PHILADELPHIA--(August 20, 2020) – The University City Science Center will recognize three local leaders during its annual Nucleus Awards event on September 22, 2020, presented by CSL Behring. This year’s class of honorees includes Benjamin Doranz, President & CEO of Integral Molecular, Aurora Archer, Founder & CEO of Bellatrix Group and Co-Host of The Opt-In Podcast, and Sylvester Mobley, CEO of Coded by Kids. The awards will be presented to the recipients during a one-hour virtual event hosted by WHYY’s Tracey Matisak.
Each fall, Nucleus brings together the region’s leaders and groundbreakers in innovation, all while supporting Philadelphia’s future as a hub of innovation and discovery. Funds raised through Nucleus help sustain Science Center programs, which in 2019 alone supported the growth of 118 businesses; convened more than 39,000 attendees across 475 events; and engaged over 370 middle and high school students through its STEM education initiatives.
“This year’s honorees exemplify the very best of what our region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has to offer in our shared pursuit of improving the lives of people around the world,” says Bill Mezzanotte, M.D., M.P.H., Executive Vice President, Head of R&D and Chief Medical Officer for CSL Behring - company sponsor of this year’s Nucleus Awards - and member of the University City Science Center Board of Directors.
“Congratulations to Ben, Aurora and Sylvester for your outstanding examples of the tangible impact that novel technologies can have on quality of life, economic development and societal welfare.”
Nucleus 2020 Honorees:
Commercialization Award
Sponsored by NewSpring Capital
Ben Doranz is President and CEO of Integral Molecular. Founded in 2001 at the Science Center and current uCity Square resident, Integral Molecular is a founding member of the Philadelphia biotech community with a history of excellence in antibody discovery for difficult to treat diseases and research in emerging viruses. In 2020 Integral Molecular rapidly pivoted its research and development programs in an effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. With support from the National Institute of Health and a team of talented scientists, Integral Molecular rapidly adapted many of its platform technologies to launch a suite of research solutions to accelerate the development of SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics. These include Reporter Virus Particles (RVPs) to test for the presence of neutralizing antibodies in vaccinees and technologies to assess the breadth of human immune responses against this virus.
Dr. Doranz co-founded Integral Molecular together with colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania using virus-based technologies. He has led all aspects of the company’s growth since its inception, bringing five different technologies from research to market. His efforts have cultivated a company that is profitable while being actively engaged with the local community. Dr. Doranz is an established life science entrepreneur previously responsible for helping create startups at the Center for Technology Transfer at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Doranz earned a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, and a B.A. from Cornell University.
Convener Award
Aurora Archer is a digital marketing executive who has spent the last 25 years delivering business impact across the technology, retail, publishing, and healthcare industries via award-winning brand campaigns, breakthrough marketing strategies, and digital transformation initiatives. Ms. Archer co-founded the Bellatrix Group in 2018, bringing her diverse skill sets and passion to enable health and wellness clients to create meaningful disruption by bringing a human-centered approach, creating engaging experiences that truly serve the audience while delivering bold commercial growth. She led the first team to win a Cannes Lions Grand Prix for a healthcare campaign in 2015. Ms. Archer was recognized for Leadership in Technology by the Association for Women in Computing, and has been the subject of a cover story in Working Mother magazine. She sits on the boards of Outcome Health and Philly Start-Up Leaders.
Additionally, Ms. Archer co-hosts The Opt-In, a weekly podcast of two unlikely best friends from sharply different racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds using the power of love and friendship to transform our culture one uncomfortable conversation at a time.
Ms. Archer holds a B.A. in Psychology from Syracuse University. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband of 22 years, their two children, her feisty 92-year-old mother, and two unruly (but lovable) dogs.
Cultivator Award
Sylvester Mobley is the founder and CEO of youth tech education nonprofit, Coded by Kids (CbK). Through CbK, Mr. Mobley works to increase access to tech education opportunities for those who are underrepresented in tech, especially children of color, so that every child has the support and resources to become part of the next generation of tech and innovation leaders.
Under Mr. Mobley’s leadership, CbK has grown from serving fewer than 15 children in one Philadelphia area recreation center to more than 500 students per week in schools and community centers in three states. Mr. Mobley has received awards for his work from several organizations including Philadelphia City Council, The Philadelphia Business Journal, and the Philadelphia 76ers. He is also a recipient of the Philadelphia Award.
Mr. Mobley is a veteran of the war in Iraq, with 12 years of military service. He is a graduate of Temple University’s Fox School of Business.
For more information about Nucleus or to purchase tickets, visit www.ucscNucleus.org.
About the Science Center
Located in the heart of uCity Square, the Science Center is a mission-driven nonprofit that commercializes promising technology, cultivates talent and convenes people to inspire action. For over 50 years, the Science Center has supported startups, research, and economic development across the emerging technology sectors. As a result, Science Center-supported companies account for one out of every 100 jobs in the Greater Philadelphia region and drive $13 billion in economic activity in the region annually. By providing the right help at the right time, the Science Center is turning bright ideas into businesses and nurturing a workforce to support our 21st century economy. For more information, visit www.sciencecenter.org.
