FreeMind Group has been leading the field of non-dilutive funding consultancy for the life sciences since it was founded in 1999. Today, FreeMind is the largest, most experienced and most successful consulting firm, specializing in life science R&D non-dilutive funding. Indeed, we are happy to say that with over $1B awarded to our clients to date, FreeMind has played an important role in turning non-dilutive funding into a strategic source of funding for our clients and for the life science industry at large.
FreeMind employs 25 top scientific research analysts, process managers and scientific writing experts assisting hundreds of companies, universities and research institutions every year to secure grants and contracts from non-dilutive sources. Our main focus goes to where the money lays and so most of our attention is directed towards NIH and DOD and the many funding opportunities they present annually. Nevertheless, we also work with our clients to secure funding from other non-dilutive sources, both Federal and non-Federal, including CDC, FDA, NSF, NIST, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Komen Foundation and many others.
We strongly believe in a systematic, methodological and scientific process by which we are able to lead our clients to a significantly enhanced success rate. Our process is initiated with a strategic assessment of the research objectives and portfolio of research projects on which our clients focus, and compares our clients' interests to those of the many funding organizations and mechanisms to identify the specific matching funding opportunity. As the number of different mechanisms and opportunities available is great, and includes, to a large degree, unsolicited funding opportunities, this process aims to maximize our clients' potential. Looking at all available mechanisms, from large opportunities of $20M per project and more, through standard research awards, clinical awards and all the way to very exploratory basic research awards, we present to our clients the entire scope of available opportunities for their specific needs and business strategy.
Through a detailed strategic discussion we assist our clients in designing their research objectives and setting the conceptual framework of the application. Next comes the long and detail oriented process of jointly writing the application and its many sections and different angles, culminating in a thorough review process that leads to submission.
Of course, putting together a single project application for $500,000 is very different from leading a $50,000,000 clinical multi-site application. Nevertheless, our years of experience and great scientific, managerial, financial and writing skills enable FreeMind's team to lead all projects to a successful conclusion with the highest quality, by the deadline.
We are proud to be able to increase our clients' chances for success, and in fact, on average, we triple our clients’ success rates.
The FreeMind team combines extraordinary scientific understanding, innovative business and financial expertise, and creative writing and presentation skills. FreeMind's team caters to the specific and unique needs of academic and research institutions as well as the life science industry.
Executives
The FreeMind team combines extraordinary scientific understanding, innovative business and financial expertise, and creative writing and presentation skills. FreeMind's team caters to the specific and unique needs of academic and research institutions as well as the life science industry.
Executives
- Eyal Schmidt - President
Mr. Schmidt has over 20 years of experience in corporate finance. Mr. Schmidt has led FreeMind Group to become a leading consulting firm in the area of non-dilutive funding for hi-tech and life sciences companies. Mr. Schmidt has managed the business activities of FreeMind Group since its launch in 1999 and is a senior partner at his accounting firm. Mr. Schmidt holds a CPA certification and a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and Economics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
- Ram May-Ron – Managing Partner, Vice President
For the past 8 years Ram May-Ron has been a leading figure within FreeMind. Initially leading FreeMind's Professional Services Department and later becoming a partner and part owner of FreeMind and taking upon himself the full responsibilities of both FreeMind's marketing and business development efforts, as well as the overall management of FreeMind's professional services activities. Mr. May-Ron has more than 15 years of experience as a leading strategic analyst, both in the business and political sectors. He has led a strategic consulting firm and has served as a top strategy advisor to several international organizations and elected political officials. Mr. May-Ron serves on the board of directors for several companies and has a wide range of experience in marketing and business development. Mr. May-Ron holds an MEI (Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, International Business Management) fromAustralia’s Swinburne University of Technology. He also holds a Masters degree in International Relations, focusing on strategic decision making processes from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, winning the International Relations Department’s academic excellence scholarship.
- Ariel Shatz - Vice President
Mr. Shatz has over 15 years of consulting experience in marketing, sales and business development. He is the focal point of a networking team that specializes in accompanying technology companies that wish to penetrate and expand into new markets. Mr. Shatz has vast experience in identifying opportunities and creating collaborations between companies, research institutes, service providers and other entities in the areas of hi-tech and life sciences. Mr. Shatz holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
- Ron Ben-Tsvi - Vice President
Mr. Ben-Tsvi has a wide range of experience in business consultancy and in developing financing strategies for high growth companies. He has led hundreds of companies to successful grant applications, allowing them to significantly expand their R&D activities, obtaining funding from the NIH, the Israeli Chief Scientist’s Office (CSO) and various bi-national funds. Mr. Ben-Tsvi has over 15 years of experience in the areas of finance, hi-tech and life sciences, working with both companies and academic institutions. Mr. Ben-Tsvi holds a CPA certification and a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and Economics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
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Ayal Ronen, M.Sc. - Senior Director Marketing and Sales
For the past few years Mr. Ayal Ronen has been a leading figure in FreeMind's professional department, managing complex projects for many of FMG's clients and in diverse scientific fields. Through his extraordinary work Mr. Ronen has led efforts on the client management front and was a key contributor to FMG's impressive retention rate with existing clients. During this time he was personally involved in submitting numerous grants utilizing the full spectrum of NIH mechanisms, thus gaining valuable non-dilutive funding expertise, both from a strategic vantage point and a hands-on approach. Mr. Ronen was named Senior Director of Marketing and Sales for FreeMind. In the past, Mr. Ronen was instrumental in establishing a start-up retail company, where as CEO he spearheaded its national marketing and strategic development efforts. He holds a M.Sc. in Neurobiology from the Weizmann Institute of Science, where he was awarded the Dean’s prize for excellence based on scientific and academic merit.
Professional & Strategic Leadership
- Merav Geva, Ph.D., Chief Analyst, Senior Director of Professional Services:
Dr. Merav Geva leads FreeMind's professional department in her role as Chief Life Sciences Analyst and Director of Professional Services. She has been with FreeMind since 2006 and was involved directly in the writing of hundreds of applications to the NIH, NSF, DOD and other government and private funding agencies. As Chief Analyst, Dr. Geva identifies funding opportunities for a wide range of clients, academic and industrial alike, and defines funding strategies and priorities, vis-à-vis institute and agency requirements. She also leads FreeMind's grant writing team and her responsibilities include reviewing projects and applications for scientific and technical components, as well as networking and communicating with agency personnel. Dr. Geva received her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel. Dr. Geva was a Postdoctoral Research Associate with Prof. Ron Wetzel at the Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, researching amyloid and neurodegenerative disease. She is the recipient of many awards and honors and has authored and co-authored 11 publications.
- James Scheirer Ph.D., – Senior Advisor, NIH Affairs
Dr. Scheirer is the former NIH Deputy Director of the Division of Extramural Affairs of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and former Associate Professor of Medicine, Associate Dean for Clinical Research and Associate Professor of Surgery at UMDMJ. Dr. Scheirer is a veteran researcher, with over 30 years of experience in the bio-science field and over 20 years experience at the NIH. He is an expert on reviewing proposals prior to NIH, foundation or agency submission. He has developed an extensive network of contacts within the NIH system. Dr. Scheirer has held numerous positions at the NIH, as Chief in the Review Branch of the NHLBI, Chief of Contracts, Clinical Trials and Training Review Section of the NHLBI, Scientific Review Administrator of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and NHLBI and as a Grant Associate in the Center of Scientific Review.
- Orna Harel Ph.D., – Senior analyst
Dr. Orna Harel serves as a Senior Analyst at FreeMind’s Professional Department. As Senior Analyst, she is involved in the strategic assessment of FreeMind’s clients’ research and development activities, restructuring these activities into fundable projects, and identifying relevant funding opportunities that will not only assist our clients to fund their R&D work, but will also benefit their long term strategic plans and maximize possible funding opportunities. Dr. Harel spent over five years as a researcher at the NIH and has worked on many applications, directed also at the DOD,Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and other funding agencies. She completed her Postdoctoral work at the NIH, Laboratory of Environmental Gene Regulation, Cell Biology and Metabolism Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Bethesda, MD. Dr. Harel received her Ph.D. in Molecular Microbiology from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Since 2005, Dr. Harel has been teaching Life Sciences, Cellular Biology at the Faculty of Science and Science Education, University of Haifa, Israel. Dr. Harel is a Senior Investigator at the Faculty. She is the recipient of many awards and has authored and co-authored 11 publications.
Senior Project Managers
- Joel Knopf, MSc.
- Ron Littman, MSc.
- Rebecca Rich, MSc.
- Jonathan Vaisman
- Guy Harchen, MSc.
- Nurit Ziv, MSc.
- Alon Nardi, MSc.
