Stella Vnook

CEO at Likarda

Speaker

Dr. Stella Vnook is a transformative healthcare leader with 25+ years of experience building, scaling, and partnering in biotech, device and pharmaceutical companies. With a rare blend of scientific expertise and commercial execution, she has led public and private companies across oncology, cell therapy, regenerative medicine, and drug delivery.

As a CEO of Likarda, she scaled a single T1D veterinary asset into a globally patented drug delivery platform (Core-Shell Spherification®) with applications in human cell therapy, closing major BD deals and positioning the company for acquisition. She is also the Founder of Oral BioLife, developing a regenerative bone repair technology, and services on multiple Boards.

Previously, Dr. Vnook held executive roles at Merck, Jazz, and Catalent, where she played a pivotal role in numerous brand launches, supported multiple IPOs and built several venture-backed platforms through her accelerator ACG Corporate Architects™.

She holds a Doctorate in Economics/Public Health, a Pharmacy Degree with Oncology specialization, and an MBA in Global Marketing. A board member, speaker, and advisor to both corporate and academic institutions.