A St. Bonaventure University alumnus who committed his career to finding a solution for a rare condition that runs in his own family said his startup company is on the brink of a game-changing option, not just for those who live with one disease, but for others. Anthony Saleh, Ph..D., CEO of the Brown and White Ventures-backed company miRecule, shared the latest on the Bethesda, MD pharma group on the Brown and White Ventures podcast. "I think we’re really at the precipice of seeing what we set up," said Saleh. "Hopefully very soon we’re gonna see the drug actually start to treat patients and we’re gonna see if that is safe for patients." miRecule is a biotechnology company focused on developing RNA therapeutics for diseases that lack existing treatments or cannot be addressed by traditional small molecule or biologic drugs. RNA acts as an intermediary molecule that reads genetic information from DNA to create proteins. By intervening in this information flow, miRecule aims to correct mutations or repress inappropriate gene expression that causes diseases. Saleh's company focuses on rare, severe muscle diseases, including Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) and centronuclear myopathy (CNM). Saleh’s interest in healthcare and science began as an undergraduate student at St. Bonaventure University (2001), where he studied biology and biochemistry. His commitment to this field became personal after learning that FSHD, one of the two diseases miRecule is working to treat, runs in his own family. "Once we show that the drug is safe, then we can start to ask is it actually working is an FSHD patient not getting worse are they able to maintain muscle strength muscle mass and that would be in a really exciting to see that happen," said Saleh. After miRecule meets that milepost in its journey, Saleh said the company will launch its own program for centronuclear myopathy next. "We’ve now identified what we think is going be the compound that eventually goes into people. We made a first submission to the FDA," said Saleh, who has worked with other startups, and before that, conducted research at Johns Hopkins University and the National Institutes of Health. miRecule's FSHD program has been licensed to pharmaceutical partner Sinofi. It is preparing for human clinical trials and preparing for a fundraising round to meet the next step in its journey. "We’re looking to raise money right now so that we can do all the required testing for the FDA to show that we manufactured the drug properly that it can go into patients and that it’s safe enough." Learn more about mirecule and Anthony Saleh at the Brown and White Ventures podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sora8gsHvRI&feature=youtu.be

The fourth week of September put Brown and White Ventures' portfolio on display across three sectors and three cities. Three CEOs earned their moment in front of the audiences that matter most to their businesses, and each one delivered. HelloPackage: Main Stage at Blueprint Vegas HelloPackage CEO Paul Favorov took the Main Stage at Blueprint: The Future of Real Estate in Las Vegas as part of the NAR REACH Startup Showcase. Blueprint gathers the most influential decision-makers in real estate technology, and Favorov used the opportunity to show that audience exactly what HelloPackage has been building. Sharing the HelloPackage story in one of the most important rooms in the industry was a moment for the books, and we could not be prouder. GreenIRR: Philadelphia Regional Champion, Headed to the World Cup Finals GreenIRR took first place at the 2026 Philadelphia Regional Startup World Cup, selected by a panel of city officials and industry leaders from a field of ten strong companies. The win includes a $25,000 prize for GreenIRR and a place at the Startup World Cup global finals in San Francisco this November, the largest tech competition in the world Philadelphia has been in GreenIRR's corner from the start, and the team is carrying that support with them to the global stage. CEO Celine King extended her thanks to the City of Philadelphia, the Department of Commerce, and Temple University for their partnership along the way. wellconnected: Advancing Whole-Person Care at Civitas 2026 Our social care startup wellconnected joined partner 4medica at the annual Civitas 2026 event in Crystal City, Virginia, where founder Duane Conners and his team connected with colleagues, partners, and leaders working to advance whole-person care. Conners and Stephen Butzler of wellconnected co-presented a session demonstrating how trusted identity, complete clinical records, coordinated social care, and aligned delivery operate together as one platform. It was a clear, practical picture of what integrated care looks like when the pieces fit. Three founders, three sectors, three rooms full of the right people. Real estate technology, sustainability, and healthcare each saw a Brown and White Ventures company earn attention on merit. Weeks like this are why we back the founders we back. We will be cheering GreenIRR on in San Francisco in November. Stay tuned.

Sustainability is easier to talk about when you can measure the progress. For many companies, the challenge isn't a lack of will, but a lack of actionable data. When sustainability goals are based on estimates rather than evidence, progress stalls. This is where the partnership between GreenIRR and Geotab is changing the game. Its power and synergy can be seen for what they've done for Exclusive Transportation for Industry, Inc. (ETI), a leader in specialized logistics. ETI was recently featured by Geotab for its impressive ability to turn raw fleet data into meaningful sustainability results. The secret to their success lies in the seamless integration of Geotab’s comprehensive fleet data collection and GreenIRR’s sophisticated emissions reporting platform. By leveraging GreenIRR’s platform to process Geotab’s data, ETI achieved a staggering 99% reduction in the time spent preparing emissions reports. This operational efficiency allows ETI to shift its focus from manual data entry to strategic decision-making. "Customers are beginning to ask not just whether we can move freight, but what the environmental impact of that movement is. In some cases, not having that data can be a dealbreaker," said Brandon Sauers, VP and incoming CEO at ETI Beyond administrative gains, the partnership delivered tangible environmental and financial impact. Year over year, ETI reduced its Scope 1 emissions by 3.1% and lowered its fuel spend by 2.8%. These figures prove that sustainability and profitability are not mutually exclusive; rather, they are mutually reinforcing. This data-driven approach is becoming a critical competitive advantage. "Our goal is to ensure that sustainable and efficient carriers are rewarded for their performance,” said GreenIRR CEO Celine King. “We are working toward a broader objective: overturning the legacy dynamic of a 'race-to-the-bottom' on pricing.” In today's market, customers—particularly those in pharmaceutical and international supply chains—are increasingly demanding clear, standardized emissions information from their transportation partners. By providing this transparency, ETI isn't just meeting a requirement; they are strengthening their client relationships through trust and accountability. By bridging the gap between data collection and reporting, GreenIRR, a portfolio company of Brown and White Ventures, enables partners like Geotab and clients like ETI to move beyond the rhetoric of "going green" and start delivering measurable, verifiable results.