Healthcare-focused venture capital firm Clarevia Ventures has appointed Cheryl R. Blanchard, Ph.D., as Executive in Residence, adding an experienced biotechnology and medical technology executive to its operating network. Blanchard will work with the firm’s investment team and portfolio company leaders to assess new opportunities and support entrepreneurs as they build, finance, scale, and manage healthcare businesses. The appointment reinforces Clarevia’s strategy of pairing early-stage capital with practical guidance for companies seeking to translate scientific discoveries into commercial products.
Supporting Healthcare Entrepreneurs
In her new role, Blanchard will advise founders and management teams on corporate strategy, product development, leadership, organizational design, and preparations for future growth. Her responsibilities will also cover clinical and regulatory planning, commercialization, financing, governance, strategic partnerships, and the operational demands associated with scaling healthcare companies. Clarevia said her perspective will contribute both to investment evaluation and to the firm’s ongoing work with existing portfolio businesses.
Broad Industry Experience
Blanchard brings decades of experience across biotechnology, medical devices, regenerative medicine, drug delivery, orthopedics, and women’s health. She most recently spent six years as president and chief executive officer of publicly traded Anika Therapeutics, a global joint preservation company focused on early-intervention orthopedic solutions. In February 2026, she became executive chair of Anika’s board, where she has served as a director since 2018.
Building and Repositioning Companies
Before joining Anika, Blanchard served as president, chief executive officer, and director of Microchips Biotech, a developer of implantable, long-acting drug-delivery technology. During her tenure, she repositioned the business around its core platform, strengthened its leadership team, advanced its clinical and regulatory strategy, and expanded its intellectual property portfolio. Microchips also formed a major partnership with Teva Pharmaceuticals, secured backing from venture investors and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and was acquired by Daré Bioscience in 2019.
Leadership at Zimmer
Earlier in her career, Blanchard spent more than a decade at Zimmer, now Zimmer Biomet, where she held senior roles including senior vice president and chief scientific officer. She led global functions spanning research and development, clinical affairs, quality, regulatory operations, advanced technology, medical affairs, and biologics. Her work also included building the company’s biologics business, supporting product launches and clinical programs, and contributing to acquisitions, licensing agreements, and strategic partnerships.
Board and Advisory Background
Blanchard has extensive governance experience across public and privately held healthcare companies and has advised venture capital and private equity firms. She currently serves on the boards of Anika Therapeutics, Xilio Therapeutics, Lumicell, and Surgicure Technologies, while her previous directorships include Vigil Neuroscience, SeaSpine, MassBio, Daré Bioscience, CeramTec, and Neuronetics. She is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering, reflecting a career that has combined scientific expertise with commercial and organizational leadership.
Strategic Fit With Clarevia
Clarevia Managing Partner Jim Adox said Blanchard had already contributed to the firm through its Challenge Network, a group of advisers who test the team’s assumptions and investment reasoning. He highlighted her experience as a scientist, operating executive, chief executive, director, and board chair, particularly her ability to help companies define strategy, develop strong teams, navigate growth, and prepare for public-market expectations. Clarevia said the appointment is intended to give founders access to an operator who has managed the clinical, financial, regulatory, and organizational complexity of developing healthcare companies.
Blanchard said she was drawn to Clarevia by a shared goal of turning important science into devices, medicines, and diagnostics that can improve patient outcomes. She will work with the firm to identify and develop healthcare businesses while helping portfolio companies establish the strategies, teams, and capabilities required to advance new technologies. For Clarevia, her appointment expands the operational resources available to founders and strengthens its effort to support promising innovations from discovery through commercialization.