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Michael Triplett’s career in health technology has been fueled by innovation, and he believes the same mentality can drive Columbus to become a leader in the industry.
“I want to try to build out a pillar of the economy here in Columbus,” he says, “and make Columbus a biotech hub.”
Triplett, who most recently co-founded Armatus Bio, where he now serves as president and CEO, has built an impressive resume through his passion for innovation and growth. Triplett has worked with Battelle and Proctor & Gamble, co-founded multiple early-stage companies and has provided advice and mentorship to schools and students in the hopes of further develop- ing his industry in the central Ohio area.
Exposing young people to STEM is a fundamental step for Triplett. He has prioritized opportunities to aid in the development of educational opportunities to best serve the needs of students. That has included serving as a STEM advisor for New Albany-Plain Local Schools and as an executive mentor in The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business technology, entrepreneurship and commercialization program. Triplett has also contributed to InnovateOhio.
Founded by Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted, InnovateOhio aims to “create a culture of innovation in state government” in order to improve services and lower costs for taxpayers. With InnovateOhio, Triplett has led a gene and cell therapy working group focused on developing economic strategies to grow that industry in Ohio, and sought to encourage more people to enter the biomedical field by aligning school curriculums toward industry needs.
After beginning his career at Proctor & Gamble, Triplett recognized that, while he was a strong engineer, he had little idea about the world of business and innovation. Working with the company helped develop that skillset for him and created an interest in progressing further into the world of innovative medical technology. To pursue that, he earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from OSU.
Later, working with Battelle, executives identified Triplett’s ability to think across domains and develop monetization strategies. That earned him the opportunity to oversee those strategies for the life sciences division. This proved pivotal as Triplett continued his career and moved toward roles developing early-stage medical technology companies.
“It’s very easy to be a theoretical leader,” Triplett says, “but when you are making every decision, your pace of decision making absolutely has to increase.” Much of Triplett’s more recent work has dealt with maximizing new research and technology, such as developments from OSU and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Armatus Bio works to combine work from genetics and bioengineering fields into new therapeutic treatments.
Triplett says that investment and the potential for profit are key to bring- ing these important new developments to life. He notes the influence of pat- ents, grants and other investments on the growth of new ideas and says that those financial incentives are necessary for continued innovation.
“It provides a real human nature benefit to individuals who provide value,” he says. “Without those motivations, I am deeply concerned that we will lose our innovative abilities.”
This value is clearly seen in the re- sults of Triplett’s ventures and in the hope these technologies instill in patients. One of the most rewarding parts of his work is seeing the technology and treatments prove effective as trial data comes back. The potential for those life-changing results drives his work.
Those results inspire hope and appreciation from patients and their families as well. The family of one patient drove unannounced from Mexico City to New Albany, Triplett says.
“They were motivated by nothing more than giving their children a better future,” he says. “They want to be in the presence of people who helped.”
Triplett continues to believe that with attention given to the infrastructure already available – universities, hospitals, schools – Columbus can become an epicenter for the biotech industry and continue to provide those real-world results.
“The most impactful and meaningful success has been watching the building of hope in the patient communities,” Triplett says. “Hope is the most rewarding for all of us.”
Emily Lutz is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@ cityscenemediagroup.com.
