Phyteau, Inc. Co-Founder, Bonn Macy
Bonn Macy and Phyteau, Inc. are on a mission to develop a new class of therapeutics for diabetes, obesity, weight-loss, and related metabolic conditions. He and his Co-Founders are working to tackle the obesity epidemic that is sweeping the globe.
Bonn will pitch Phyteau, Inc. in the 6th annual CVC-SF Demo Night on Wednesday September 30th. Phyteau, Inc. will be one of five teams who will participate in our first all-virtual Demo Night event.
This year’s events will be a little different than years prior. The San Francisco Demo Night will be focused on HealthTech. The all-virtual nature allowed more teams to apply from anywhere and will also allow a larger group of attendees. While we will miss the in-person event, we are excited to host all of you that might not have been able to travel to these cities. Remember to RSVP!
Co-Founder, and CEO of Phyteau, Inc., Bonn Macy, is a management consultant and business strategist who has helped some of the largest, as well as some of the smallest companies around the world develop and implement strategies, assess markets and competitors, evaluate new technologies, and develop new businesses.
Bonn has been a management consultant with both McKinsey & Co. and Booz Allen Hamilton and a corporate planner and financial strategist with BP. He co-founded and directs Startup Santa Fe and Startup New Mexico, organizations created to support and facilitate the growth and needs of startups and the expanding entrepreneurial communities in the State of New Mexico and Santa Fe.
As a Presidential appointee during the 2nd Clinton Administration, he created and developed one of the largest Federal businesses, producing billions of dollars in annual revenue, and worked with Industry and the Western States on energy and federal lands policy.
Over the past few years, he has been pursuing ventures in the pharmaceutical, health and wellness sectors. He mentors young startups through programs and accelerators in Santa Fe and Albuquerque.
Bonn earned his Bachelors and Masters degrees from Columbia University in Materials Science and Resource Economics, a Masters degree from the London School of Economics in Economics and Finance, and completed additional graduate studies at London Business School, University of Stockholm and the University of Vienna.
What motivated you to create this company and what is your ultimate goal?
We created the company because of the huge potential of technologies to improve the health and lives of millions around the world – and that’s our ultimate goal, to help millions live longer, healthier, better lives through our accessible, affordable, safe therapeutics.
What makes your products superior?
Our products and approach to metabolic disease is superior because we are safer, eliminate side-effects, and can be produced more affordably than current leading pharmaceuticals and supplied in a variety of accessible product formats.
Further, our therapeutics will be more effective than the competing pharmaceuticals and products because we leverage more beneficial pathways in the body
What lead you to working with your co-founders Dr. Stephen Pandol and Janine Lehmann?
I was led to work with Dr. Stephen Pandol because of his passion and total commitment to seeing his unique approach to metabolic disease reach the millions of people around the world suffering from the pandemic of diabetes and obesity. His command of the science was not only impressive, but his understanding of how to make it accessible and his exceptional collaborative nature, made him ideal to work with.
I am consistently impressed with Janine Lehmann’s passion for wellness and her incredible ability to get things done, to organize tasks and teams with scarce resources made her ideal to bring into our fledgling startup. We rely on her to keep this organization on track and ensure the trains run on time.
What has the building process been like for you and your team? Has the pandemic impacted your process significantly and if so, how have you answered the challenges?
The pandemic has impacted what we are doing significantly. A clinical human trial scheduled for March was put on hold. The trial was to be followed by our initial product introduction so we are hoping the pandemic restrictions can be lifted soon.
The building process for us has underlined the benefits of locating where there is a sizable industry cluster, and this has been accentuated by the pandemic. We are exploring the options to relocate to secure better access to the people and services that will help us grow.
Given your extensive experience, are there any words of wisdom you would share with other founders?
Commitment, perseverance, and belief in what you are doing are key. If you believe in what you’re doing and stick with it, you will succeed.
Are you still working with your team remotely? If so, how has that element been challenging, or beneficial to the process?
Yes, we are still working remotely, and it works well for us. That is a function of great working relationships. It allows us to get things done without a lot of overhead costs – it has allowed us to effectively bootstrap the company.
What city is your team based out of?
The company is based out of Santa Fe, New Mexico with additional activity in the Los Angeles, CA area. We anticipate relocating at least part of the company from Santa Fe to facilitate growth.
Thank you Bonn! We look forward to hearing you pitch on September 30th. Don’t forget to RSVP!