Board of Directors
The Cura Foundation’s Board of Directors provides vision and leadership to the Foundation, overseeing its work and shaping Cura's mission and vision. Through the direction of the Board, the Cura Foundation can take action and fulfill the mission to improve human health and wellbeing, and increase quality of life, globally.
Robin L. Smith, MD, MBA, President and Chairman of the Board
Robin L. Smith, M.D., MBA, age 59, is a global business leader, medical doctor, author and entrepreneur in the healthcare industry. She is a trailblazer in regenerative medicine and predictive analytics and has focused on turnarounds, M&A and disruptive innovations driving interest and growth. Dr. Smith received her B.A. from Yale University and her M.D. from the Yale School of Medicine. She holds an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business, completed the Stanford University Directors Program and received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Thomas Jefferson Medical College. A thought leader in health, Dr. Smith addressed diverse audiences in interviews and talks at prestigious venues such as the Future Investment Initiative, the Lake Nona Impact Forum and the Vatican, and participated in numerous scientific conferences.
Dr. Smith has extensive experience serving on the boards of directors and board committees, including audit, nominating, governance, compensation and science and technology committees of multiple private and public companies in healthcare services, biotechnology, AI, technology and consumer products. She has founded numerous companies, including Spiritus Therapeutics and Exotropin, LLC. She is also currently on the board of Vcinity Inc. and is the managing partner of BRM Holdings. Dr. Smith is a licensed medical doctor and has been clinical associate professor at the Department of Medicine at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School since 2017.
From 2006 until 2015, Dr. Smith was chairman and chief executive officer of Neostem (NASDAQ: NBS), where she pioneered the company’s innovative business model, combining proprietary cell therapy development with successful contract development and manufacturing organization. During her nine years of tenure, the company won an array of industry awards and received business recognition, including a first-place ranking in the tri-state area (two years in a row) and eleventh place nationally on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500, as well as Frost & Sullivan’s North American Cell Therapeutics Technology Innovation Leadership Award.
She co-authored “Cells Are the New Cure” (2017) and “The Healing Cell: How the Greatest Revolution in Medical History Is Changing Your Life” (2013) with forwards by Pope Benedict XVI and CNN’s Sanjay Gupta, MD. She has also been widely recognized for her leadership in health care and as a female entrepreneur. Most recently, Dr. Smith received the South Florida Business & Wealth and Lifestyle Media’s 2024 South Florida Business & Wealth Prestigious Women’s Award, Regenerative Medicine Foundation (RMF) 2019 Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Action Award for International Diplomacy, the 2018 HEALinc Future Health Humanitarian Award, the 2018 Business Intelligence Group’s Woman of the Year Award, and the 2018 Gold Stevie® Award for Woman of the Year—Government or Non-Profit. In April 2016, Pope Francis conferred Dr. Smith as Dame Commander with Star of The Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Sylvester Pope and Martyr.
Dr. Smith is also active in many nonprofit organizations. She founded the Cura Foundation in 2007, a nonsectarian public charity dedicated to improving human health and well-being and increasing quality of life globally. As president and chairman of the board, Dr. Smith led the Cura Foundation through successful events and partnerships, having worked with amazing individuals and institutions, including the Vatican to educate, accelerate innovation and create the #UniteToPrevent and #UniteToCure movement.
She is currently a medical advisory committee member at NFL Alumni Health and the Alliance for Cell Therapy Now. Dr. Smith had previously served as a member of the executive board of trustees of Sanford Health, Sanford Health’s International Board and the board of trustees of the New York University Langone Medical Center, as well as the board of overseers of the New York University Langone Medical Center. Dr. Smith was also chairman of the board of directors of the New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases. She served at the Vatican’s Science and Faith (STOQ) Foundation and on the boards of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) Foundation and the NFL Alumni Association’s Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy initiative.
Steven G. Martin, Trustee
Mr. Steven Martin is the Managing Member and a founder of Aspire Capital Fund, LLC a Chicago-based investment fund started in 2010 which has invested over $250 million in small emerging growth companies. Aspire Capital is focused on investing in life science companies and promoting early stage clinical development of cellular therapies and regenerative medicine. Mr. Martin has thirty years of legal and financing experience and has funded or committed to fund over $1.5 billion in investments. During his career, Mr. Martin has invested in hundreds of development-stage companies and many emerging cell therapy companies catalyzing their growth.
In 1999, Mr. Martin also founded Fusion Capital, a private investment fund which over ten years funded small emerging growth companies with a focus on life science companies. Prior to Fusion Capital, Mr. Martin was a partner at the Chicago law firm of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP. As an attorney, Mr. Martin represented institutional investors and companies in highly complex financings as well as venture capital and private equity transactions.
Mr. Martin received his Juris Doctor degree with honors from Northwestern University School of Law. Mr. Martin graduated with high honors from the University of Michigan with a Bachelors of Business Administration, concentrating in finance.