Christine Winoto Named One of Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business

The San Francisco Business Times has named Christine Winoto, founder and director of the UCSF Rosenman Institute, as one of most influential women in Bay Area business.

Get the details at the SF Business Times

The annual awards highlight women who stand out for the impact they have made in this vibrant ecosystem. Honorees represent many sectors, including banking, tourism, and technology. Being chosen is an unusual distinction for someone working out of a university, even a world leader such as UCSF, but reflects the importance of entrepreneurship in Bay Area culture.

“Christine is whip-sharp and has a nose for great ideas and how to shepherd them to practical reality. Her impact is felt far beyond the walls of UCSF,” said Lisa Suennen, an investor and entrepreneur who leads the digital and technology businesses and venture capital fund at the professional services firm Manatt Phelps & Phillips, and author of the Venture Valkyrie blog.

Christine was recognized for the remarkable results she has achieved since the 2013 launch of the institute. The Institute helps hundreds of entrepreneurs a year, with inspiring and informative events, high-touch connections to advisers, and opportunities for entrepreneurs to get all-important exposure to industry partners and investors.

“Christine Winoto is one of those rare people you meet who is genuinely interested in each person she encounters and what she may be able to do to help each person achieve their goals,” said Matt Likens, CEO of GT Medical, which recently received expanded FDA clearance for its GammaTile® Therapy for malignant brain tumors. “She does this while never asking what might be in it for her. Her authentic selflessness over time has made her a magnet for smart entrepreneurs with great ideas. She is inevitably able to connect them with others who can help move their ideas forward. She is the most well-connected person I know in life sciences and an absolute pleasure to work with.”

Particularly impressive is Christine’s co-founding of Rosenman’s early-stage investment firm, MedTech Venture Partners, which has $31 million under management and a portfolio of ten companies.

“Thanks to Christine’s leadership, I’ve connected with many other founders in the QB3/UCSF ecosystem,” said Heather Bowerman, founder and CEO of DotLab, which has developed DotEndo, a non-invasive diagnostic test for endometriosis, a debilitating disease that affects one in 10 women worldwide. “Those new friends and colleagues now comprise an invaluable community and kinship as I’ve built DotLab.”

The ultimate results worth noting, though, are those companies that, with Rosenman’s assistance, advance their technologies to the point that FDA grants clearance to market the product or service—delivering benefit to patients.