Team

Sam Tetlow is Founder & CEO of Grant Engine. Grant Engine has a proven model of delivering funding to leading life science companies through the NIH SBIR program as well as DARPA, BARDA and other DoD sources. Sam has successful experience as an entrepreneur and investor in life sciences companies such as EpiCypher (named best University Startup of 2016 by U.S. Congress), ILS Genomics, Immunologix, Gentris Corporation, and Tranzyme Pharma among others. As a leader within companies Sam has a functional focus on product development, sales, finance and corporate development. Sam continues to build on his venture capital experience by investing into compelling companies as an Angel. Sam seeks results and has a proven track record of generating operational and financials results that exceed investor expectations generated from traditional asset classes. Sam holds a MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School (Beta Gamma Sigma, 2003) and a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Honors, 1993). He is a former triathlete and an avid proponent of doing good while doing well.

Madhav Sankunny is the Vice President of Program Management at Grant Engine. He earned his PhD in Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh following which moved to The Cleveland Clinic for his post-doctoral training. He switched career tracks and worked in technology development at the Office of Strategic Alliance and Technology Development at The Cleveland Clinic. He supported the spin out of three companies surrounding Cleveland Clinic technology and got them funded through the SBIR/STTR mechanism. In his role as VP of Program Management, he handles both technical and administrative duties including managing the delivery team in assisting clients pursue non-dilutive funds, providing strategic insights to potential clients on their best opportunity for non-dilutive funding and providing training on various aspects of non-dilutive funding.

Kristin Scott, PhD is the Vice President of Research at Grant Engine. Dr. Scott excels at positioning your technology to align with the funding body’s priorities and writing a proposal that is clear, concise, and compelling. She supports our Lead Writers with training in narrative writing, rhetoric, and scientific communication to effectively communicate your research and development goals to review panels. She also leads internal original research at Grant Engine, focused on developing novel algorithms that predict proposal success. Dr. Scott earned her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Iowa. With support from the Burroughs-Wellcome Fund she completed postdoctoral training at the Medical Research Council, Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh, Scotland and the Department of Genetics at Case Western Reserve University. She joined the faculty at Duke University in 2008 leading her own laboratory, first at the Duke Institute for Genomic Sciences & Policy, and later as a member of the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology.

Chris Brasfield is the Head of Finance & Operations at Grant Engine and owner of Brasfield Accounting. Chris has over 15 years’ experience in all aspects of Grants Management and Grant Accounting including annual audits and indirect rate negotiations. He brings value to Grant Engine clients through his expertise as an experienced accounting professional and entrepreneur with a demonstrated history of working in the biotechnology industry. Chris is skilled in Operations Management, Biotechnology, Business Development, Management, Life Sciences, and Grant Administration. He earned his MS in Applied Mathematics from North Carolina State University.