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Dhairya Pujara is the Founder, CEO at Ycenter, where he has built programs for Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the last 12 years. At Ycenter, he has built award winning Entrepreneurship and Innovation programs for universities and organizations in 30+ countries across 4 continents. His work has been featured in Philadelphia Business Journal, BBC Radio, Entrepreneur magazine, Times Media group and more. He has been a global public speaker with invitations from the United Nations, World Bank, World Economic Forum, Social Enterprise World Forum, SXSW, TEDx and top universities and Fortune 500 companies. He has worked as Policy Innovator and Advisor for multiple governmental agencies and think tanks around the world. He is a serial entrepreneur, working directly to support job creation, technology innovation ventures and for this work he has received a visa reserved for individuals of extraordinary abilities from the US immigration services.

Anne DeChant, MS, MBA, is an Associate Director for the CMI. She manages a portfolio of therapeutic and diagnostic technologies, leads the Innovation Fellows Program and I-Corps@NCATS, and manages grant initiatives and proposals. Anne is leading new initiatives in graduate education, an online learning library, and developing an Innovation Collaboratory. 

Anne has spent over 20 years in higher education where her work supports faculty, students, and staff develop medical technologies for market. She has established several translational funding programs, cultivated philanthropic donations, created and implemented mentoring programs for graduate students and post-docs, and managed a portfolio of medical technologies.  Anne holds a BS from Ohio State University, an MS in Cell Biology from Cleveland State University, and an MBA from Case Western Reserve University.

She serves as a Professor of Practice with a joint appointment at Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Harrisburg. She is also the Director of the Center for Medical Innovation at Penn State College of Medicine, where she leads efforts to foster a thriving innovation ecosystem. The Center provides essential education and resources to drive medical innovation, ultimately generating both economic and social impact.

With over 20 years of experience in economic development, technology commercialization, and new business development across various industries - including medical devices, consumer goods, and dental equipment - Erika joined Penn State College of Medicine in 2015 to spearhead technology development initiatives. She was pivotal in establishing the Center for Medical Innovation, officially launched in February 2017, aligning with the College of Medicine’s broader mission of cultivating a culture of innovation.

Beyond her role at Penn State, Erika served as President of BioStrategy Partners, Inc., a nonprofit consortium dedicated to advancing academic research into the marketplace, from 2018 to 2024. She continues to contribute as an Officer and Board Member.

Erika holds a Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in International Business from Bloomsburg University, an MBA from York College of Pennsylvania, and an MHA from Penn State.