, schizophrenia, bone injury, and macular degeneration, among other diseases. A veteran healthcare advocate, Ms. Solomon serves on the boards of a number of prominent diabetes and regenerative medicine organizations including the College Diabetes Network and the Global Alliance for IPSC Therapies. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Regional Plan Association. Ms. Solomon has received numerous awards for her work with NYSCF, including the New York State Women of Excellence Award from the Governor of New York, the Triumph Award from the Brooke Ellison Foundation, recognition as a Living Landmark from the New York Landmarks Conservancy, and the Public Service Award from the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR). A lawyer by training and a chief executive and entrepreneur by experience, Ms. Solomon has decades of leadership experience in starting and building effective and focused organizations. Ms. Solomon started her career as an attorney at Debevoise & Plimpton, then held executive positions at MacAndrews and Forbes and APAX (formerly MMG Patricof and Co.). She was the founder and President of Sony Worldwide Networks, the Chairman and CEO of Lancit Media Productions, an Emmy award-winning television production company, and then served as the founding CEO of Sothebys.com, prior to starting her own strategic management consulting firm Solomon Partners LLC in 2000. She received her BA cum laude from New York University and her JD from Rutgers University School of Law, where she was as an editor of the Law Review.

Curing diseases. We have the technology, and diseases like diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration and many others can and will be solved in our lifetime.

Why aren’t drugs and treatments customized for every person? Everyone is different, and everyone experiences disease – even the same disease – in a different and unique way. Our genetics differ, our individual chemistry differs, and our environments differ, so why do we treat disease as if everyone is identical? We are at the cusp of addressing this problem and functionalizing human genetics to customize individual treatments and cures for the major diseases of our time. Human cell engineering will soon enable the repair and replacement of any tissue in the body. Further, these technologies will disrupt the drug discovery paradigm, enabling faster, safer, and personalized therapeutics at a small percentage of the current cost.

Biotech Automation, Collaboration, Stem cell research

I came to TED in 2012 to give a talk on stem cell research and our disruptive and breakthrough technology – The NYSCF Global Stem Cell ArrayTM. I knew TED brings together the most impressive individuals from diverse fields around the world, but I never imagined how it would open my eyes to so much more. Now more than ever, sectors are colliding. New technologies are enabling collaboration and partnership in ways that haven’t been available in the past, and the only way forward is to embrace the chaos and continue to innovate. Only at a TED Conference do you see this so visibly first hand and meet such exceptional people that employ and develop these new technologies and models of collaboration. The perspective I gain from attending a TED Conference helps shape what we do and how we think in order to advance and accelerate research towards cures for the most devastating disease of our time. I have made many friends and new colleagues through my experiences with TED.

Playing the piano. I come from a family of musicians - my mother was a pianist, and my son is a composer.