Episode #60: Meet the Start-up Focused on Microbe-tech
Tech Optimist Podcast — Tech, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation
In this episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, host Drew Wandzilak interviews Cheri Ackerman, co-founder and CEO of Concerto Biosciences, about their innovative approach to leveraging microbes for health and agriculture. Cheri discusses their kChip technology, which tests microbial combinations for effective ecosystems, and highlights their clinical trials aimed at conditions like eczema, underscoring Concerto’s vision of transforming microbes from adversaries to valuable allies in biotechnology.
Episode #60: Meet the Start-up Focused on Microbe-tech
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In this Meet the Startup episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, host Drew Wandzilak, Senior Associate at Alumni Ventures, introduces Cheri Ackerman, co-founder and CEO of Concerto Biosciences. Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Concerto is transforming how we use microbes to develop innovative products for health, agriculture, and beyond. Cheri dives into their groundbreaking technology, kChip, which tests millions of microbial combinations to discover effective microbial ecosystems.
Watch Time ~42 minutes
The show is produced by Alumni Ventures, which has been recognized as a “Top 20 Venture Firm” by CB Insights (’24) and as the “#1 Most Active Venture Firm in the US” by Pitchbook (’22 & ’23).
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Creators and Guests
HOST
Drew Wandzilak
Senior Associate at Alumni Ventures
Drew has worked in high-growth industries as both an investor and operator, focusing on how people and technology interact within organizations. His venture experience began at AV’s Seed Fund, identifying and supporting early stage founders across a variety of industries. This experience led him to join Holistic Industries, a leading private multi-state operator of cannabis cultivation facilities and dispensaries, where he focused on business intelligence, corporate development, and M&A. Prior to rejoining AV, he worked with the founding team of Mirage, an NFT marketplace and view layer for augmented reality assets. Drew has a BS from Northwestern University in Education and Social Policy with concentrations in Learning & Organizational Change and Entrepreneurship. He is also an ambassador of Northwestern’s Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and a member of Chicago Inno’s 25 under 25.
GUEST
Cheri Ackerman
Co-founder & CEO at Concerto Biosciences
Cheri Ackerman is the Co-founder and CEO of Concerto Biosciences, a company revolutionizing microbial product discovery. Concerto explores the intricate relationships between microbes, uncovering insights that pave the way for groundbreaking innovations.
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