Silverstein Foundation Staff
JONATHAN SILVERSTEIN, J.D./M.B.A., Director and Co-founder
Jonathan T. Silverstein, J.D./M.B.A., is a former Managing Partner and Co-Head of Global Private Equity at OrbiMed. He is currently an Executive Partner at OrbiMed, one of the world’s largest fully dedicated healthcare fund managers. Mr. Silverstein joined OrbiMed in 1999 and was on the board of several dozen biotech companies over the last two decades. During his tenure, OrbiMed invested in healthcare companies that have led to over 60 FDA approved therapeutics, medical devices and diagnostics.
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With a particular interest in rare diseases, Mr. Silverstein was the chairman of several biotechnology companies focused on these “orphan” drugs, including: Enobia (sold to Alexion), Intercept (ICPT), and a director of Ascendis (ASND) and Rhythm Therapeutics (RYTM). For seven consecutive years, Forbes® Magazine named Mr. Silverstein one of the top 100 venture capitalists in the world when it placed him on the “Forbes Midas List”.
After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, Mr. Silverstein learned that he was a carrier of the GBA mutation which had triggered his disease. He established The Silverstein Foundation for Parkinson’s with GBA and began working with a team of the worlds’ leading GBA-PD experts to help him find a cure. Over his 20 years of experience in healthcare venture capital, Jonathan has had success in investing in therapeutics to treat PD and other rare diseases, making him well-positioned to take on this challenge.
Mr. Silverstein has a J.D. and an M.B.A. from the University of San Diego, and a B.A. in Economics from Denison University.
NATALIE SILVERSTEIN, M.P.H., Co-founder
Natalie Silverstein, MPH, is an author, speaker and award-winning podcast host. After a career in hospital and healthcare administration, she worked as a consultant in private practice. She is now a free-lance writer with a focus on the nonprofit sector. She is the author of two best-selling books on kindness, service and philanthropy.
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Over the last decade, Natalie has established herself as an author, consultant, speaker and passionate advocate for family and youth service. Since 2013, she has been the New York area Coordinator for Doing Good Together, a Minneapolis-based non-profit with the mission of helping parents raise children who care and contribute. She is the author of Simple Acts: The Busy Family’s Guide to Giving Back which was published by Gryphon House in 2019 and was named one of the top books for parents who want to raise kind kids by the HuffPost. Her most recent book, Simple Acts: The Busy Teen’s Guide to Making a Difference was published by Free Spirit Publishing in July, 2022. In September, 2022, she launched a podcast, Simple Acts, Big Impact: Celebrating Teen Changemakers. Natalie earned an undergraduate degree in Health Policy and Administration from Providence College and a master’s in public health from Yale University. As a philanthropist, Natalie is a founding member of Impact 100 NYC and the Providentia Fund at Providence College and is a member of Legacy Collective.
Benjamin Stecher, Associate Director
Benjamin has over 16 years of international development experience including 10 years as a patient advocate spent developing strategic partnerships with academics, pharmaceutical companies and leading advocacy voices. An accomplished author who speaks and consults regularly at medical centers and biotech companies on issues related to degenerative brain diseases and patient-driven research advocacy.
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Benjamin is the founder of Tomorrow Edition, a leading publication focusing on bridging the gaps between patients with Parkinson’s, their doctors, and the research community. He is also a patient advisor to several organizations including Rune Labs, a San Francisco based wearable technology company, where he chairs their patient advisory board and helps the team develop improved methods for tracking symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. He is also the co-author of Brain Fables written with Prof. Alberto Espay and published by Cambridge University Press. As well as Reprogramming the Brain written with Prof. Alfonso Fasano and published by Springer Publishing.