Founders' Day 2011- John Crowley's Convocation speech

John F. Crowley is chairman and CEO of Amicus Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of genetic diseases. His involvement in the biotech industry stems from the 1998 diagnosis of his two youngest children with Pompe disease, a rare and fatal neuromuscular disorder. Crowley embarked on a journey to find a treatment that would save the lives of his children and thousands of others. In 2000 Crowley co-founded the five-person start-up biotech company, Novazyme Pharmaceuticals, focused exclusively on developing a treatment for Pompe. In less than a year, Novazyme secured $27 million in venture capital financing and was later acquired for nearly $200 million by Genzyme Corporation. On January 9, 2003, Patrick and Megan Crowley began an experimental enzyme therapy developed by Genzyme that has saved their lives. Crowley and his wife of 20 years, Aileen, are the authors of Chasing Miracles: The Crowley Family Journey of Strength, Hope, and Joy, and are the subjects of a book by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Geeta Anand, The Cure: How a Father Raised $100 Million -- And Bucked the Medical Establishment -- In a Quest to Save His Children. A 2010 film, Extraordinary Measures, starring Brendan Fraser, Harrison Ford, and Keri Russell, was inspired by the Crowley family. Crowley is a commissioned officer in the United States Navy Reserve (active), assigned to the U.S. Special Operations Command. He earned his BS degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, his JD from the University of Notre Dame Law School, and his MBA from Harvard Business School.

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