Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 Nominees

The spirit of entrepreneurship is alive and kicking in New England—and we couldn’t be happier to be part of the action! Our founders, Robin Y Smith, CEO and Kate Blanchard, COO were recently announced as Finalists in the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 New England Awards program. As the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs, we are so proud to be recognized as a leader at the forefront of the biotech industry.

Orig3n’s Founders

Orig3n co-founders, Robin Smith and Kate Blanchard,  bring a combined 35 plus years of experience to the groundbreaking regenerative medicine and consumer genetics industries. After previously working together for three years at Perkin Elmer after it acquired their last startup, ArtusLabs, Robin and Kate formed a remarkable partnership that is marked by ambition and dedication to social good.

What is the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Program?

The Entrepreneur of the Year Program takes place in more than 145 cities in 60 countries around the world. The award celebrates leaders who have disrupted industries, created new product categories and successfully brought new innovation and technology to traditional industries. The program encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of individuals who inspire with their vision, leadership, and achievement while demonstrating excellence in financial performance, innovation, and commitment to their businesses and communities.

For more than 32 years, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year program has helped to identify game-changing business leaders. The program has honored the inspirational leadership of entrepreneurs such as Howard Schultz of the Starbucks Coffee Company, John Mackey of Whole Foods Market Inc., Pierre Omidyar of eBay Inc., Reid Hoffman and Jeff Weiner of Linked In Corporation and Mindy Grossman of HSN Inc.

Here at Orig3n, we are all humbled and honored to be recognized amidst the notable business luminaries within the highly competitive New England region. Prior New England winners include New Balance, Vistaprint, L.L. Bean, Akamai, TripAdvisor, Planet Fitness, Staples, and HubSpot.a

At Orig3n, our mission is to make personalized healthcare accessible to everyone. Through biotechnology focused on regenerative cell therapies, our vision is to end trial-and-error medicine and make personal genetics accessible to everyone everywhere to empower individuals to make more informed decisions for their personalized wellness journeys.

The awards are evaluated by an independent judging panel inclusive of previous winners, leading CEOs, private equity and venture capital investors and other regional business luminaries. Orig3n is proud to be recognized as a 2018 Finalist for this prestigious award and looks forward to taking the stage with other high-growth companies in June 2018 to celebrate the winners of the competition.