Welcome new Life Science Tennessee member, Adora Life Science! We asked CEO Mike Vaughn to tell us about their work and what excites them most about the industry in Tennessee. 

Tell us about Adora Life Science.

Adora Life Science and Adora Animal Health Corporation is committed to science, life, and the future by growing and innovating our human and animal solutions. We seek strategic collaborations with other companies or institutions in order to develop new businesses and products. 

Adora as a team is led by its investors and board of directors:

CEO, Mike Vaughn, earned a B.S. from the University of Tennessee at Martin and is an experienced international entrepreneur with a successful track record setting up supply chains, manufacturing, and management consulting operations in China, Spain, Mexico, Japan, and Austria. 

Thomas D’Ambra, Ph.D., MIT, founded Albany Molecular Research, Inc., and is the inventor of Allegra.  AMRI was a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ from 1999 until 2017.  Under the leadership of Dr. D’Ambra, AMRI received the Excellence in Business Award at the New York State Investors Conference and the Pfizer Route Design Innovation Award.  Dr. D’Ambra an inductee of the Tech Valley Business Hall of Fame and was named as a national finalist for the 2003 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Life Sciences category. 

Scott Pierce, DVM, obtained his undergraduate degree from Northwest Missouri State then graduated from veterinary school at the University of Missouri. Dr. Pierce worked at Rood & Riddle in 1985 and later became a shareholder. Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital is a full-service equine hospital established in 1986 as a referral center for horses requiring specialized medical and surgical care. Special interests of his include working with juvenile Thoroughbreds, upper airway endoscopy, and public and private sales.

Stuart Pierce, DVM, obtained his undergraduate degree from Northwest Missouri State then graduated from veterinary school at the University of Missouri and is currently the CEO of KineticVet. Founded in 1999 by veterinarian brothers Drs. Scott and Stuart Pierce, Kinetic Vet since its inception has been grounded in the science of product development, backed with clinical research and evidence-based medicine.

How do you define the “life sciences?”

Adora combines the branches of science that involve manufacturing of products to produce medicines and devices for prevention, mitigation, or cures of diseases in humans or animals.

Why are you a member of Life Science Tennessee? 

The obvious: networking, sourcing of services, etc. 

Where do you think there is the most energy and opportunity in Tennessee for life science innovations? 

Tennessee is a state with regional hubs of innovation that are disconnected by geography and influence. We need organizations such as LST to foster relationships among the different technology centers to maximize the potential for the life sciences industry to thrive and grow.

On a (slightly) lighter note, what is the first you did (or plan to do) post pandemic?

I visited friends and family who were quarantined.