Leon Chen is a rare combination of successful biotech company founder and venture investor, having co-founded KAI Pharmaceuticals in 2002 and seen it through to acquisition by Amgen in 2012 with an approved drug (Parsabiv) before becoming a full-time VC at OrbiMed and then The Column Group. He is frequently tapped as an interim executive and company builder at early-stage biotechs rather than just a capital provider, and is regularly asked to chair boards of technically ambitious platform companies, reflecting his hands-on operator approach that goes beyond typical board work.