Pipeline: PIPELINE Innovators

As Orbis Bioscience’s first fulltime associate, Maria Stecklein Flynn controls business development. These responsibilities include acquiring clients, developing partnerships and managing finances and start-up operations for the company. Headquartered in Kansas City, Orbis Biosciences offers clients a new way to create microparticles that gives unprecedented control of release rate with any material. Originally based on collaboration between materials science and pharmaceutical research, Orbis has grown into applications for pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, food, beverage, agriculture, personal care and defense clients.

Prior to joining Orbis, Maria was a Director at Cerner Corporation where she held P&L responsibility for a life sciences business unit focused on drug safety. This business unit provided software and services to pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies. Additionally, she built a new business unit, addressing state and regional healthcare software needs from the initial sale to implementation, operations and support.

Prior to Cerner, Maria was an Environmental Engineer with Camp Dresser & McKee where she designed water treatment plant automation and master plans for municipalities.

Maria's educational background includes an MBA from The University of Chicago, an MS from Stanford University and a BS from Kansas State University.