About Us

Ken Beall is the Co-Founder and Managing Member of Dartbrook Partners, the Beall family investment management office. Dartbrook Partners is focused on real estate, private equity and early-stage company investing. Over the years, Ken has co-founded several businesses that have grown to significant enterprises, including Bridge Partners, a real estate investment and management company that owns and maintains a portfolio of apartments, and University Lab Partners, a nonprofit wet lab incubator founded to empower economic development and job creation in Orange County by combining a state-of-the-art life science co-working environment with workforce development and training opportunities.

Ken is very involved at the University of California Irvine. He is the current Board Chair of UCI Beall Applied Innovation (BAI), founded in 2014 by the Beall family to bring campus-based inventions and entrepreneurship together with Orange County's business community. BAI supports job creation, promotes economic growth and provides resources to faculty, innovators and entrepreneurs to facilitate connections between UCI and industry, guiding large corporations to tap the school’s research capabilities and working with investors wanting to financially support promising new companies.

At UCI’s Merage Graduate School of Business, Ken is the co-founder and past  chairman of the Beall Center for Innovation &; Entrepreneurship, one of the University’s  Centers of Excellence institutes, whose mission is to shape the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators by offering hands-on experience and an immediately useful education about the process and importance of entrepreneurial enterprises. He previously served on the Merage School Dean’s Advisory Board and was a founding board member of its Center for Real Estate.

Ken currently serves as a Board Member for CT Realty and Fieldstone Homes. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation, The Beall Family Foundation and is a past Board Member of the Hoag Hospital Foundation.

Ken earned his BA in Economics and MBA in Finance/Real Estate at UCLA.

Charla has over 25 years of experience and is a dynamic leader skilled at bridging academia, startups, non-profits, and venture capital. With her background in bioengineering, she has driven advancements in digital health, biosensors, MedTech, and life sciences. As a Founding Partner at Suncoast Ventures, Charla is a trusted mentor and advisor, known for fostering innovation and collaboration. Her extensive background includes startup consulting, business development, strategic partnerships, and medical device innovation, making her an invaluable asset to our mission of supporting groundbreaking innovation.

Samantha Renusch is a seasoned professional in Laboratory Sciences, commencing her journey in 2006 within a clinical setting. Transitioning to academic research labs in 2009, she contributed her skills and expertise to renowned institutions such as Ohio State University, University of California Irvine, and the University of California San Diego.

Samantha successfully earned her B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of California Irvine. Building on her academic foundation, she ventured into the dynamic realm of biotech start-ups, specializing in immuno-oncology labs. With a focus on cell therapies in both the R&D and clinical spaces, Samantha played a pivotal role in three different biotech companies, showcasing her commitment to advancing innovative solutions in the field.

Her extensive experience and dedication underscore Samantha’s impactful journey within Laboratory Sciences, reflecting a passion for cutting-edge research and advancements in biotechnology.

Currently, Samantha holds the position of Director of Education at University Lab Partners, where she passionately inspires the next generation of scientists and engineers. Her role underscores not only her wealth of experience but also her dedication to fostering the growth of future leaders in the scientific community.

Stephanie Chan, PhD is a seasoned expert in the medical device and diagnostics sectors, with over a decade of experience spanning startup ecosystems, venture capital, and product development. She holds a BS in Biochemistry from UCLA and earned her PhD from the Keck School of Medicine at USC in Virology and Immunology. Stephanie began her career at Beckman Coulter and has since cultivated a broad background across diverse technologies and scientific disciplines.

 

Her cross-functional expertise includes research and development, clinical validation, manufacturing, quality assurance, and regulatory affairs—positioning her as a key resource for diagnostic innovation and commercialization. With a deep understanding of early-stage company dynamics, Stephanie brings practical, strategic insights and innovative solutions tailored to the unique challenges startups face.

 

Driven by a passion for accelerating scientific breakthroughs, she is committed to supporting the next generation of healthcare technologies and guiding startups through the complex journey from bench to market.

Shruti has over 12 years of experience advancing genomics and proteomics to support precision medicine. She is the Head of Lab Incubator and Development at University Lab Partners (ULP), where she drives program strategy and operations to support early-and- growth-stage life science companies. Prior to ULP, Shruti led programs at Cedars-Sinai’s Precision Biomarker Laboratories, including global projects for the Gates Foundation, biotech, and diagnostic partners. Her work included lab digitization to scale operations and implement GLP/GCP frameworks while translating discoveries into validated assays. Earlier in her career, Shruti was research faculty at Georgetown University, where she managed international oncology research consortia and co-authored over 20 publications in precision medicine. Shruti also serves as Vice-Chair of Women In Bio–Los Angeles, advancing women’s leadership across the life sciences.

Dr. Barr has worked in various academic research labs for 14 years. She received her B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from UC Davis in 2013. With the goal of helping to bridge the gap that currently exists between basic science research and clinical medicine, she received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences at UC Riverside's School of Medicine in 2018. Dr. Barr worked as a journal editor and taught biology courses at Chaffey College for one year before completing her postdoctoral fellowship at City of Hope focusing on cancer immunotherapy. Dr. Barr is passionate about training the next generation of scientists and joined ULP in 2024 to aid student learning of cutting-edge life science research techniques.

Melody has worked in the biotechnological industry for 5 years and education for 8 years. She has taught and mentored students from pre-school to undergraduate in various volunteer, professional, and managerial positions. The multi-faceted skills she developed over the years allow her to work as an admin and designer for our program. She was one of the first students in our program, earning an internship at one of our companies, and now working for the facility to help other students on their path. Melody holds a B.S. in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology from UC Riverside and is currently pursing her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Ken Beall is the Co-Founder and Managing Member of Dartbrook Partners, the Beall family investment management office. Dartbrook Partners is focused on real estate, private equity and early-stage company investing. Over the years, Ken has co-founded several businesses that have grown to significant enterprises, including Bridge Partners, a real estate investment and management company that owns and maintains a portfolio of apartments, and University Lab Partners, a nonprofit wet lab incubator founded to empower economic development and job creation in Orange County by combining a state-of-the-art life science co-working environment with workforce development and training opportunities.

Ken is very involved at the University of California Irvine. He is the current Board Chair of UCI Beall Applied Innovation (BAI), founded in 2014 by the Beall family to bring campus-based inventions and entrepreneurship together with Orange County's business community. BAI supports job creation, promotes economic growth and provides resources to faculty, innovators and entrepreneurs to facilitate connections between UCI and industry, guiding large corporations to tap the school’s research capabilities and working with investors wanting to financially support promising new companies.

At UCI’s Merage Graduate School of Business, Ken is the co-founder and past chairman of the Beall Center for Innovation &; Entrepreneurship, one of the University’s Centers of Excellence institutes, whose mission is to shape the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators by offering hands-on experience and an immediately useful education about the process and importance of entrepreneurial enterprises. He previously served on the Merage School Dean’s Advisory Board and was a founding board member of its Center for Real Estate.

Ken currently serves as a Board Member for CT Realty and Fieldstone Homes. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation, The Beall Family Foundation and is a past Board Member of the Hoag Hospital Foundation.

Ken earned his BA in Economics and MBA in Finance/Real Estate at UCLA.

University Lab Partners is seeking Experienced Professionals and Leaders to join our Advisory Board.  

The Advisory Board provides non-binding strategic advice and guidance to ULP’s leadership team, helping us to achieve our goals and fulfill our mission. Our aim is for the Advisory Board to function as one cohesive group with two dedicated focus areas: 

Incubator/Accelerator Advisors:  
The University Lab Partners incubator/accelerator provides resources, mentorship, and funding to help transform promising research projects into successful startup companies. We work closely with faculty, students, and researchers across multiple universities to identify high-potential innovations. Our incubator then provides the strategic guidance, business expertise, and investor connections to launch and grow these new ventures. We are seeking experienced professionals and leaders to help guide and support our mission of accelerating the commercialization of cutting-edge research and technologies emerging from leading research universities. 

Workforce Development Advisors:
To continue to grow a thriving life science ecosystem, ULP serves as a catalyst to develop the next generation of talent supporting this sector. We are seeking individuals passionate about or experienced in providing and supporting STEM education and career development opportunities for students in the Orange County region. 

Key Attributes and Expectations for Advisory Board Members 

• Alignment with ULP’s Mission and Vision: A genuine passion for and commitment to ULP's goals. 
• Relevant Experience: The ability to contribute meaningfully through applicable expertise. 
• Networking: A willingness to leverage personal and professional networks to connect ULP with funding and resources. 
• Philanthropic Support: A commitment to personally support ULP's mission as one of your top philanthropic priorities. 
• Engagement: Availability to attend at least three in-person meetings/events per year, along with virtual group or one-on-one calls as needed for a term of two years. 

Click Here to Apply