Keck Graduate Institute welcomed Marisa Co as its newest Board of Trustees member at the February 2026 meeting on Thursday. Co brings extensive expertise in digital and business transformation and R&D in the biotechnology space to KGI's board, currently serving as president and CEO of InnovationEdge LLC, a boutique life science consulting firm.
“Understanding industry challenges and opportunities while elevating KGI to be a change agent in the biotechnology and healthcare fields is essential to serving as a member of this board,” said Board Chair Ross Grossman. “Ms. Co has proven to be a driver of industry-leading transformation, and I am confident she will be a great fit in providing guidance to KGI through collaboration with board members.”
“Having Marisa’s expertise in digital innovation and strategy on our Board of Trustees will be invaluable for KGI,” said President Mohamed Abousalem. “I look forward to working with Marisa to explore strategies for KGI to continue to advance biotechnology and healthcare solutions that heal and uplift our communities.”
Co currently works with small companies in the AI, analytics, technology and clinical research fields to partner with big pharma companies to bring innovation, data, and technology to clinical and medical research. Prior to joining the Board, Co served as a panelist at the second annual President’s Leadership Panel, where she shared about her career journey in biotechnology and how students can prepare to be leaders in the space.
“Life sciences education is at a true inflection point –– AI is reshaping how research happens, and data has become as fundamental to discovery as biology itself,” said Co. “I’m drawn to KGI because it sits right in the messy, fascinating collision zone of science, technology, AI, and human behavior — and that’s exactly where I’ve spent my entire career.
“I’ve led large teams, built new capabilities, and helped organizations rethink how they use data, AI, and innovation to solve real problems in life science. I see a tremendous opportunity to help KGI navigate the rapid shifts in biotech, data science, and healthcare delivery, and to ensure its students are not just prepared for that future, but ready to lead it.”
Prior to InnovationEdge LLC, Co served in several vice president roles at Bristol Myers Squibb, where she worked from 2013-2024. Co also previously served as president of the National Research Institute and held several positions at Amgen.
Co earned her PharmD at Universidad De Pharmacia y Bioquimica De Buenos Aires in Argentina and has an MBA from UCLA, a master's in digital media and communications psychology from Touro University, and a master’s in sports leadership from Rider University in New Jersey.