2024 Impact Report
Stead Impact Ventures and Foundation
Impact Investing:
Building a Healthier World Together
Tiffani Shaw, CEO
As a family office, we are deeply committed to impact investing. Our investments—both venture capital and grants—are made to drive measurable impact on healthcare outcomes globally. Our world is facing daunting healthcare challenges, but we believe that together, we can make a difference in the lives of people, families, and communities.
Our goal is to build an ecosystem of industry, academia, nonprofits, and government to collaborate and solve some of the world’s biggest healthcare challenges. Over the past year, we have seen partnerships flourish among startup companies in our portfolio, which are challenging the limits of what was thought possible, and our nonprofit grantees, which are conducting cutting-edge research and delivering life-changing care.
It’s through this ecosystem that we can face the challenges ahead:
Today, at least 55 million people are living with Alzheimer’s disease and related cognitive impairments, and by 2050, that number will rise to nearly 140 million.
Rising rates of chronic disease, obesity, and the effects of mental health disorders are robbing people of quality of life, especially in their later years, and may cause a decline in life expectancy of younger generations.
We imagine a world where no one suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, we effectively treat mental health issues, and people can live healthy, productive lives as they age.
We invite others to join us to make a meaningful impact in the areas of neurodegenerative disorders, mental health, and metabolic health—creating a better world for future generations. We are stronger together, and through a strategic, multifaceted approach, we will succeed.
Thank you to our partners—the innovators, entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, and advocates—who are making a difference today and providing hope for the future.
40%
U.N. Sustainable
Development Goal 3
37%
U.N. Sustainable
Development Goal 4
23%
U.N. Sustainable
Development Goal 16
In 2015, the United Nations adopted a blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, and our investments and grants naturally align with three of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 3, health and wellbeing; Goal 4, quality education; and Goal 16, peace, justice and strong institutions. We are proud to share that the Stead family has invested more than $455 million in these areas to date. As we look to the future, we continue to strive to make meaningful impact within these goals.
The Stead
Impact Story
Pictured Above: Joel, Jerre, Mary Joy, and Jay Stead
Investing for Impact
Stead Impact Ventures and Foundation is committed to transforming health and wellness globally through grants, investments, and advocacy. And it all started in a trailer in Iowa.
A Legacy of Philanthropy
Giving back has been a cornerstone in the lives of our parents, Jerre and Mary Joy, since the very beginning. In their early married life, they found themselves living in a 40 by 10-foot trailer while attending the University of Iowa. We were both born during this time, and despite the challenges of living on $2,900 a year, they managed to give $250—plus volunteer time—to their church.
They continued this tradition throughout their lives, giving generously through our family foundation to healthcare, education, and faith-based organizations. These gifts were often geared toward leadership training, which supports a core belief that developing great leaders in science, education, business, and faith is key to effecting measurable and lasting change.
Personal family experiences have also informed our giving. Our grandmother passed away after living with Alzheimer’s disease, and our grandfather experienced considerable challenges as her caregiver. And, like most families, we have experienced a range of mental health issues. We knew we wanted to help others facing similar challenges.
Social Investing for the Greatest Impact
In 2023, we founded Stead Impact Ventures as an extension of our philanthropic commitment to positively affect health and wellness globally. Through Stead Impact Ventures we invest with purpose in innovators whose ideas we believe will positively change the course of healthcare. The return on our investments in startups fuels our foundation contributions to nonprofits, creating a perpetual relationship between profitability and philanthropy.
Our Stead Impact Ventures investments focus on three key areas: neurodegenerative disorders, mental health, and metabolic health. We believe addressing these issues effectively needs to be done through the innovation and disruption that startups provide, as well as through the long-term vision and service of nonprofit organizations and advocacy work.
Alzheimer’s disease is an area where we have successfully leveraged grants, investments, and advocacy to move diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and care forward. On the nonprofit side, the Stead Foundation helped to create the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute—which was just awarded a $74.5 million research grant from the National Institutes of Health to find preventions for Alzheimer’s disease. The foundation has also been a long-time donor to the Alzheimer’s Association and the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, supporting their efforts to move federal funding from $450 million to $3.7 billion.
On the investment side, we support several startups, including ALZpath, which brought to market a leading solution for diagnosing Alzheimer’s through readily accessible blood tests; Spinogenix, which has developed a drug to help restore cognitive function and is in Phase 2 clinical trials; and the elbi app, which assists caregivers of loved ones at home with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Our hope is that by attacking Alzheimer’s from all sides, we can have a deeper impact and, we hope, not lose another generation to the devastating disease.
We are honored to serve on the Stead Impact Ventures and Foundation board with our dad and mom and continue the tradition of social investing. And we’ve grown our leadership team, led by Tiffani Shaw, to ensure the highest level of service and stewardship. Through this cycle of investments and grants, we plan to continue our commitment to giving back well into the future.
– Jay and Joel Stead
2024 Stead Innovators Symposium
We held our first Stead Innovators Symposium in Scottsdale, Arizona in November. Our goal was to build and strengthen our community through networking, learning, and fueling inspiration. Each of our Stead Innovators believes in changing the world for the better, and a strong community allows us to collectively have the largest impact.
We were honored to have renowned political scientist Ian Bremmer as our keynote speaker, and to be his first post-election speaking engagement. We heard our portfolio CEOs and founders speak about their groundbreaking ideas, while our alumni and friends shared their knowledge and experience on governance, investor pitches, AI and technology, and go-to-market strategies.
All of our portfolio companies are innovators working to improve health outcomes and provide hope. Together, we are building a healthier world.
Highlights from our Portfolio Companies and Nonprofit Partners
ALZpath Named a TIME Magazine 2024 Best Invention
“ALZpath is dedicated to helping the millions of Alzheimer’s patients in need—both today and for the 139 million people projected to have Alzheimer’s disease by 2050.”
ALZpath has been honored in TIME’s annual Best Inventions list, which features extraordinary innovations that change how people live. The ALZpath pTau217 antibody was recognized in the medical care category for its ability to accurately diagnose Alzheimer’s disease—increasingly crucial as treatments, and eventually preventions, become available.
Used in easily administered blood tests, the ALZpath antibody has displayed high diagnostic accuracy and reliability in detecting tiny concentrations of a key biomarker for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in its earliest stages, before symptoms appear, and to track its progression over time. Through its solution, the company is dedicated to helping the millions of Alzheimer’s patients in need—both today and for the 139 million people projected to have Alzheimer’s disease and related diseases by 2050.
“Blood tests promise to transform the scientific study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Eric Reiman, MD, ALZpath co-founder and CEO, Banner Alzheimer’s Institute. “ALZpath is privileged to work closely with and assist leaders in the field to fulfill this promise and make a profound difference in people’s lives.”
Spinogenix Offers New Hope to ALS, Alzheimer’s Disease, Schizophrenia, and Fragile X Syndrome Patients and Families
“At Spinogenix, our mission is to offer new hope to patients and their communities.”
Spinogenix is pioneering the development of novel therapeutics designed to restore brain connections (synapses) to improve the lives of patients living with ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, Fragile X syndrome (FXS), and other diseases. The once-a-day pill offers a new path to treat brain diseases, addressing the gap with current treatments that are minimally effective or non-existent today.
In 2024, Spinogenix launched Phase 2 clinical trials for the treatment of ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, and schizophrenia and completed its Phase 2 study for FXS, a common inherited form of autism. The company received FDA orphan disease designation in ALS and FXS and Fast Track designation for its FXS drug, bringing immense hope to this rare disease community for whom today there are no approved treatments. The FDA designation allows for expedited clinical development and regulatory review timelines, making treatment available to patients sooner to improve quality of life for them and their caregivers. Providing care for individuals with FXS often becomes a full-time commitment for at least one parent and imposes significant financial strain, with direct family healthcare costs totaling $4.1 billion annually in the United States alone.
“There are currently no approved drugs for these conditions that focus on restoring function to reverse the course of disease by targeting the synapses,” said Stella Sarraf, Ph.D., Spinogenix Chief Executive Officer and Founder. “At Spinogenix, our mission is to offer new hope to patients and their communities.”
Stead Family Children’s Hospital Changes Medicine and Children’s Lives
Fans turn to do “the wave”—the greatest tradition in college football—to patients and families at the nationally ranked Stead Family Children’s Hospital
In 2017, Iowa Hawkeye fans turned to wave at pediatric patients and their families in University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, just across the street from Kinnick Stadium, at the end of the first quarter of each home game. This now-famous gesture of goodwill has been called the “greatest tradition in college football.”
UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the country’s “Best Children’s Hospitals,” and is Iowa’s only comprehensive children’s hospital, providing world-class pediatric care that families trust, and kids deserve.
Over the past year, UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital cared for 106k patients from 49 states and 12 countries. It is home to 200+ pediatric doctors, surgeons, and dentists, 100+ advanced practice providers, and 800+ specially trained pediatric nurses. Specialty care includes the hospital’s Level 4 NICU—the highest level recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Last year, Evelyn Eilers was born weighing eight and a half ounces and cared for in the NICU, and was the smallest surviving infant in the U.S.
Dreams Alive Delivers Holistic Health Initiatives and Empowerment Programs
Dreams Alive is dedicated to uplifting underserved communities by delivering holistic health initiatives and empowerment programs including free healthcare services in Gombe State, Northeastern Nigeria.
The organization serves those in often-overlooked rural communities, providing medical camps for free check-ups and treatments; health education seminars on preventive measures; mobile health clinics that reach the most remote areas; and women and youth empowerment initiatives. The Women and Youth Empowerment Project disburses loans, provides mentorship, and monitors progress of participants to promote financial independence and gender equality.
In 2024, Dreams Alive:
- Served 11,678 patients
- Conducted 12 medical outreaches
- Fed 700 homes
- Supported 80 entrepreneurs
“Together, Dreams Alive and the Stead Foundation are redefining possibilities and reaching beyond borders to touch the lives of countless individuals,” said Ishaya David, Dreams Alive executive director. “Our partnership is not just about providing aid; it’s about igniting hope, fostering resilience, and building a brighter future for all.”
A Letter From Jerre Stead
Potential is the untapped reservoir of greatness within each of us, a reflection of who we can become rather than who we currently are. It is the amazing version of ourselves—a bright light guiding us toward the heights we can reach. It challenges us to dream bigger and calls us to strive for more: “What a person can be, they must be.”
Achieving our potential is not just a destination - it is the race to become ever better.
Realizing our potential is living a successful and fulfilling life. Success is not just measured by material achievements but by the quality of a life well-lived, a life in which our talents and abilities are fully expressed. The moment we glimpse the possibilities of who we could be, a fire ignites inside us – the pursuit of growth, a desire to expand our boundaries.
Realizing our potential demands courage, and faith in our own greatness. It is not a passive act. It is a pursuit of self-discovery and growth. Boldness means daring to dream amazing dreams and taking consistent, intentional action toward them. Courage is required to rise after failures. Faith means believing in the unseen possibilities within us, even when there are no guarantees. The pursuit of potential begins with self-awareness. To realize who we can become, we must first recognize who we are.
Ask yourself: What inspires me? What challenges me? What difference do I want to make in the world? Let these answers guide you. Surround yourself with mentors and environments that encourage your growth.
Potential is not a destination but a journey—a process of continual evolution. As we explore our potential, our boundaries will expand, revealing ever greater possibilities. Our life’s adventure is to find the place where nothing is impossible.
Our potential is our awesome self, the most extraordinary version of us. Every moment is an opportunity, a choice, to release it. Embrace it with courage, pursue it and live it with passion and purpose. The world needs our brilliance. So, discover it, and in doing so, inspire others to discover their own. Our past is not our potential. We can create the future.
Our Best is Yet to Come!
– Jerre Stead
