Jonathan T. Silverstein, 1989
B.A., Denison University
General Partner and Co-Head
Global Venture Capital
New York
Citation awarded May, 2014
Jonathan Silverstein, J.D., is a General Partner and Co-Head of Global Private Equity at OrbiMed, the world’s largest healthcare fund manager with $11 billion in assets under management. OrbiMed is comprised of more than a dozen hedge, venture capital, royalty and mutual funds and has 90 employees throughout its 5 offices around the globe: New York, San Francisco, Mumbai, Shanghai and Tel Aviv. Jonathan joined OrbiMed in 1999, co-founding a global venture capital business. Forbes® Magazine named Jonathan one of the top 100 venture capitalists in the world when it placed him on the Forbes Midas List in 2012, 2013, and 2014.
Working with entrepreneurs and scientists, Jonathan has been a founding investor, and director or chairman of numerous companies that have developed lifesaving therapies and diagnostics. Examples include Given Imaging, which created an ingestible pill with a microscopic diagnostic camera, and Insulet, which invented the world’s first disposable insulin pump. Jonathan has particular interest in companies specializing in orphan drugs, treating rare and often incurable diseases. Jonathan was chairman of Enobia, which discovered a lifesaving drug for hypophosphatasia, a rare and fatal bone disease. He is currently the chairman of Intercept Pharmaceuticals, which has developed drugs to treat rare liver diseases.
A 1989 graduate, Jonathan has taken a student intern from Denison every year for the last decade, mentoring them and assisting with successful job placement on Wall Street. On the occasion of his 15th reunion, Jonathan organized members of the Kappa Sigma fraternity to plant a tree in honor of his fraternity brother Richard Madden, who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11. Soliciting contributions from his classmates, Jonathan created a college fund for the young daughter Richard left behind.
Jonathan’s family is active in community service, and recently received a Daily Point of Light Award from the Points of Light Foundation, created by President George H. Bush to encourage and recognize volunteerism. The Silversteins are active in their synagogue, and support various local and national charities including The Fresh Air Fund, the New Orleans Women’s Shelter, and the UJA-Federation. Jonathan and his wife Natalie have three children: Emilia (13), Archie (10) and Alaina (6). Jonathan earned a J.D. and an M.B.A. from the University of San Diego.
