Jeffrey S. Aronin

Jeffrey S. Aronin

Aspen Institute Trustee, Chairman and CEO, Paragon Biosciences

Jeff Aronin is a bioscience entrepreneur who built and has sold several successful biotech companies. He has earned a record number of novel drug approvals that improve the lives of patients. Jeff is known for innovating, developing and commercializing scientific discoveries in areas of high need, such as neurology.

In 2017, Jeff founded Paragon Biosciences, where he is chairman and chief executive officer. Paragon is among the life science industry’s most successful company creators, investing billions with its partners to build companies that that improve patient lives through advanced biotechnology.

Through Paragon, Jeff launched multiple companies including Harmony Biosciences (NASDAQ: HRMY), Emalex Biosciences and CiRC Biosciences, with several others in development.

Throughout his career, Jeff identified scientific innovations with the highest potential to change lives, building a series of businesses that successfully developed laboratory discoveries into high-impact therapeutics and technologies. The research and development teams at Jeff’s companies are responsible for 50 novel drug approvals.

Jeff has received numerous honors for entrepreneurship and his contributions to life sciences, including the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award, induction into the Chicago Entrepreneur Hall of Fame and most recently, the TITAN Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Outside of his businesses, Jeff devotes time to civic and philanthropic endeavors. He is founder and former chairman of MATTER, a health-technology incubator offering philanthropic support for life science entrepreneurs.

Jeff sits on corporate and civic boards including the Aspen Institute and the Weizmann Institute of Science and served 14 years as a Discover Financial Services board member.  He is a frequent lecturer at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business.