Susan Solomon, A Stem Cell Pioneer |

Susan Solomon, the co-founder (right at her kitchen in 2005 with Mary Elizabeth Bunzel) and long time CEO of the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF), just succumbed to cancer. She first became a health care advocate in 1992, when her son, Ben Goldberger, was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes, at the age of 9. Soon after her mother’s death from cancer in 2004 and a political decision by the US Government, she knew that stem cell research was the best hope for her son’s condition and for folks like her mom with cancer. That’s what led to the founding of NYSCF.

The NYSCF (besides diabetes) also devoted its efforts to mitochondrial disease, macular degeneration, cancer, Lou Gherig’s Disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [ALS]) among other maladies. Over the years, the foundation raised some $400 million to advance the cause, employing some 45 scientists at their Manhattan location, and 75 other folks around the world, with an annual budget of more than $ 40 million. It was among the largest non-profits devoted to stem cell research.

Ms. Solomon was born on the 23^rd day of August, 1951 in Brooklyn . Her father was a founder of Vanguard Records, one of the first alternative music and modern folk labels. Her mother was a pianist and managed a few classical musicians.

At the age of 18, in 1969, she married the (then) drummer [Gary Hirsch] for one of my favorite anti-war bands, Country Joe and the Fish (a Vanguard labeled artist) and moved to Berkeley, California. After having a baby and Gary’s resignation from the band, Ms. Solomon got divorced. In 1971 (after the divorce), she entered NYU and graduated in 1975. By 1978, she had been awarded a law degree from Rutgers.

For three years, she worked at Deveboise and Plimpton (she left soon after her second marriage to Paul Goldenberger). An executive at MacAndrews and Forbes (owned by Ronald Perelman), she then became the President of Sony Worldwide Networks. At Sony, she directed their radio investments and created music video channels. By 1999, Susan was recruited to start up and head the website operations for Sotheby’s realty, which was the first online auction platform. (This also meant she was the Executive VP of Sotheby’s Holdings.)

As mentioned above, by 2005, Ms. Solomon was the CEO of New York Stem Cell Foundation. As was common at the time, stem cell research relied on embryos left over from infertility treatments. (Funding for this research was limited by George W. Bush, as I have often reported- even though these embryos would otherwise be destroyed if not used to extract stem cells. This ban on funding was the proximate cause for the founding of NYSCF.) Time Magazine twice cited NYSCF for its scientific breakthroughs, with 20 of its clinical developments changing the world of medicine. The NYSCF is now going to be renamed the Susan L. Solomon Center for Precision Medicine, in her honor. She stands as proof that non-scientists can advance the cause of highly technical biotech issues.

While still active as the CEO for NYSCL, she founded (and ran) Solomon Partners, LLC, a strategic management consulting entity. The clientele included corporations, foundations, and non-profits.