“New Expansion Yields Greater Innovations” with Alexander Margulis of The Mansfield Bio Incubator

Jeffrey (0s):
Well, hello, everybody. Welcome back to Radio Entrepreneurs. We continue to wind down 2021 with more interviews and we have a returning guest this time. We have Alexander Margulis, COO of Mansfield Bio Incubator. Welcome back.

Alexander (15s):
Thank you so much.

Jeffrey (17s):
And this is your new space that you’re putting together, correct?

Alexander (20s):
Well, that’s still a actual as a space. We of being that since 2017, but despite the COVID still going on, the situation is still more hopeful than last year. In the sense of we got vaccines, we got treatments. So the space is full. The car space is full and I have to be there all the time to make sure that it’s running smoothly.

Jeffrey (47s):
Of course. So why don’t you tell our listeners again about Mansfield bio incubator, what it’s, what it’s doing and what makes it special?

Alexander (54s):
Oh, absolutely. So we are unique in the sense that we are located between two major cities in new England, Providence and Boston, and then this way withdraw the talent and the technologies coming from both locales. In addition to that were uniquely positioned within one hour from many majoring universities in new England and with some great local colleges nearby. And in fact, I know that there is some great entrepreneurial initiative in Wheaton college, which is a stone throw from us. They want to develop the entrepreneurship and get the students interested in making an impact in this world.

Alexander (1m 39s):
So we are, we are the only incubator to our knowledge that’s being built during the COVID times. So the new space that we’re going to have, we’ll have great biosafety level two spaces. And if their build was in mind, it was a COVID mine meanings. There is enhancement elation, and there is also environmentally friendly in a sense that if it’s built in such a way that it produces a net zero energy.

Jeffrey (2m 16s):
So is that unique to your incubator?

Alexander (2m 22s):
That’s part of it. Another part of it that the way I did an extremely flexible facility and also we, that we, that w that’s sort of as well in the past that we could accommodate some unique technologies. We have very little in, in, in terms of fixed infrastructure, obviously it was acception of plumbing, whatnot, and , but other than that, all our casework is moveable. And we in terms of electrical circuits, so we’ve done quite a few alterations to fit the individual tenants.

Alexander (3m 5s):
And in this way, we are able to build the ecosystem right from the scratch.

Jeffrey (3m 13s):
Interesting. And do you, do you think you attract a different type of a startup organization? So if someone’s listening

Alexander (3m 23s):
Well, so what I can tell is this, I know that Cambridge is the most desirable place. It comes with a caveat, meaning that you really have to have some skin in the game together. And in terms of the funding, and obviously in Cambridge, they’ve done a great job cultivating the startups, but as you can imagine, the space is limited. It’s old. They ha they can’t accept everybody. Furthermore, we w our parking situation is you is so much easier than in Cambridge.

Alexander (4m 2s):
And, and, and, and, and what, what that does it can like attract. So the technologies that may not be necessarily the mainstream, perhaps we have a unique hodgepodge of technologies from cannabinoid delivery to oral formulations to animal health. But we, but we don’t forget about what you would call more conventional startups we have for the company with unique approach to treat cancers. Interesting. So in a sense, I would say yes and no, we do attract our makeup is unique, whether or not we attract the completely different startups from everybody else.

Alexander (4m 50s):
That’s an open question. There’s no such thing. When you work with startups, that there is a conventional technology by definition, startups goal is to the stop, the current market space,

Jeffrey (5m 3s):
Right? So again, Alexander, could you give our listeners somewhat of your background to give them a sense of what you bring to this?

Alexander (5m 12s):
Sure. So my background is I have a PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology. So what that does, it helps me understand intimately what the companies are doing while certainly my goal is to let them be helps them develop by no means do I, but interfere with what they’re doing. So in other words, one can understand what they are doing. On the other hand, I kind of like, sort of like adopt somewhat of a hands-off approach, but what it also does that I understand what they need and when set up the lab space, setting up the lab space, I certainly can relate to what they’re doing and do a good job to make sure that they’re happy.

Jeffrey (6m 8s):
So you have a new extension starting in February 22 with not far away. Now why the extension

Alexander (6m 16s):
I’ll obviously to grow the ecosystem. We’ll have to expand our footprint because we are our current spaces oversubscribed, and we actually are able to gain great support from local politicians. And in fact, that download Mansfield has this great initiative called discover man Mansfield, which I would be more than happy to send some links to you following the conversation. Another thing is that we’ve certainly are in, in contact with mass life sciences, the, the key trade organization in Massachusetts responsible for last as development.

Alexander (7m 4s):
And in fact, we were recognized by receiving the grant from them to fuss, to actually finance this expansion. So, and it cannot could not have happened without the contribution of a private foundation that also financed our expansion. So in other words, our current expansion is have financed by mass lab sciences and half by private foundation.

Jeffrey (7m 30s):
We’ve been speaking with Alexander Margulis of The Mansfield Bio Incubator. That’s in a current extension. Alexandra. If someone wants to find you and the mass, Matt Mansfield, bio incubator, how would they find you?

Alexander (7m 47s):
Well, they can, they can check out our website or@wwwthebioink.org, or they can also follow us on our social media. We are actively promoting ourselves on LinkedIn as well as Twitter on Facebook.

Jeffrey (8m 6s):
Good. Well, thank you for being on Radio Entrepreneurs again and all, all the luck for 2022, we look forward to hearing from you and how things turn out all.

Alexander (8m 15s):
Thank you so much.

Jeffrey (8m 16s):
Thank you. Remind everybody. This is Radio Entrepreneurs.