In this episode, we sit down with Angela Bonfanti, the first female CEO and President of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB). Angela shares her personal and professional journey, the challenges and opportunities of leading a 106-year-old organization, and her vision for improving accessibility and inclusion for individuals with vision loss in Canada.

Angela Bonfanti, the CEO and President of CNIB, is a trailblazer in the accessibility and inclusion space. With over 13 years of dedicated service at CNIB in various leadership roles, Angela became the organization’s leader in 2023, marking her 13th anniversary with the institute. She brings a deeply personal connection to her work, having grown up witnessing her father's journey with vision loss due to Retinitis Pigmentosa. Angela's leadership is defined by her commitment to systemic change, grassroots advocacy, and empowering individuals with vision loss through innovative programs and community-driven solutions.

The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) is Canada’s leading organization dedicated to empowering people impacted by blindness and vision loss. Established in 1918, CNIB supports individuals across the country with programs focusing on education, employment, accessibility, and advocacy. From guide dog training to groundbreaking virtual services, CNIB aims to create a world without barriers for people living with vision loss. Under Angela Bonfanti's leadership, the CNIB continues to advance its mission of inclusivity and accessibility through collaboration and innovative strategies.

Dr. Carlos Quezada-Ruiz is a Vitreoretinal Surgeon and Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Instituto de Oftalmologia Fundación Conde de Valenciana’s Retina Department in Mexico City. He also serves as the Senior Vice President of Clinical Research and Development and Therapeutic Area Head (Ophthalmology) at 4DMT, leading early- and late-stage clinical development teams focused on treating neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), and geographic atrophy (GA).

In addition to his active clinical practice, Dr. Quezada-Ruiz has spent the past decade as a Drug Developer, beginning at Genentech–Roche. There, he worked on the Ophthalmology management team as Group Medical Director of Clinical Science (Product Development). During his tenure, he led the design, execution, and analysis of U.S. and global registrational trials for multiple retinal diseases, including the nAMD global clinical development program for VABYSMO, resulting in U.S. and worldwide approvals. He also led the global clinical science team for SUSVIMO, supporting its initial global filing, FDA approval, and launch in nAMD; successfully navigated the U.S. voluntary recall and commercial relaunch; and oversaw the phase 3 DR/DME registrational program through execution, readout, and filing with the FDA in early 2024. Previously, Dr. Quezada-Ruiz led Medical Affairs efforts for the U.S. launch of Lucentis Prefilled Syringe (PFS) and the myopic choroidal neovascularization indication for LUCENTIS.

Furthermore, Dr. Quezada-Ruiz contributed to diversity and inclusion strategies in the Ophthalmology Franchise—such as the AAO MOM program—and advanced personalized healthcare in retina at Genentech by helping design and develop predictive models that use machine learning and large language models to support both drug development and clinical practice.

Dr. Quezada-Ruiz is a Fellow of the American Society of Retina Specialists, with over 13 years of clinical practice and research in vitreoretinal diseases and surgery. He earned his M.D. from Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila in his hometown of Torreón, Mexico. He completed fellowships in Vitreoretinal Surgery, Ocular Pathology Research, and Vitreoretinal Surgery Research at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, McGill University, and the California Retina Research Foundation, respectively. In 2023, he completed an Executive Education program (CIBE) at Columbia Business School.

His accolades include the 2023 Roche Award of Excellence in recognition of outstanding contributions to Roche Pharmaceuticals (“Vabysmo and Beyond”), Genentech’s 2023 Medical Excellence Award, the 2019 American Society of Retina Specialists Senior Honor Award, the 2016 ASRS Honor Award, the 2013 Gillingham Pan-American Fellowship by the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology and The Retina Research Foundation of Houston, Texas, and the 2013 Leonard Ellen Ocular Pathology Award by the Royal Victoria Hospital Foundation.

On a personal note, Dr. Quezada-Ruiz is married to Cecy—formerly a marketing specialist at The Coca-Cola Company—and they have three children and a white Labrador, Mia, who is blind from retinal dystrophy. He is also a retired martial artist, philosopher, and health enthusiast.

About 4DMT 4DMT is a clinical-stage genetic medicines company focused on harnessing the full potential of genetic therapies for large market diseases, particularly in ophthalmology (wet AMD and DME) and pulmonology (cystic fibrosis lung disease).

Therapeutic Vector Evolution (TVE): 4DMT’s proprietary vector platform leverages the Nobel Prize–winning technology of directed evolution to create customized viral vectors. This approach propels a diverse product pipeline aimed at revolutionizing medicine with potentially curative therapies for millions of patients.

In this episode, we sit down with Jason Menzo, CEO of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, to discuss his unique journey from the pharmaceutical industry to leading one of the world’s most impactful organizations in eye health. Jason shares insights on his career transition into the nonprofit sector and his commitment to advancing the Foundation’s mission. We explore groundbreaking initiatives like My Retina Tracker, a resource bridging patients to clinical trials, and dive into the Foundation’s bold vision for future treatments, including the potential of eye transplants. Plus, hear how the Foundation is fueling innovation by investing in promising small eye care companies and funding research to combat inherited retinal diseases.