As a Lab Operations Associate, Keilana plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of Portal’s cutting-edge laboratory facility at Helix Park. Keilana’s interest in life sciences started while swimming amongst the fish in the coral reefs of Guam. She received her Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and Marine Fisheries from Texas A&M University at Galveston and continued academia focusing on the phylogeny and genetic intricacies of aquatic plants. Later, she transitioned to do benchwork as a quality lab technician overseeing day-to-day lab activities, coordinating inventory, and maintaining the highest standards of safety and quality. From her prior experiences and current commitment to optimizing lab workflows and supporting cross-functional teams, Keilana helps Portal Innovations continue its mission to build a platform for innovators in life sciences.

India joins Portal as a Senior Lab Associate in Atlanta at our Science Square space where she brings over 5 years’ of experience in managing lab operations, team leadership, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

Most recently, India worked at Immucor, Inc., a local medical device and diagnostics company, where she honed her skills in laboratory management and regulatory compliance. At Portal, India is focused on optimizing lab processes, maintaining high standards of operational efficiency, and supporting the continued growth of the team. She holds a Master of Science in Biotechnology from Fort Valley State University. A native of Macon, Georgia, India has lived in Atlanta since 2016 and enjoys traveling, outdoor activities, and exploring new cuisines.

Prior to joining Portal, Joanna was the Senior Laboratory Manager at NuProbe, and her expertise extends to setting up lab spaces, including space planning and buildout. With impactful roles at the University of Texas, Houston, and the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, she showcases a unique blend of research proficiency and operational management. Joanna holds a Doctorate in Polymer Engineering and is a Certified Quality Improvement Associate. Her dual experience in both university and industry roles uniquely positions her to guide startups in navigating the transition between these realms. Dedicated to fostering seamless lab environments, Joanna is committed to advancing scientific pursuits and supporting emerging ventures.

Haidy Delgado is a Manager of Lab Operations at Portal Chicago where she helps with day-to-day management. She oversees lab operations to ensure everything runs smoothly at Portal’s Chicago sites.

Krisha is the Executive Director in Boston where she oversees day-to-day operations of the Boston Southline site.

Krisha’s role focuses on being a bridge between the Portal Venture Operations team and member companies by providing the operations support required for member companies to reach their scientific milestones and goals for growth and expansion. She has a track record of setting up labs for startup companies, space planning, and buildouts while managing existing lab and facilities operations.

As part of Portal Innovations operations team, she believes in building highly functional operations team to run at optimum efficiency while allowing scientists to focus on what matters most, bringing new therapies to patients.

Parth Rao is an accomplished pharmaceutical professional with over a decade of experience in the industry. He has a proven track record in managing laboratory operations and facility maintenance for startups and established companies in the life sciences industry. Parth is known for his ability to streamline operations and improve efficiencies, his expertise in managing lab infrastructure, and his strategic vision for achieving growth and success. In this role as the Director of Lab Operations at Portal Innovations, he is responsible for formulating and executing strategic goals, developing operational and capital budgets, and managing relationships with life science startup companies and strategic partners. He will ensure everything will run smoothly and succinctly in our labs at both 400 N Aberdeen and 1375 W Fulton.

Throughout his career, Parth has held various leadership positions within the Biotech and Pharma industries focusing on biologics and novel gene therapies. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of Science from Northern Illinois University. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with his family

As Portal’s Vice President of Scientific Operations & Growth, Elizabeth works closely with Yuan to support daily operations within the lab space and to provide a safe environment for our member companies.  Prior to Portal, Elizabeth was a bench scientist with a particular affinity for analytical chemistry.  In her lab work, she developed a strong understanding and respect for spreadsheets and documentation – her reliability in performance of this understanding (both in quality and consistency) makes her a particularly powerful asset in a safety-focused, scientific environment.

By switching paths from scientist to manager, Elizabeth is able to address the core motivations that had always fueled her pursuit of scientific exploration: to help people. Her starting point contributes to her ability to develop, communicate and teach processes that respond to the actual pain points of scientists.

When not running around the lab or furiously typing on her laptop, Elizabeth enjoys listening to all kinds of podcasts and reading books to unwind.

Yuan Zhang is a biotech cofounder and translational scientist with deep experience in preclinical development, scientific operations, and early-stage company building. At Portal, she supports the expansion of the Ex³ platform by facilitating portfolio growth through fractional executive leadership and tailored strategic support for early-stage biotech companies. Yuan helps startups navigate critical milestones, scale operations, and prepare for Series A financing. She also assists in matching talent and expertise to Portal member companies to maximize impact across the network.

Previously, Yuan co-founded and led Seurat Therapeutics, advancing a repurposed biologic through pre-IND development. She also oversaw the national buildout of Portal’s lab infrastructure and has contributed to investment diligence, board-level strategy, and university-based incubator models. Yuan holds a PhD in Pathology and MS in Translational Sciences from the University of Chicago.