Omkar Kawalekar

Co-Founder at BlueWhale

Speaker

Omkar Kawalekar is a recognized leader in the Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) industry with over 15 years of experience, specializing in the manufacturing, supply chain, and commercialization of these advanced therapies. His science background combined with an entrepreneurial spirit is what led him to be a founder at BlueWhale Bio. At BlueWhale, he is committed to improving the manufacturing process for cell based therapies in order to broaden the access of these curative therapies to patients. As a co-founder of Deloitte’s NextGen Therapies consulting practice, Omkar has played a pivotal role in shaping the industry, by working with emerging biotechs as well as established biopharma companies in bringing these complex therapies to patients globally. Omkar earned his PhD under Dr. Carl June at the University of Pennsylvania, where he focused on the bio-mechanisms of CAR-T cell expansion and anti-tumor activity.