During the trade association’s annual dinner this year, Insmed chair and CEO Will Lewis challenged his fellow BioNJ members to think beyond the companies they build.

Accepting the Dr. Sol J. Barer Award for Vision, Innovation, and Leadership, Lewis issued a call to action. “We can respond to the skepticism [about the industry] by making our companies intentional communities – each offering an example of how we would like to see the world around us behave,” he said.

Dec. 10 marked the inaugural BioNJ Gives Back event. The day included morning and afternoon volunteer sessions hosted by members Insmed and Genmab, respectively. At the end, Children’s Specialized Hospital Foundation received a donation of 200 hand-stuffed and heart-warmed BioBears.

“This is more than just about pure opportunity,” BioNJ President and CEO Debbie Hart said at Genmab in Plainsboro. “It’s really a testament to the heart of the life science community all over, but specifically here in New Jersey, and I want to thank each and every one of you for being here today.”

State Sen. Linda Greenstein, D-14th District, and New Jersey Economic Development Authority Chief Economic Transformation Officer Kathleen Coviello also took part in the afternoon Gives Back session. Additional program sponsors included Johnson & Johnson and Sanofi.

Helping hands

During the event, participants mingled at tables as they brought their bears to life – including completing a birth certificate. In addition to superhero capes, volunteers stenciled, drew and stickered T-shirts for the stuffed friends. They also included a handwritten note, with a special message for the bear’s recipient.

BioNJ Senior Vice President, Communications and Marketing Randi Bromberg explained the goal was to offer an opportunity for members – no matter the size of their company – to participate in this kind of volunteer opportunity.  

“We wanted to do something patient focused, because our tagline is Because Patients Can’t Wait. And we wanted to do something that really crossed all disease areas,” she told NJBIZ. 

BioNJ runs about 40 events throughout the year, but this opportunity strikes a different chord. Whereas other programming is typically more topical – Women in STEM or biomanufacturing, for example – BioNJ Gives Back is a “feel good” volunteer effort with widespread appeal. 

“So, there’s a lot of people who came out that we don’t traditionally get to see,” Bromberg pointed out. “And probably people who don’t traditionally see each other. Even at BioNJ events.” 

Illustrating the point, several participants said that beyond doing good, the event offered a different kind of networking opportunity. Particularly in the wake of local layoffs throughout the sector, BioNJ Gives Back offered some the chance to make new connections or reaffirm others as they navigate next steps. 

Community effort

Children’s Specialized Hospital treats 35,000 children annually and boasts 15 treatment centers throughout the state. The Foundation helps inspire and secure philanthropic support for CSH.

“Our patients are some of the most medically fragile children facing immense challenges such as traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, developmental issues, autism, genetic disorders, chronic pain and more. But thanks to community support such as yours, these children can access life changing therapies, groundbreaking research, recreational activity, benefit care and programs, pet therapy that bring joy and healing,” said CSHF Program Officer Jill Butterfield.

In March, Genmab recommitted to New Jersey following approval for up to $8.4 million in tax credits through the NJEDA’s Emerge Program. With upwards of 600 employees already based in Plainsboro, the expansion will support another 300 jobs.

“Since we’ve moved to Plainsboro, we’ve been part of the community and we want to be part of the community,” Genmab Senior Vice President, Communications & Corporate Affairs Marisol Mendez Peron told NJBIZ. “And we want to feel that our teams are contributing not only to, of course, improving patients’ health through our innovative antibody therapies, but also through being part of the BioNJ community, which is so important.”

Giving back

And that sentiment is shared by the individuals who comprise Genmab’s team, as well as others throughout the industry.

“Raise your hand if you had to be here today,” Executive Vice President and  Chief People Officer Christopher Cozic said, addressing the room and pausing for a beat. “I think it’s zero, right? No one had to be here today, but we’ve got people from our industry, legislators, friends and colleagues that are here because we had a chance today to do something—the right thing. That’s what makes this collection of people this industry special. That’s why we’re passionate about what we do.”

The sentiment echoed Lewis’ during the annual dinner.

“Imagine if this became something all health care companies in New Jersey became known for,” he said at the time. “This small gesture could profoundly impact the communities in which we live and work – while highlighting to the world outside of health care the genuine empathy we all possess for others.”

Coming out of last week’s event, the eagerness to meet that mission is palpable. Hart said the response to the first Gives Back day was overwhelming, describing it as a “sellout crowd.”

“I hope that people feel that this industry is giving back each and every day,” she told NJBIZ. “This is just a more direct expression of it.”