Jeffrey Aronin, Chairman and CEO of Paragon Biosciences, was recognized for his “exemplary track record of building and transforming organizations through innovation” at the Northern Illinois University (NIU) College of Business’ Annual Alumni Luncheon on May 3.
Aronin, a 1989 NIU College of Business graduate, received the school’s 2019 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award as one of five distinguished alumni honored at the Q Center in St. Charles.
NIU College of Business Dean Balaji Rajagopalan, Ph.D., credited Jeffrey Aronin for more than 25 years of work creating bioscience companies focused on unmet patient needs.
In receiving the award, Jeffrey Aronin said, “I’m thrilled to see the work that Northern and the business school are doing to innovate new entrepreneurial ideas,” adding, “The education I received at the NIU College of Business gave me the skills to build businesses in a field that, while exceptionally challenging, creates significant good.”
Currently, Paragon Biosciences, founded in 2017, innovates, invests in, builds and advises early-stage bioscience firms that develop potential medicines for diseases which do not yet have FDA-approved treatments.
Aronin is also known for his philanthropic work with the Aronin Family Foundation and as founder of MATTER, a Chicago healthcare business incubator that has launched more than 220 companies over the past five years.
Jeffrey Aronin’s fellow 2019 NIU College of Business Alumni Award winners were:
- Deborah Brucker, Citi Global Head of Learning, Distinguished Alumnus Award
- Katie Duxbury, PwC Talent Acquisition Manager, Honorary Alumnus Award
- Allison Fishman, Robert Bosch Tool Corp. Global Brand Director, Young Alumnus Award
- Christopher Millington, McDonald’s Corp., Global CTO (Retired), Student Engagement Award