One To World’s Conversations with World Leaders program is a series of face-to-face meetings with CEOs, philanthropists, civic leaders, and other influential New Yorkers. They wish to engage Fulbright and International students in an exchange of ideas and life stories.

This October, we invite interested Fulbright and international students to meet Nina Tandon, co-founder and CEO of EpiBone.

Nina Tandon is the co-founder and CEO of EpiBone, a biotech company that grows bone and cartilage for skeletal reconstruction. Under her leadership, EpiBone has raised millions in investor funding and conducted the first human implantation of bones grown from stem cells.

The company has received such distinctions as the World Economic Forum’s 2015 Technology Pioneer, and was named one of the 100 most exciting start-ups in New York City by Business Insider. EpiBone’s work has been featured in mainstream media such as Bloomberg, CNBC and CNN. Nina began her career as an electrical engineer. Then while studying abroad on a Fulbright scholarship to Italy, she worked on an electronic nose to “smell” lung cancer. This ignited her passion for healthcare and changed the course of her career. She went back to school, earning a master’s in Bioelectrical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and two advanced degrees from Columbia University – an MBA in healthcare entrepreneurship and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering. With decades of experience as both a scientist and entrepreneur, Nina is committed to raising awareness of the field of tissue engineering.

She is known for her TED Talks, has published in Forbes magazine, and was featured on the Netflix series “Human: The World Within.” She is a frequent speaker and commentator on health issues, as well as guest lecturer at Columbia University and MIT. In 2022, she offered a policy perspective at the White House Summit on Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing. Recognized for her accomplishments as a female scientist and entrepreneur, Nina was named one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company Magazine; an Ernst & Young Winning Woman; and Goldman Sachs’ 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs, among other awards.