About Us

TheraB Medical didn’t have a traditional beginning as a medical device company. We started as a student engineering project at Michigan State University, where three engineering students were asked to find an improved treatment for infant jaundice in developing countries. Little did we know that this school project would lead to a future product that would modernize the way families experience jaundice treatment worldwide! We are proud to be a Michigan founded company with a focus on global health.

Our Team

ALEXA JONES

Chief Executive Officer

As co-founder and CEO of TheraB Medical, Alexa's days are consumed with acquiring funding, building partnerships with healthcare professionals, and finding the right partners to bring SnugLit to market. She is a graduate of the Honors College at Michigan State University with a degree in Biosystems Engineering. Alexa was previously an R&D engineer at DePuy Orthopedics (Synthes), performed oncology/orthopedic research at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and is a former analyst at Goldman Sachs & Co, working in Short-Sale Equity and Foreign Exchange markets. In late 2015, she realized her passion for entrepreneurship and bringing SnugLit to market.

LYNE CHARRON-KELLER

Chief Commercialization Officer

Lyne is a senior executive that brings 30 years of Healthcare and Medical Device industry experience. Her track record includes successfully identifying, developing and launching over 35 new medical devices and systems which generated over $2.5B in revenue in the Americas. Her credentials include startup executive experience, documented success in the areas of Sales, Marketing, Clinical Trials, New Business Development, Research & Development and Nursing at various organizational levels.

DR. CHRISTINA
SCHONBERG

Lead Clinical Researcher

Dr. Schonberg has over 10 years of experience in researching how to support infants’ cognitive, socioemotional, and physical development. Christina earned a B.A. in psychology (with honors) from Northwestern University, and a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from UCLA. Dr. Schonberg has directed numerous studies on infant development, published manuscripts in academic journals, and presented research to audiences ranging from scientists to parents. At TheraB, Dr. Schonberg develops and coordinates submissions for federal research grant funding.

SAM HANSEN

Lead Marketing Strategist

 Sam serves as our Product Commercialization Associate. She is a recent graduate from the Honors College at Michigan State University with a degree in Integrative Biology and a minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Her previous experience as TheraB's intern has piqued an interest in biotechnology and entrepreneurship, guiding her to become a motivated team member. She now performs as Lead Marketing Strategist, leading branding and marketing initiatives for the company. 

SWETHA GUNASEKAR

Product Development and Regulatory Affairs Intern

Swetha is our Product Development and Regulatory Affairs Intern. She is currently a master’s student majoring in Biomedical Engineering at Wayne State University and has previous experience as a genetic counselor in India, specializing in cancer research. Swetha has counseled almost 500 patients with various genetic disorders and has published work on brain tumor research. Her time at Wayne State has led her to develop an interest in medical device regulation and working towards innovative healthcare solutions.

JOHN DAHLER

Chief Financial Officer

John is a senior financial executive with more than 30 years of experience providing financial, operational, and managerial expertise for a variety of companies. John has served as a financial executive at KPMG, Pillsbury/Grand Metropolitan, Fiskars, Promega, Ambion/Asuragen, and Accuri Cytometers. He has also successfully led numerous mergers and acquisitions and has significant knowledge and experience in accounting, business restructurings, venture led financing, strategic planning and operational management, and more. He received his Bachelor of Sciences degree from the University of Wisconsin and has served on several not-for-profit boards. 

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Product Design and Engineering 

BRYCE PORTER​

Industrial Design Manager

KRISTA GROTELUESCHEN

Engineering Project Manager

KYLE SPIEKER 

Lead Industrial Designer

TIM LAROY

Lead Design Engineer

PETE CORNILS

Quality Engineer

RYAN ADAMS

Senior Materials Coordinator

Advisory Board

DR. ANNE HANSEN

Clinical Advisor

Dr. Anne Hansen is the medical director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Boston Children’s Hospital and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on improving the care of newborns seriously ill with medical and surgical conditions, medical device development, and global health. Dr. Hansen has published numerous original research papers, chapters, and books, including co-editing "The Manual of Neonatal Care". Dr. Hansen has also been working since 2010 in collaboration with the Rwanda Ministry of Health (MOH) and Partners In Health (PIH) to develop and implement national standards for newborn care. 

MICHAEL JAMES

Corporate Counsel

​Michael James has over 15 years of experience as an attorney. His practice focuses on a wide variety of areas including Health Care Law, Health Care Reform, Health Information Exchanges, Health Insurance Exchanges, Health Insurance Marketplaces, General/Small Business Law, and more. Michael has been a faculty member at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, where he also received his Bachelor of Arts in 2002 and a Certification in Healthcare from the College of Engineering in 2012. He also received his MBA in Human Resources, Leadership, and Change Management from Michigan State University in 2010. 

​DINESH REDDY

International Market Advisor

Dinesh plays an important role as our International Market Advisor. He has experience working with international sales and marketing, spanning across over 16 countries. Dinesh is currently the associate director at Dr. Reddy's Laboratories in Hyderabad, India and was chosen as the Economic Times Young Leader in 2016. In 2014, he received an MBA in Strategy & Leadership in Healthcare Management from the Indian School of Business. ​​

Board of Directors

ALEXA JONES

CEO at
​TheraB Medical

As co-founder and CEO of TheraB Medical, Alexa's days are consumed with acquiring funding, building partnerships with healthcare professionals, and finding the right partners to bring SnugLit to market. She is a graduate of the Honors College at Michigan State University with a degree in Biosystems Engineering. Alexa was previously an R&D engineer at DePuy Orthopedics (Synthes), performed oncology/orthopedic research at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and is a former analyst at Goldman Sachs & Co, working in Short-Sale Equity and Foreign Exchange markets. In late 2015, she realized her passion for entrepreneurship and bringing SnugLit to market.

BEN LOUAGIE

COO at
​Michigan State Medical Society

Ben Louagie has experience representing various stakeholders engaged in the health care industry with a particular focus on providers. He has a diverse history of identifying new business opportunities, developing growth strategies and strategic alliances, and implementing enterprise wide initiatives for organizations. Ben has also been the COO for the Michigan State Medical Society since 2009 and Managing Director for Quantum Medical Concepts since 2013. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University and a Master of Arts from Central Michigan University. 

JEFF WESLEY

Managing Director at Red Cedar Ventures

Jeff Wesley serves as the Executive Director of Red Cedar Ventures. Prior to joining Red Cedar Ventures, Jeff was the CEO of Two Men and a Truck International, the largest international franchise moving company. Mr. Wesley also has served as the President of AccuBite Dental Supply, an Inc. 100 company, which was acquired by a Fortune 500 company. He has been an angel investor for over 10 years, has had significant experience in leading and scaling private companies to record success, is the prior Vice Chairman for the Lansing Economic Area Partnership, and has served on various economic and community boards.

Disclaimer: SnugLit is still under development and will be subject to clearance by the FDA before becoming available for purchase.