AGNR Animal Science alum Jaysson Eicholtz᾿99 is a self-made man with an entrepreneurial spirit imbued in him by his family. Half have been Maryland farmers for the last two centuries, and the other half were tavern owners in Baltimore City. They taught him the value of approaching his work through an “ownership mindset.” Always of a working mentality with a unique talent for building, creating, and operationalizing, Eicholtz went on to co-found Forge Biologics, one of the largest and most successful gene therapy manufacturing companies in the world.
Gene therapy is a relatively new strategy, which aims to treat or cure medically dire conditions by correcting problems in a patient’s DNA. Cells are modified either inside the body by introducing the new gene directly into the patient’s cells, or modified outside the body and returned to the patient intravenously (see source). It’s a trendy space, one that holds significant promise for the future.
As co-founder, Eicholtz brought value due to his years of commercial-level gene therapy and vaccine manufacturing experience, with a client list that spanned the globe. He was chiefly responsible for operationalizing the facility, which spawned from a design schematic he developed in Microsoft Paint. The business stood up quickly, with initial conversations in 2019 to a lightning-speed launch in January 2020. It was Eicholtz’s COVID baby. He and his partners built the company to such a level allowing it to advance and produce almost any gene therapy approved and available, that it was acquired in 2023 for $660 million.
Eicholtz found inspiration and motivation to launch Forge while at Nationwide Children’s Hospital where he manufactured gene therapy products for developers working on life-threatening diseases like Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a highly debilitating genetic disorder that attacks the spine.
“I watched a six-month-old baby boy get dosed with gene therapy right in front of me,” Eicholtz said. “The parents had lost a son previously to SMA, otherwise known as floppy baby syndrome. These babies have no muscle control. I came back for his six-month visit and the baby wouldn’t sit still! This is what a normal baby does, not an SMA baby. True miracles happen within gene therapy. It gives these patients life.”
Following the 2023 acquisition, Eicholtz became an early retiree. In a lot of ways, he has lived the quintessential American dream. It’s an inspiring tale for budding entrepreneurs, and he has some important advice for those looking to chart a similar path.
“Learn the uncomfortable things,” Eicholtz said. “Learn the outside pieces that aren’t your direct job responsibility. Learn about HR, hardware, and operations; be well-rounded. You’ve got to know who is going to help you and who is going to hurt you, with a skill set that compliments what you do and also don’t know.”
Now in retirement, Eicholtz spends a lot of his time outdoors, blazing trails on his multi-acre property in Logan, Ohio. He’s given his family a sense of newfound comfort with permanency after being so transient while building his career. He credits much of his success to his wife (Michelle, College of Education alum ᾿99), who allowed him to travel all over the country and build a network that led to where he is today.
For now, early retirement suits Eicholtz well, but the world is excited to see what he does next.
by Graham Binder
