(L-R): Margaret Anderson, Executive Director, FasterCures; Lucy Bernholz, Founder and President, Blueprint Research & Design; Larry Flax, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chairman of the Board, California Pizza Kitchen; William Greene, Managing Director, MPM Capital; Joan Flax, Board of Advisors, California Pizza Kitchen; and Debi Brooks, Co-Founder, Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

Like return on investment (ROI), return on philanthropy (ROP) can be a difficult thing to measure for medical philanthropists. Information is scarce and "cure entrepreneurs" are a relatively new breed of investors operating in a separate capital market in which there are few, if any, rules. This diverse panel brought together representatives from the philanthropic, venture capitalist, and non-profit research sectors to offer insights on the process of measuring the success and output of medical research. The discussion found that a hybrid of metrics based on business, finance, and science models should be used to evaluate progress and impact.

William Greene, Managing Director of MPM Capital, emphasized the importance of vetting organizations before investing, using venture capital-style models to assess alignment with business priorities and success at tracking and measuring outcomes. Larry Flax, co-CEO and co-chairman of the board for California Pizza Kitchen talked about the increasing speed at which philanthropists expect to see a turn-around in their investment, with the powerful and growing baby-boomer philanthropist community demanding faster and faster results.

Just as important as picking the right investment upfront is measuring progress along the way. Panelists agreed that responsible investing includes pulling the plug on projects that are not effective before resources are exhausted so that they can be reallocated according to need and impact potential.

Moderator:
Margaret Anderson, Executive Director, FasterCures

Speakers:
Lucy Bernholz, Founder and President, Blueprint Research & Design
Debi Brooks, Co-Founder, Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
Joan Flax, Board of Advisors, California Pizza Kitchen
Larry Flax, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chairman of the Board, California Pizza Kitchen
William Greene, Managing Director, MPM Capital

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