Mona Jhaveri

Director, Music Beats Cancer

Dr. Mona Jhaveri is the Founder and Executive Director of Music Beats Cancer, where she leads efforts to close the critical funding gap that prevents 90% of promising biomedical innovations from reaching patients. A scientist and entrepreneur, she began her career at the National Cancer Institute, where she discovered a novel DNA-based therapeutic for ovarian cancer and later founded Foligo Therapeutics to advance the treatment. Her firsthand experience with the systemic funding drought in early-stage biotech inspired her to create sustainable, public-driven funding pathways for cancer-fighting technologies. With a PhD in Biochemistry from Wake Forest University and advanced research training at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Cancer Center and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Dr. Jhaveri is a recognized thought leader at the intersection of biomedical innovation, intellectual property, and alternative funding models—redefining how lifesaving treatments move from lab to patient.