Leadership

Raul Vasquez

Executive Director, UChicago Science Incubator

raul.vasquez@uchicago.edu

 

Raul began his career with Baxter Healthcare, supporting process development for parenteral solutions across U.S. and Latin American sites. He then joined the University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division as an Operational Excellence Partner, where he led the implementation of process improvement methodologies to optimize administrative and hospital workflows. Most recently, Raul was a foundational member of the Operations team at Evozyne, a biotechnology startup in Chicago. At Evozyne, Raul helped build out the operations, managed strategic alliances, and led internal program management for early discovery and preclinical programs.

Raul has a degree in Biomedical Engineering and MBA from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Samir Mayekar

Associate Vice President and Managing Director, Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

smayekar@uchicago.edu

 

Samir is an accomplished leader with a track record of driving innovation and impact across the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. Most recently, he was deputy mayor for the city of Chicago, where he focused on economic and neighborhood development. He was a driving force behind initiatives such as INVEST South/West, the city’s signature community development initiative that marshaled resources from across city departments, community organizations, and corporate and philanthropic partners to support commercial corridors across several South and West Side neighborhoods. Before that, he served in the U.S. government during the Obama administration, where he was part of the White House’s national security team and on the executive staff at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.

Samir also co-founded and served as CEO of NanoGraf Corporation, a global manufacturer of advanced materials for the lithium-ion battery industry that has raised over $100 million in funding and was spun out of Argonne National Laboratory and Northwestern University. He holds a BA and MBA from Northwestern, where he served as a trustee, and he is active in the Chicago civic community, serving on the boards of the Metropolitan Pier and Exhibition Authority, Lyric Opera, and other organizations. He is also a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and is an alumnus of the Marshall Memorial Fellowship and the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans.

As head of the Polsky Center, Samir plays a pivotal role in advancing the University’s innovation, technology commercialization, entrepreneurship, and partnership priorities. He fosters connections across the University, our city, region, and world that enable the Polsky Center to accelerate the commercialization of critical technologies to help solve some of society’s most urgent challenges. He also elevates efforts to help drive economic development on the South Side and strengthen partnerships that bolster the University’s and Chicago’s upward trajectory as hubs of world-class innovation.

Nicole Bell

Chief of Staff, Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

nbell@uchicago.edu

 

Nicole serves as Chief of Staff at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. In this role, she leads strategic initiatives and operations, including HR, finance, corporate partnerships, and the UChicago Science Incubator.

Nicole brings 15 years of experience in strategy and operations, most recently as the First Deputy for Economic and Neighborhood Development for the City of Chicago, where she drove equitable economic recovery through large-scale initiatives such as the Chicago Recovery Plan’s $1.2 billion in new investments. Prior to her work with the City, Nicole was a Project Leader at the Boston Consulting Group, where she worked with a diverse set of clients including universities on strategy, innovation, and operations.

A lifelong science enthusiast, Nicole has also taught high school chemistry and coached robotics at a DC Public School, and she supported the success of small businesses and job seekers at the NYC Department of Small Business Services. Nicole holds a BA with honors and an MBA with high honors from the University of Chicago, and is a Leadership Greater Chicago fellow.

Gabriela Martinez-Ramirez

Lab Operations Manager, UChicago Science Incubator

gaby.martinez-ramirez@portalinnovations.com

 

Gaby is the Lab Operations Manager for the UChicago Science Incubator. Before joining Portal, she attended Loyola University Chicago where she received her PhD in biochemistry in 2024. Her research specialized in enzymology, where she studied the enzyme ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase. In addition to her scientific background, she has managed lab spaces, ensuring smooth day-to-day operations.

Outside of work, Gaby enjoys crafting, like painting and drawing; nature walks along the riverwalk; and doing her nails. Fun fact: She has over 300 bottles of nail polish!

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