Karen Harris

Karen Harris

Executive Director, Mission-Related Investing and Finance, Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation

Karen Harris is Executive Director of Mission-Related Investing and Finance at the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, where she leads the ADDF’s venture-based investment strategy and has structured and stewarded dozens of investments across the foundation’s portfolio.

She came to the nonprofit world after more than two decades in finance. She was Global COO of global equity capital markets at UBS, and a director and investment banker at Merrill Lynch focused on biotech and healthcare. Before joining the ADDF she served as CFO of the East Harlem Tutorial Program and Director of Development at the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center.

She holds an MBA in Finance from Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she graduated first in her class, and a BA in Economics from Columbia University.

On Open Door Salon

“Karen Harris and Mahesh Narayanan on Why Alzheimer's Startups Still Struggle to Raise Money”
Karen Harris & Mahesh Narayanan · August 12, 2026

Episode page & show notes on Open Door Salon

“I always tell the science people, I can tell who’s going to be a good CEO just by the way that they handle those negotiations.”Karen Harris, on Open Door Salon (on reading a founder through the deal itself)

“What I like to see most is a scientist who also understands that this has to be a commercial venture as well.”Karen Harris, on Open Door Salon (on what she needs from a founder)

“With Alzheimer’s particularly, the commercialization is so far away that it’s easy to forget.”Karen Harris, on Open Door Salon (on why the commercial question gets deferred)

“We’re investing primarily in the IND enabling phase to phase 2A, and we view venture as completely complimentary.”Karen Harris, on Open Door Salon (on how venture philanthropy hands off to venture capital)

In this episode

Why neuroscience became the hardest early-stage money to raise
What changed: approvals, payer literacy, and neuroscientists becoming investors
The payer and prescriber conversation founders start far too late
Anthem covers a blood-based biomarker, and why that matters
NIH, DARPA, ARPA-H, and the dual-use advantage in brain health
Where private equity actually fits, and where it does not
Venture philanthropy and venture capital: convergence and divergence
What each investor needs to see from a founder
Red flags: part-time CEOs and founders who will not be coached
The caddie test
What neuro founders should be doing right now and are not

Topics

Alzheimer's DiseaseVenture PhilanthropyBrain Health InvestingEarly-Stage Biotech FundingBlood-Based BiomarkersCommercialization StrategyPayer CoverageNonprofit Capital

Watch on Open Door Salon

Why Alzheimer's Startups Still Struggle to Raise Money | Karen Harris & Mahesh Narayanan

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