Our Team

Principal
Jim Timmins is President of Breakthrough Development Company (BDC). Jim started BDC in early 1998 after nearly 20 years of research and managerial experience and accomplishments at leading biopharmaceutical, device, and agbiotech/industrial companies. A successful inventor and published researcher with a technical MBA from MIT's Sloan School of Management, he is equally effective in satisfying the critical needs of scientists, investors, and senior executives. Jim has served at every management level from bench scientist to CEO. His global industry contacts--plus expertise initiating or positioning novel biotechnologies-- has resulted in $500 million in announced pharmaceutical/life science deals.

Jim has held the following positions throughout his career:

• Founder and General Manager, Helix Diagnostics LLC, an RNAi and antisense bioanalytical services CRO
• President/CEO for Molecular Circuitry, a biochip and diagnostics instrument developer
• President of the Wisconsin Biotechnology Association
• Vice President Business Development for Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's first genomics spinoff
• Director of Business Development for a leading gene therapy / vaccine device company
• Commercial Development Manager for a Fortune 50 biotech unit
• Startup biotechnologist for both a leading Inc. 500 research products company and a Fortune 500 drug company

Consultant
As an associate consultant to Breakthrough Development Company, Jamie Lang brings small business management expertise to Breakthrough’s emerging life sciences companies. Jamie graduated magna cum laude from Colorado State University with degrees in Biological Sciences and Zoology while holding research positions at several scientific laboratories, including the CDC. He then gained experience in small business management before returning to the University of Wisconsin for a technical MBA in Operations and Technology Management with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship. Jamie combines this versatile science and business background to offer clients solutions to a broad range of business development problems that early stage ventures often face. He has closed multi-million dollar licensing deals and assisted with strategy and operations at start-up companies with over 100% annual growth rates.

Jamie has held the following positions throughout his career:

• Small business consultant for early stage life sciences companies
• Founder and President/CEO of an early stage technology based venture
• Engineering manager for a start-up information technology consulting firm
• Logistics manager for a unit of what is now a Fortune 100 company
• Research associate for several scientific laboratories, including the Centers for Disease Control

 

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