New CEO plans to bring longevity to the mainstream using Foundation’s blockchain-based voting platform.
The Longevity Science Foundation (LSF), a global nonprofit organisation providing research funding to establish a longer and healthier human lifespan, has recently expanded by launching operations in the US and appointing a new President and CEO, Lisa E Ireland. Ireland, an experienced non-profit executive with more than 25 years of experience in administration, fundraising, donor engagement, strategy and finance, will lead global operations for the Foundation.
Longevity.Technology: The LSF has a canny eye for expansion; with a Patrons Board packed with experience in cryptocurrency, gaming, big data and blockchain, the Foundation continues to progress towards its goal of advancing human longevity by funding research and development of medical technologies to extend the healthy human lifespan.
The long-term mission of the Longevity Science Foundation is to help make longevity-focused care accessible to everyone, no matter their background, by bringing cutting-edge science on aging out of the laboratory and into the mainstream, and Ireland’s experience should help the Foundation achieve success.
Ireland’s career spans across diverse sectors including education, healthcare, human services and science. Her previous roles include Vice President For Institutional Advancement at the RMSC (Rochester Museum & Science Center), Director of Donor Relations & Stewardship at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) and Executive Director of United Way of Orleans.
Lisa Ireland said: “The longevity field is rapidly scaling, with the potential for life-changing technologies to enter into human practice within the coming years. As CEO, I am excited to bring longevity to the mainstream and encourage more individuals to learn about this growing field and the unique work the LSF does to support its progress.”
In addition to the new CEO, the LSF has also appointed two new members to its highly acclaimed Advisory Board. Warren Rickard, Head of Strategy at Basepaws, and Toni Marie Van Buren, nonprofit policy and strategy executive, have been appointed as LSF Advisors, joining top longevity researchers and business experts including Nobel Laureate Michael Levitt, longevity physician Dr Evelyne Bischof and Bitfury Chief Visionary Officer Val Vavilov.
The new board members bring a combined 50+ years of experience to the Foundation. Rickard is a pet health expert that ran strategy for pet genetics company, Basepaws and advises companies across healthcare, fundraising, and business strategy. Van Buren is a nonprofit consultant with 30 years of expertise in fundraising and program development at United Way of San Antonio & Bexar County.
Previously based out of Switzerland, the LSF has opened a new chapter in Miami as a nonprofit organisation with 501(c)(3) status. A group of physicians, investors, and other stakeholders founded the Longevity Science Foundation in 2021 to convene biotech founders, physicians and research institutions in pursuit of lengthening the healthy human lifespan. The Foundation uses a blockchain-based voting platform to distribute grant funding to projects advancing longevity science, focusing on therapeutics, artificial intelligence, personalized medicine and predictive diagnostics.
Garri Zmudze, the Executive Coordinator of the Longevity Science Foundation, said: “Miami is a city fostering innovation and community. We are thrilled to launch in the United States and work closely with the country’s incredible physicians, visionaries and other stakeholders to advance longevity research.”
All donors will have a voice in the Foundation’s funding decisions via LSF Points, an internal governance unit unique to the Longevity Science Foundation. Points will be allocated based on contribution amount as well as funding milestone, with higher point multipliers for early donors. LSF Points are classified as an ERC-20 token managed on the Ethereum blockchain, with full management by the LSF team. Both the voting platform and token are now live and available for access.
