BioAccel, a leading organization working to expand the biotechnology industry in Arizona, has added three well-known business leaders to its Board of Directors.

The three new Board members are:

• Sharon Harper, President & CEO of Plaza Companies. Harper co-founded Plaza Companies in 1982, and over the past three decades it has emerged as one of the leading real estate development, leasing and management firms in Arizona. Harper is also widely known for her extensive community involvement and leadership in the Valley business community.

• Michael Hool, an active technology investor, accomplished venture lawyer, and pioneer in a wide variety of capital formation and entrepreneurship efforts. Mr. Hool is the Founder and Managing Partner of Hool Law Group, a premier venture law firm in the Southwest. In 25 years Mr. Hool has helped launch, grow and exit over 100 technology ventures and formed over 15 private equity funds and investment organizations.

• Peter Allison, Chairman, CEO and Founder of IDM Technologies, LLC and IDM LabTrack™ Inc. and IDM AgriTrack™. In 1998, he founded and continues to serve as managing director of Biogenesis Investment Group, LLC, a venture healthcare investment company in biotechnology and medical devices, and has more than 30 years of experience in business management, venture capital and debt equity placement.

The three join Board members MaryAnn Guerra, who is also CEO of BioAccel, Ioanna Morfessis, Peter Slate and James Powers, Jr. on the Board of Directors. Karoly Nikolich, Ph.D. and Todd Davis continue to serve as honorary members.

Guerra said the three new board members bring an incredible wealth of experience in innovation, understanding of entrepreneurship and insight to BioAccel’s efforts to expand the biotechnology sector in Arizona.

BioAccel CEO MaryAnn Guerra will be a featured speaker at the Arizona Small Business Association's Women Entrepreneurs Small Business Boot Camp. The event will take place on Saturday, February 9 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Chaparral Suites Resort in Scottsdale.

The 2013 issue of AZ Business Magazine's "Women to Watch" has hit the newsstands, and features BioAccel's CEO MaryAnn Guerra. You can click here (http://issuu.com/azbigmedia/docs/1_ab_jf2013_digitalissue/41) to read the article and learn more about MaryAnn's goals and priorities for the upcoming year!

BioAccel, a leading non-profit organization dedicated to the development and growth of Arizona's biotechnology industry, is seeking bids from qualified firms for public relations and marketing services. The selected firm will provide a range of services including public relations and media outreach, marketing support, social media and e-marketing services, copywriting, print collateral development and web site design and maintenance.

Stimwave Becomes Sixth Company in 3 months to join the BioInspire Incubator Model Moving Innovations to Commercialization for Arizona

PEORIA, Arizona (December 17, 2012) – BioAccel and the City of Peoria are pleased to announce that BioInspire has accepted a sixth company, Arizona based medical device startup Stimwave Technologies, Inc., into the medical device incubator facility in Peoria,.

Stimwave Technologies has received a $300,000 investment from BioAccel’s New Venture Development Program and will be a resident of the new incubator facility in Peoria, where it will utilize BioInspire’s exceptional laboratory spaces and advisory services.

Stimwave Technologies is a medical device company that develops that has developed novel wirelessly powered microimplantable stimulators for the neuromodulation field for pain relief. The company’s first novel device is a microstimulator placed through a needleless implantable device designed for patients suffering from chronic back and leg pain. Currently only wired solutions are available. The new device is 99% smaller in volume that the next smallest commercially available wired product on the market, and takes 75% less time for the clinician to place.

BioInspire, managed by BioAccel in partnership with the City of Peoria, is designed to foster and facilitate the development of medical device companies and to stimulate the development of products and spin-off companies in Peoria based on research conducted at other academic, public and private institutions.

“We are extremely pleased to be welcomed into the Bioinspire incubator to continue to apply our innovative technology to research new indications and support our transition to commercialization for our pain relief product,” said Laura Tyler Perryman, Founder and CEO of Stimwave. “Our commitment to superior patient care is unparalleled, and our goals are aligned with BioAccel to achieve the vision and purpose of BioInspire,” she said.

BioAccel, a promoter of new business ventures in the life sciences, today announced the appointment of Dr. Alexandra MacLean of Covidien to BioInspire’s Council of Advisors. As a novel medical device incubator, BioInspire provides proof of concept/seed funding, mentorship, and industry focused assistance in support of local economic development.

BioAccel launched the BioInspire program, in partnership with the City of Peoria, in May 2012. Covidien is a $12 billion leading global provider of healthcare products dedicated to innovation and long-term growth. As Vice President of Corporate Medical Affairs, Dr. MacLean works closely with Covidien Ventures (the investment arm of Covidien), as well as the business development, licensing and strategy functions.

“We are dedicated to growing the medical device industry in Peoria and in Arizona” said MaryAnn Guerra, CEO of BioAccel. “This relay-race towards success begins with our program at BioInspire, but needs a supportive network of advisors as well as a successful hand-off to downstream investors. We are pleased to welcome Dr. MacLean as a member of this team.”

The Council of Advisors represents medical device and financial leaders that review technologies for BioInspire. Dr. MacLean joins a distinguished group from companies such as Medtronic, HLM Ventures, PADT, Northwestern University, and The Core Institute. Companies and entrepreneurs selected will be eligible for free or reduced lab and office space, a centralized FDA quality control system, technical and business assistance, as well as access to BioAccel’s comprehensive medical device development network.

BioAccel is among six organizations that were named winners of SSTI’s 2012 Excellence in TBED award, serving as national models for states and regions investing in science, technology and innovation to grow their economies and create high-paying jobs. BioAccel was selected as the Most Promising TBED Initiative, recognized for a transferable technology commercialization model and a creative funding approach.

A grand opening was held in late September for BioInspire, a new incubator in Peoria that will be home to start-up companies developing medical devices.

The city of Peoria, which committed about $5 million to the effort, is working with BioAccel, a nonprofit organization that helps turn bioscience technologies into businesses, and the Plaza Companies, a Peoria-based company that specializes in developing bioscience and medical office properties.