The Immunology Capital Next to the Nation's Capital

As the President and Chief Executive Officer of MCEDC, Ben Wu leads the economic development of Maryland’s largest jurisdiction, which comprises 25% of the state’s economy and has a GDP greater than 13 states. A Montgomery County native, Ben is an accomplished executive with over three decades of professional experience leading operations at the highest levels of our nation and state. An internationally recognized technology policy expert, Ben brings to MCEDC a dynamic portfolio of promoting economic competitiveness. He has a distinguished career focused on technology-led economic growth, as well as a proven record of driving transformative initiatives and creating partnership alliances with industry, government, and academia. Ben is focused on bolstering collaborations with state and national partners while also working with local and regional stakeholders to strengthen Montgomery County’s economy, grow jobs, and support business expansion. He is positioning MCEDC to help lead the change in the County’s economic ecosystem and competitiveness strategies. Previously, Ben played a leadership role in the significant reforms to Maryland’s economic development structure and business friendliness that delivered record growth and the state’s lowest unemployment rate in over a decade. Under Governor Larry Hogan, Ben served as the Commerce Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer. He helped forward the Governor’s economic agenda, championed the Maryland Open for Business campaign, and led the creation of the state’s Department of Commerce. He worked with the General Assembly and key stakeholders to execute a bold economic development strategic plan that focused on operational excellence through exceptional customer service, a more competitive business climate, advancement of innovation and entrepreneurship, and expansion of international trade.  Ben is a former U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Technology Policy under President George W. Bush. He administered the nation’s technology and innovation strategy and exercised supervisory management over the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the nation’s oldest federal laboratory. Ben also served as the Co-Chair of the National Science and Technology Council Committee on Technology, which led interagency coordination on national priorities with federal laboratories including the National Institutes of Health and regulatory agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration.  Prior to joining the executive branch, Ben worked in the U.S. Congress, serving as counsel for 13 years to Montgomery County Congresswoman Connie Morella and the Technology Subcommittee of the House Science Committee, which she chaired, overseeing the nation’s technology development and international competitiveness.  Ben has been active on the boards of multiple national and local Montgomery County organizations, including serving as a board member for the Make-a-Wish Mid-Atlantic Chapter, the Strathmore Foundation, and the Universities at Shady Grove. He is a past Trustee of Montgomery College and a graduate of Leadership Montgomery. 

Travis McCready is the head of life sciences markets in the Americas for JLL, one of the largest commercial real estate advisories in the world. In this capacity, he leads a multi-country platform that includes brokerage, capital markets, project management, consulting & advisory, and valuation services for life sciences companies, developers and investors. He also co-leads the firms Innovation Districts Practice, helping plan, build and finance innovation districts all over North America. Travis has over 25 years of experience leading public, private, and non-profit ventures with a focus on technology and innovation based economic development. The former President & CEO of the $1.6 billion life sciences funding agency Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, Travis is passionate about supporting tech-based entrepreneurship and is a frequent speaker on the evolving role of technology-based economic development at the community and regional level. He remains active in the life sciences community serving on the boards of the global business accelerator MassChallenge, the global life sciences business enabler Nucleate, and Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. He also serves in advisory capacities at Harvard University, MIT, and Johns Hopkins University. No stranger to public service, Travis has served on the Economic Development Planning Council under three Massachusetts governors, has been appointed to state and national initiatives ranging from the arts to advanced manufacturing. Travis received his B.A. in Philosophy from Yale University, and J.D. from the University of Iowa.

Jeffrey has over 20 years of experience in the biotechnology industry. He joined Vigene in 2016 and orchestrated the acquisition of Omnia Biologics. He has also overseen Vigene’s expansion into GMP manufacturing and new product areas such as biosensors. An experienced entrepreneur, Jeffrey was instrumental in successfully growing GenScript and SABiosciences, two previous companies, to IPO and acquisition stage, respectively. He also previously held the position of Chief Marketing Officer at ATCC. Jeffrey is the author of multiple patents, publications, and book chapters. He holds a Ph.D. in genetics from Cornell University, an MBA from UC Berkeley, and a B.S. in biology from Peking University.

Brad Stewart is a serial biotech entrepreneur working to grow Montgomery County, Maryland’s economy. At the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, he leads strategy and innovation and also an expert team of economic development specialists focused on growing a diverse cross-section of businesses—including the life sciences, technology, cybersecurity, defense and hospitality. He chaired Maryland Life Sciences for a decade, the State affiliate of BIO, and is currently Chair of the Maryland Tech Council. Previously, Brad served as Chief Executive Officer of Immunology Partners and Chief Executive Officer of Cylex, Inc., where he executed a turnaround for an early-stage, venture capital-backed company (Roche, Siemens, Canaan Partners).