CHris Achar

Chris Achar: A “Sip” Off the Ol’ Block

Chris Achar, CEO of Genzum Life Sciences and son of Ravi Achar, is an innovator in his own right. Growing up, Chris spent a lot of time at his father’s […]

chris acharChris Achar, CEO of Genzum Life Sciences and son of Ravi Achar, is an innovator in his own right. Growing up, Chris spent a lot of time at his father’s business in Los Angeles and his grandfather’s business in India. The experience of sitting in on business meetings and traveling to India taught him the value of entrepreneurship at an early age. After earning a degree in business administration and marketing from Cal State University, Northridge, and an MBA from Pepperdine, he found his niche while interning at SRC and learning about the pharmaceutical industry. Chris saw an opportunity to assist clients in navigating their generic products through the R&D and commercial life cycle, a complex FDA regulated process. So Chris founded Genzum in 2010 with the support of investors, to focus on the development and out-licensing of generic pharmaceutical products—investing in clients, and guiding them through the FDA approval process. Genzum submitted their first drug to the FDA early this year and has a pipeline of several other drugs at various stages of development.
Chris’ entrepreneurial interests don’t stop there—he is also founder and chief vino of his own wine label, Divya Wines, which was inspired by his desire to develop wines that would pair well with the strong aromas and flavors of Indian cuisine. With two high-growth companies already under his belt, he is definitely someone to watch!
divyawines.com