The first Lunch Discussion at the Blackstone LaunchPad at UCLA is featuring Howard Leonhardt, an inventor and serial entrepreneur. Please join us for an engaging lunch! Lunch is provided.
Where: Covel Commons, Room 203
When: Wednesday, November 12 from 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Howard Leonhardt is an inventor and serial entrepreneur. He has 21 U.S. patents for devices, biologics and stem cell compositions primarily for treating heart and cardiovascular disease. He has founded more than 28 companies. He was a founding member of America General Medical Corporation in 1982 which built turn key cath labs around the world. In 1984 he joined IMA Medical Group as VP of Intl. Sales. He founded World Medical Mfg. Corp. in 1986 which developed and manufactured over a dozen devices for treating cardiovascular diseases. In 1995 he participated in the first-in-man percutaneous case of aortic aneurysm repair in Melbourne, Australia. World Medical merged with Arterial Vascular Engineering in 1998 and was subsequently acquired by Medtronic, Inc. in 1999 for $4.3 billion. He served as Vice President of Emerging New Therapies at Medtronic after the acquisition. Prominent inventions during the 80’s and 90’s include the TALENT (Taheri-Leonhardt) stent graft which captured 70% of the world market share for endovascular repair of thoracic aortic aneurysms. Also the first percutaneous heart valve, the first stem cell delivery catheter – PRO-CELL, the first intravascular lung catheter PENSIL, a variety of improved cardiovascular balloon catheters and radiation delivery systems. In 1999 he founded Bioheart, Inc. the first company dedicated to bringing stem cell therapies to market for treating heart failure. In May of 2001 he participated in the first-in-man non-surgical case using muscle stem cells to recover damaged heart tissue in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Bioheart was the first firm in the U.S.A. to reach a Phase III trial with a stem cell therapy designed to grow new contractile muscle in heart scar tissue. Leonhardt inventions have treated more than 200,000 people in 60 countries to date. New inventions include; the first stem cell recruiting pacemaker – MyoStim, biological pacemaker – BioPace, the first vibrational energy device for preventing plaque formation in arteries – CoroStim, the first wireless energy non-invasive device for directing focal stem cell recruitment and differentiation, the first stem cell pump, the first stem cell recruiting women’s bra, and a variety of devices for improving heart function, heart valve sufficiency and cardiovascular blood flow. In 2006 Leonhardt founded The California Stock Exchange which is registering with the SEC to be the first conscious capitalism stock exchange. He serves on numerous boards including the University of Florida Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation since 2000, The University of Northern California, Florida International University (2000 to 2006) and The Cell Therapy Foundation. He is the official state spokesperson for the JOBS ACT and Crowdfunding for the White House initiated Startup America Partnership and its region Startup California where he duly serves as state co-leader. He was present as a guest at the White House for the signing of the JOBS ACT April of 2012. He has signed a contract to co-host the upcoming CNBC TV show Crowdfund the American Dream. He is a candidate for Lt. Governor of California for 2014/18.