J. Kelly Ganjei

J. Kelly Ganjei, born in 1973, is a serial entrepreneur in the technology and advanced therapy sectors. With over 30 years in the sector, he was most recently responsible for leading the development of Cognate BioServices from a small contract manufacturer to a global leading provider of advanced therapy manufacturing development services across cell and gene therapy sectors before selling the company to Charles River in 2021.

Kelly rides with, and in remembrance of, his amazing and inspiring daughter Arianna “Cupcake” Ganjei who passed away in 2020. He rides in remembrance of his grandfather who served in the Navy as a Seabee in World War 2, and in honor of his uncle who served in the Air Force in Vietnam.  

When not riding his bike or racing cars with Cupcake Racing, Kelly is serving on several  boards including the Emily Whitehead Foundation, and working on developing next generation processes and systems in support of cheaper, more efficacious and more accessible advanced therapies for patients around the world.