Synopsis:

Kevin Judice is the Co-Founder and CEO of DICE Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing transformative medicines for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Kevin trained as an organic chemist in graduate school before beginning his career at Genentech in the early 90s. He talks about stepping into the CEO role for the first time at DICE, the challenges of maintaining a lean startup while avoiding burnout, and how he approaches fundraising. He also shares insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and advice he would give to his younger self.

Biography:

Kevin Judice currently serves as the co-founder and CEO of DICE Therapeutics. Prior to DICE, he co-founded Achaogen, Inc., where, as the first employee, he was the chief scientific officer and CEO. During his seven-year tenure at Achaogen, Kevin oversaw three rounds of venture financing, steered its growth to 65 full-time employees and established collaborations with DARPA, NIAID, DTRA and BARDA.

Prior to Achaogen, he ran medicinal chemistry at Genentech. In the late ‘90s, he was one of the first employees and served as the vice president of chemistry at Theravance, where he led the discovery of Vibativ®.

Kevin holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of California Los Angeles with Nobel Laureate Donald J. Cram, then did his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California Berkeley in the laboratories of Peter G. Schultz. He received his B.S. in chemistry from Texas A&M University. Kevin is also a Henry Crown fellow at the Aspen Institute.