Our Team
Lisa Dhar serves as Associate Vice President of Innovation and New Ventures at Northwestern University, where she oversees the Innovation and New Ventures Office (INVO)which includes The Garage and The Querrey InQbation Lab. She brings extensive experience in technology commercialization, startup development, and academic innovation. Prior to joining Northwestern in 2016, she held leadership roles at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and co-founded InPhase Technologies, a Bell Labs/Lucent Technologies spinout that raised over $90 million to develop holographic data storage. She holds nearly a dozen patents and has contributed to numerous scientific publications. Dhar earned her BS in Chemistry from the University of Chicago and her PhD in Physical Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Sonia Kim is Executive Director of the Querrey InQbation Lab at Northwestern University, where she leads the incubator’s strategy, operations, and cross-functional programming to accelerate the commercialization of university-based innovations. She oversees the development of a robust startup pipeline through initiatives, while also guiding venture creation across therapeutic, medtech, and deep tech verticals. Sonia works closely with business and academic partners to expand mentorship, translational funding, and business-side support for early-stage ventures. Prior to joining Northwestern, she worked in technology licensing and science communication at Stanford University and is a former entrepreneur herself. Sonia earned her SB in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an MEd from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a PhD in Cell Biology from Harvard University.
As the Venture Research Associate, Elan Ness-Cohn manages venture development and programming at the Querrey InQbation Lab, where he supports Northwestern faculty and students in transforming research discoveries into investable startups. He leads programs that guide founders through key strategic milestones, investor readiness, and market alignment while fostering connections to the broader biotech and venture ecosystems. Elan brings a background in computational biology, consulting, and early-stage venture support, having advised global biopharma companies and worked with startups through the Chicago Biomedical Consortium and other regional accelerators. He earned his BS in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his PhD in Biomedical Research from Northwestern University.
Jennifer Chadwick is Director in Residence at the Querrey InQbation Lab, where she provides strategic and board-level guidance to early-stage startups working to translate Northwestern’s scientific innovations into commercial products. With over 20 years of experience in biologic drug discovery, formulation, and translational development, Jen has held executive, academic, and advisory roles across the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. She was previously CSO of ProtaGene and a Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Kansas. She is the founder of Jennifer Chadwick Consulting LLC and serves as a fractional C-suite leader and advisor to companies, investors, and universities. Jen holds a BA from Miami University and a PhD in Chemistry from Purdue University, where she also completed postdoctoral training in structural biology.Sarah Stein is Senior Program Manager at the Querrey InQbation Lab, where she leads the planning and execution of strategic initiatives to support Northwestern’s entrepreneurial community. She manages a diverse portfolio of programs—including the NM-Q Medical Device Studio, Founder Series, and Kellogg-Q Residency—while also building tools and processes to streamline founder support. Sarah plays a central role in communications and marketing, producing newsletters and web content that amplify The Q’s impact and showcase translational success across the university. Her work strengthens visibility, engagement, and resource coordination for early-stage ventures.
Christian Hinton is the Office Manager at the Querrey InQbation Lab, responsible for overseeing daily operations, administrative processes, and facility management across the 15,000-square-foot incubator space. He is the primary liaison for startup support, handling onboarding, procurement, reimbursements, and payroll coordination. Christian ensures seamless access to shared office and lab resources and leads logistics for events, guests, and communications. His role includes maintaining internal systems and collaborating closely with INVO and university partners to deliver an efficient and welcoming environment for resident startups and entrepreneurs.
