Mina Sooch - Hall of Fame 2023

Mina Sooch, B.S. ’89, is a co-founder and CEO of Ocuphire Pharma, a late clinical stage biotech company focused on developing and commercializing small molecule drugs for unmet medical needs in the ocular disease space. With more than 25 years of pharmaceutical and biotech experience as an entrepreneur, venture capitalist and strategist, Sooch has successfully raised hundreds of millions of dollars for more than 10 biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device companies, which included two successful IPOs. Prior to establishing Ocuphire, Sooch co-founded Gemphire Therapeutics and ProNai Therapeutics, which are publicly-traded, clinical-stage companies in the cardiovascular and oncology fields, respectively. She also co-founded Apjohn Ventures Fund, a firm that invests in early-stage life sciences companies. Sooch has received numerous awards, including being named a 2016 Deal Maker of the Year by Crain’s Detroit Business and a finalist for 2021 Entrepreneur of the Year for Michigan and Northwest Ohio. She currently serves on the private board of Priority Health, a $6 billion health care plan based in Michigan. Sooch received a B.S. in chemical engineering from Wayne State University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.