Laura Orthwein in

Laura Orthwein

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Founder & CEO at Avalyra Biophotonics
📍 Greater Chicago Area, United States

Laura Orthwein is the Founder and CEO of Avalyra Biophotonics, a MedTech company focused on non-invasive biophotonics. She has a 25-year career leading pivots in complex industries, including pharmaceutical digital strategy and transforming a manufacturing company into a Department of Defense contractor. She holds a B.S. from Northwestern University.

Outside of her corporate roles, Laura has a deep background in documentary film and conservation. She spent seven years producing programming for National Geographic and Discovery, co-founded the BLUE Ocean Film Festival, and was invited to join the Google Ocean Advisory Council by oceanographer Sylvia Earle.

She helped develop a permanent installation at the Smithsonians National Museum of Natural History.

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Experience
28 Years
Current Role
Founder & CEO
Job Level
Leadership
Location
Greater Chicago Area, United States
Personality Overview

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Communication Style
Decision Approach
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Priorities

Topics Laura cares about

MedTech Platforms
As Founder and CEO of Avalyra Biophotonics, she is focused on bringing a new category of real-time physiologic monitoring to market.
Biophotonics
Her company's core mission is leveraging non-invasive biophotonic technology to make previously invisible physiologic signals observable in human health.
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Career

Work history

10-2024
Founder & CEO
Avalyra Biophotonics
5-2023 - 10-2024
Director, Membership & Engagement
MxD
10-2022 - 5-2023
Business Development Consultant
Self-employed
2019 - 11-2022
Director Of Strategic Partnerships
BxB Media
2012 - 2019
Vice President Strategic Planning & Development
Milton Manufacturing, Inc.
In the press

Media appearances

Entrepreneurs to Watch – Featuring Laura Orthwein, Founder & CEO of Avalyra Biophotonics. Featured in Optics & Photonics News (Optica OPN)
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Winners Announced of the 2021 SPIE Startup Challenge – Avalyra Biophotonics (Founder Laura Orthwein). Featured in Novus Light Today
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Education
3-2023 - 5-2025
Bachelor of Science - BS
Northwestern University
9-1992 - 6-1993
Education details unavailable
Columbia University
Social presence
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Behavioral profile

DISC profile (public)

DISC behavioral profile

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