About The Institute

Colorado BioScience Institute cultivates and diversifies Colorado’s life sciences workforce, from classroom, to campus, to career.
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Classroom (K-12)

We nurture an early love of science with STEM education.

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Campus

Engage students and educators through hands-on experiences.

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Career

Empower employees with professional development.

Founded in 2015

Building a skilled, diverse workforce

Colorado BioScience Institute cultivates and diversifies Colorado’s life sciences workforce, from classroom, to campus, to career.

Classroom: We nurture an early love of science with STEM education.
Campus: Engage students and educators through hands-on experiences.
Career: Empower employees with professional development.

Our leadership in widening the life sciences talent pool:

  • Supports the state’s economic growth
  • Builds a skilled, diverse workforce to advance health innovation
  • Elevates people with purpose-driven, high-paying jobs.

Founded in 2015 by the Colorado BioScience Association, we grow the state’s life sciences talent.

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Colorado BioScience Institute

The Institute Team

Meg John
Vice President

Meg John

Colorado BioScience Institute

303-749-0078
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Meg leads The Institute’s work to cultivate and diversify Colorado’s life sciences workforce, from classroom, to campus, to career. She’s committed to expanding opportunities to purpose-driven, high-paying jobs for all. She secures programmatic funding for leadership and job training. Her leadership in building and sustaining STEM partnerships connects ecosystem expertise with classroom and campus programs. Through new program introductions, she broadens opportunities in life sciences for people from all backgrounds and all parts of Colorado.

Meg worked with Colorado BioScience Association leaders to establish The Institute in 2015. Prior to her work at The Institute, she developed and managed teacher professional development and school district partnership programs for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, serving more than 3,000 teachers and 5,000 students in 60 schools each year. Meg has a long-term track record of building successful programs and developing strategic partnerships within the STEM community and expanding STEM opportunities across Colorado.

She holds a Master of Science degree in experiential education from Minnesota State University and a Bachelor of Arts in environmental science and anthropology from the University of Notre Dame.

Janie Butler
Program Manager

Janie Butler

Colorado BioScience Institute
Colorado BioScience Association

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Janie leads program management for Colorado BioScience Institute and Colorado BioScience Association. In collaboration with Institute Vice President Meg John, she builds and manages programs to cultivate and diversify Colorado’s life sciences workforce. Janie fosters training and professional development for companies at all stages of commercialization. She brings a strong background in K-12 programming to spark an interest in STEM for students and teachers and expand access to leading-edge programs for all.

Before joining the Institute and CBSA, Janie worked for Beyond Benign: An Institute for Green Chemistry Education as the K-12 Program Manager. She led high-impact educational projects ranging from curriculum development, local and national conference presentations, and online professional development. She spearheaded strategic initiatives, which included new program pilots, partnership building, and stakeholder engagement.

Janie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry with a specialization in molecular biology and a minor in environmental and sustainable studies from Loyola University of Maryland.

Elyse Blazevich
President

Elyse Blazevich

President
Colorado BioScience Institute
President & CEO
Colorado BioScience Association

Elyse Blazevich bridges Colorado BioScience Institute’s work to build a skilled, diverse workforce to advance health innovation and Colorado BioScience Association’s commitment to create co-opportunity for Colorado’s life sciences community. She serves as President of The Institute and President & CEO of CBSA.

Elyse brings deep knowledge of life sciences company needs, CBSA as an organization, and Colorado’s business community to offer continuity, connections, and a clear vision for the future of The Institute, CBSA and Colorado’s life sciences ecosystem. Before joining The Institute and CBSA, she co-founded Securisyn Medical and led the organization as COO and CFO, transitioning the company from a founder-led startup to a professionally led, commercial-stage medical device company. She remains a member of the Securisyn Medical Board of Directors.

Previously, Elyse led investor relations for the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce. She has also served as a board member and leader for Project C.U.R.E. and the Blue Bench in addition to her board leadership role with CBSA.

Born and raised in Colorado, Elyse holds a B.A. in biology from Colorado College and earned her M.S. in organizational leadership from CSU Global. She is also a graduate of the Colorado BioScience Institute’s Executive Leadership program.

Board of Directors

The Institute’s Board of Directors provides strategic oversight and deep expertise, guiding investments and programs to cultivate and diversify Colorado’s life sciences workforce.
Ethan Mann, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Ethan Mann, Ph.D., M.B.A.

Board of Directors Chair
CEO, Validus Cellular Therapeutics, Inc.

Michael Mestek, Ph.D.
Michael Mestek, Ph.D.

Board of Directors Vice Chair
Senior Director, Global Marketing
Medtronic Patient Monitoring

Chelsea Magin, Ph.D.
Chelsea Magin, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor in the Departments of Bioengineering, Pediatrics and Medicine
Principal Investigator, Bio-Inspired Pulmonary Engineering Laboratory
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Jim Wilson
Jim Wilson

Board of Directors Treasurer & Secretary
Partner, Ernst & Young

Sylvia Robinson, Ph.D., SPHR
Sylvia Robinson, Ph.D., SPHR

Senior Outreach & Talent Acquisition Partner, Tolmar, Inc.

Maria Mazin
Maria Mazin, Ph.D

Manager of Student & Teacher Programs
Denver Museum of Nature & Science

Matthew Wiggins
Matt Wiggins

Director of Workforce Development
Boulder Chamber