Welcome to Xomix
Xomix was founded in 1998 by CEO, Gary Keller, MsB. Xomix designs and implements effective biotechnology initiatives in business, workforce, and economic development. Mr. Keller has life sciences industry expertise encompassing scientific, public-private, not-for profit, and business perspectives.
Through Xomix, this experience, and an extensive network of relationships have been harnessed to produce unprecedented results.
Technology and Business Development
Xomix has extensive experience in technology evaluation, technology transfer, development, licensing, and commercialization. Xomix has provided services for government agencies, academic institutions, not-for profit, Fortune 500 companies and startup life science companies.
Startup formation includes founding Conkwest Inc. (ZelleRx Corp.), a San Diego, CA based an early stage cancer cellular therapeutics company, conducting phase I/II clinical trials.
Most recently, Keller has served as the founding Executive Director of the Florida Institute for the Commercialization of Public Research. Among the roles the company and its founder have provided, Keller has served as Chair of the Technology Transfer Committee for the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), and Chair of the Emerging Technologies Committee for the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, as Chairman of Fundraising for the Illinois Biotechnology Organization, iBIO, as co-chair of the Florida Chaper of the Licensing Executive Society.
Economic Development
Xomix has both led and worked integrally on numerous strategic planning efforts. Some of these include the States of Illinois and Missouri, the City of Chicago, the Illinois Medical District, and the Chicago Technology Park.
Mr. Keller has been a keynote speaker on biotechnology-led economic development for the Midwest Council of State Government annual Midwest meeting, and has both presented and published materials for the Association of University Research Parks. He has led seminars on integrating Biotechnology and economic development for the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Small Business Development Centers, and the French Consulate, and the CIBI trade mission of the America-Israel Chamber of Commerce to Israel in 2008.
Mr. Keller’s Master of Science in biotechnology, from the joint Northwestern/Kellogg Center for Biotechnology Program, focused on future based strategic planning for biotechnology. This thesis strategy was implemented, under his role as National Manager for Cellular Therapy at Cambrex Biosciences for the development of the Cell Therapy market and has since been used for a number of biotechnology related initiatives. Xomix conducted the 2002 Economic Impact Study for the Illinois Medical District and the 2007 Economic Impact Study for the Chicago Technology Park Research Center.
Keller is certified by the Council of Urban Economic Development in technology led economic development and has been an active member of biotechnology-led economic development initiatives in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
Education and Workforce Development
Through Xomix, Mr. Keller served in the role of Strategic Initiatives and Workforce Development for the Chicago Technology Park overseeing the $6 M BiTmaP training program that is funded by a $3M grant to transition computer scientists into life science careers.
He is the founder of the Summer Biotechnology Institute Program that has been funded by $450K over the past six years by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs. This program targets juniors and seniors of Chicago Schools to develop educational and hands on skills in biotechnology that can lead to educational and career pathways.
He has been active in the Biotechnology Institute’s conferences, conducted strategic planning for Biotechnology for City Colleges of Chicago, and is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Illinois at Chicago-Engineering Department-Bioinformatics, The Illinois Institute of Technology-Stuart Graduate School of Business, Center for the Management of Medical Technology and served on the Advisory Boards of Florida Atlantic University, Keiser Univeristy in Biotechnlogy and Roosevelt University for the College of Business.
Community Development
Uptown
While a local community resident of Uptown, Mr. Keller established Xomix Ltd. and its first offices in Wilson Yards. At this time he also founded the Uptown Historical Society, represented the “Your House as History” Tax Program, was a board member of the Uptown Chicago Commission, and under the auspices of the Uptown Community Development Corporation, created an entertainment district strategy for Lawrence and Broadway leading to the Uptown Square National Register District, and the Lawrence Broadway, and Wilson Yard Tax Increment Financing Zones (TIFs).
North Lawndale
Currently, Mr. Keller is engaged in the redevelopment of the Lawndale area and has renovating a two flat on historic Douglas Park. He is a board member of Mount Sinai Hospital serves on the Quality Assurance/Quality Control committee and has served on the Buildings and Grounds and Community Affairs committees and co-Chairing the Sinai Health Systems Community Pillar.