Tommy Pham is one of the founding members of the Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute. Tommy is also a co-founder of Nzumbe, an epigenetic drug discovery & development venture funded by multiple NIH SBIR/STTR grants. Prior to his startup experience, Tommy worked at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in their technology transfer department, where he was responsible for licensing, technology commercialization and partnerships. A few research areas that he managed include: pediatric cancer, genetics, neurology and cardiovascular. After OHSU, Tommy joined Nike to be part of the Patents team to fuel Nike’s growth and create the future of sport. His work is currently focused on driving IP creation and management of all things digital innovation, including connected products, consumer experiences and mobile apps.
Tommy is a recipient of awards from the Ford Family Foundation and Horatio Alger Association. These scholarships enabled his education, career and taught him the meaning of “empowerment to create a better future.” In 2017, Tommy was named a runner-up for Portland Business Journal’s 40 under 40 award for his relentless commitment in supporting childhood cancer research. He is an also a passionate advocate for education and entrepreneurship. Tommy was an adjunct faculty at University of Portland (UP) teaching Design Thinking, an entrepreneurship mentor at UP for the past 8+ years and a frequent guest speaker for student programs like DECA, Young Entrepreneur Business Week and others in the community.
