
Hanayo "Hana" Gage
Programs: Regional I-Corps Innovation, Gap Fund, Plan to Launch
Industry experience
- Life sciences and biotechnology
- Genomics, molecular diagnostics, and multiomics technologies
- Global commercial strategy, execution and business development
Areas of expertise
- Commercialization strategy and go-to-market planning
- Business development and strategic partnerships
- US and International market expansion
- Customer success and engagement strategy
- Leadership and organizational development
- Sales, marketing, and channel optimization
Background
Hana is a strategic and results-driven commercial leader with decades of experience in the life sciences and healthcare industries. She has held executive leadership roles across global markets, driving growth, partnerships, and adoption of innovative research and clinical technologies. Her career spans key commercial positions at small-cap disruptive technology companies, where she led teams to deliver revenue growth and expanded market presence through data-driven strategy and deep customer insight. A University of Washington alumna with dual degrees in Biology and Psychology, she began her career as a research associate at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center before transitioning to commercial roles with increase in scope and responsibilities. Her cross-disciplinary background enables her to bridge scientific innovation with real-world application and impact.
Working with CoMotion
Mentor journey
As a CoMotion mentor since 2019, Hana mentored nearly every Innovation Gap Fund, I-Corps, WE-REACH and Plan to Launch programs since, to advise on commercialization, market entry strategy, and partnership development, with an emphasis on customer-centric approaches and effective value communication. Her mentoring focuses on helping innovators translate complex science into clear business propositions, prepare for investor and customer engagement, and navigate near-term to global market adoptions.
On the lighter side
More about me
Hana loves to cook and bake, and sometime wishing she had kitchen-grade centrifuges. “Can someone please invent a food-grade parafilm-like wrap?”