Kevin Kinsella

Kevin Kinsella founded Avalon in 1983. He has specialized in the formation, financing and/or development of more than 60 early-stage companies, including: Athena Neurosciences (acquired by Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN)); Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ONXX); Sequana Therapeutics (merged with Arris to form AXYS Pharmaceuticals, acquired by Celera Genomics (NYSE: CRA)); Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRTX); Synaptics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SYNA); Vocera Communications; and Sytera Ophthalmics Inc. (acquired by Sirion Therapeutics). Mr. Kinsella was the founding chairman of Athena Neurosciences, Aurora Biosciences Corporation, Landmark Graphics, NeoRx, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Synaptics, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, X-Ceptor and Sequana Therapeutics. Prior to founding Avalon, Mr. Kinsella worked for Solar Turbines International (Caterpillar Tractor) where he was in charge of all international joint ventures, barter and counter-trade. Previously, he was an advisor to the Peruvian government in National Nutrition Planning, ran a technology exchange program between the U.S. and Latin America based in Mexico City, and taught algebra at the American High School in Beirut, Lebanon. He was also a guest op-ed columnist for the Boston Herald American. Mr. Kinsella is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (“MIT”) with a Bachelor of Science degree in management, with minors in electrical engineering and political science. He holds a Master of Arts degree in international relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (“SAIS”) and conducted post-graduate work in political economy on a Rotary International Fellowship at the University of Stockholm, Sweden. He is a member of the Circumnavigators Club, an elite group of explorers who have gone around the world in a continuous trip using multiple modes of transport. Mr. Kinsella is a Life Sustaining Fellow at MIT and a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at SAIS. He is the largest individual producer of the Tony Award-winning hit Broadway musical, [url=http://www.theatreticketscheap.com/jersey-boys/]Jersey Boys[/url], and the partner of Rhino Records (Time Warner) in producing the Grammy Award-winning Jersey Boys Original Cast Recording, which has gone Platinum (selling over 1 million copies). Mr. Kinsella is a member of the Boards of Directors of Amira, Anaptys, and InCode, all Avalon portfolio companies. Mr. Kinsella is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a member of the Broadway League (Tony voter). He and his wife, Tamara, own Kinsella Estates Winery (Healdsburg, California), whose first vintage of premium Dry Creek cabernet sauvignon will be released in 2011.