Latest news with #TonyaPendleton
Technical.ly
5 days ago
- Business
- Technical.ly
How Philly's BioLattice is making the jump from grants to VC
For nearly two years, has hosted its monthly segment, Speaking, on WURD Radio's 'Reality Check' with Tonya Pendleton. Earlier this month, WURD cancelled the show after a round of layoffs. Winning pitch competitions and getting industry recognition don't always lead to funding. For Amelia Zellander, founder and CEO of the tissue engineering startup BioLattice, it took six years to get the 'proper funding' to pursue the biotechnology, which she finally secured at the end of 2023. Innovations like biomaterial to repair the front layer of the eye — an alternative to traditional cornea transplants — can be risky to develop, she said. In the current climate of risk-averse investors, that makes biotech money difficult to land. It was ultimately federal funding (the same programs now in limbo under the Trump administration) that made Zellander's initial research possible. Now she's seeking venture capital to maintain that momentum. 'My journey with this company in this form really started in 2017,' Zellander told reporter Sarah Huffman on Speaking, a monthly segment on WURD Radio's 'Reality Check' hosted by Tonya Pendleton. 'I applied for federal funding multiple times before I finally got the Phase One [National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research ] grant.' The funding served as a launch pad. Since starting a research partnership with Lehigh University, BioLattice has landed an $80,000 first-place prize at a pitch competition. More recently, Zellander was named Startup of the Year at BioLabs' third annual investor day. BioLattice is continuing its growth trajectory as a member of the inaugural HiveBio accelerator cohort. This is helping build the company's brand and supporting its path to securing investors, per Zellander. 'I have been getting a little bit of funding, but I'm just still in the battle to build my reputation,' she said, 'to build the trust with investors, and to present the need.' While positive recognition is useful in general, it doesn't always translate into dollars, Zellander said. As BioLattice gears up to raise its next $2 million to support the prototyping phase, she's hoping to make sure it can turn the accolades into securing VCs. BioLattice is currently in a preclinical, prototype stage. Its CorneaClear technology is compatible with rabbit eyes, and now needs more testing to conduct a formal animal study. 'Storytelling is the biggest thing,' Zellander said. 'Investors want to know: How are they going to get their investment back?'
Axios
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
The Ones List with Philly radio personality Tonya Pendleton
Tonya Pendleton's two-year reign as host of WURD Radio's "Reality Check" ended last week, but she won't be off the airwaves for long. Why it matters: Pendleton, WHYY's "Things to Do" curator and one of Philly's enduring journalists and broadcasters, is already cooking up her next adventure. We caught up with Pendleton in our latest edition of "The Ones List" series. The interview was condensed for clarity: What's one story you tell about why you got into radio? While interning in college at WILD Radio in Boston, the music director left and I took her spot at 22 years old. Radio made me happier than anything else. Who's one person you grew up admiring in media? Charlie Rose. It was just him, the person at a table, and no fancy backdrop. Your one can't-break rule in radio: Respect the audience. There's somebody who may have woken up that day just to hear your voice. What's one daily ritual you can't do without? Meditation. I'm a fan of Insight Timer. What's one podcast you can't do without? Steven Bartlett's "The Diary of a CEO." What's one habit you wish you could break? Procrastination. Your one favorite person in Philadelphia: Rapper Chill Moody. He put the "E" in entrepreneur. Who's one person you interviewed who you still think about? Prince. The paramount thing to know about him: He cared about his craft. What's one thing you're going to miss about "Reality Check" and WURD Radio? Connecting with an audience that cares about our community.
