Stephen Curtis

Steve completed his PhD in biological and biomedical sciences at Harvard Medical School in Boston. His doctoral studies focused on the cellular biology and genetics of lung cancer development, propagation, and progression. Steve graduated summa cum laude from Cornell University, earning a dual BS degree in molecular biology and applied economics and management. 

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Steve has a personal interest in teaching and enabling students to expand their horizons across disciplines. To that end, he has served as a mentor to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, giving them the ability to explore venture capital, entrepreneurship, and broader opportunities in the biotech industry.

Stephen Curtis, PhD, is Senior Director of Innovation and Investments at BrightEdge, the innovation and impact investing arm of the American Cancer Society (ACS). In this role, Steve leads strategic initiatives across BrightEdge’s innovation acceleration programs — supporting emerging oncology-focused entrepreneurs — and its core impact investing strategy of backing mission-aligned healthcare startups that can deliver both financial returns and patient-centric impact. He brings nearly two decades of experience spanning oncology research, biotech operations, business development, company creation, and venture capital.

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Before joining BrightEdge, Steve was Managing Director of MPM Capital’s Oncology Innovations Fund — a hybrid venture/philanthropy investment collaboration with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute — through which he launched and invested in multiple biotech companies. Previously, he was Senior Director of Business Development at Eli Lilly and Company, overseeing several of Lilly’s limited partnership relationships with top-tier venture funds, direct strategic investments in biotech companies, and shared-risk collaborations. Earlier in his career, he co-led the Bioscience Ventures group at 2M Companies, the Dallas-based family office of Morton H. Meyerson, and led Technology Evaluation and In-Licensing at Reata Pharmaceuticals.

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Steve currently volunteers on the Follicular Lymphoma Foundation’s Allocation Advisory Board, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s IBD Ventures Advisory Committee, and the Milken Institute’s FasterCures TRAIN initiative. Additionally, he serves as an advisor to various incubator and accelerator programs.

Steve is a member of Class 20, and served the majority of his fellowship at 2M Companies under the mentorship of Melissa Krauth, former Principal of the firm's bioscience ventures group. He and completed his fellowship after transitioning to Eli Lilly & Co and was the prior co-chair of the Life Sciences and Healthcare SIG.