Who We Are

Christian Harriott

Co-Founder and President

Christian Harriott is a co-founder and President of Brothers of Color in Pharma (BROCIP). He began his professional career with AT&T Federal Systems in 1988 as an IT project manager. His entry into Pharma began in 1997 with Parke-Davis, a division of Warner Lambert, then acquired by Pfizer in 2000. During his tenure in Pharma, he has held numerous strategic account and business development roles at UCB Pharma, Bristol Myers Squibb and currently works in patient advocacy for Aurinia Pharma based in Rockville, Maryland. In these roles, he has been assigned to numerous special projects in organizational planning and received numerous awards for excellence, including the BMS Summit Award in 2016. In addition to his corporate responsibilities, he has held leadership roles and served on the executive boards of the Boys and Girls Club of South Bowie, The 2010 Collington Station Homeowners Association Political Forum, The Arthritis Foundation of Maryland, and the BMS employee resource group, Blacks in Organizational Leadership Development (BOLD). He will be graduating from the Georgetown University non-profit graduate management program in April 2022.

Shane Cole, MBA, MS, RRT

Co-founder and Vice President

Shane Cole is Co-founder and Vice President of Brothers of Color in Pharma (BROCIP). Born in London, England and raised in New Jersey. Shane is a Clinical Trial Execution leader with over 20 years of experience in the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology industry. Shane has been a key contributor in Clinical Operations working for large, mid-size and small companies throughout his career. As a decisive and forwarding thinking contributor to multi-million-dollar Clinical Development Programs, Shane has led several clinical trials in Women’s Health, Respiratory Diseases, Renal Transplant and Renal Failure, Biologics (Burn & Diabetic Foot Ulcers), Medical Device (Hospital/Critical Care) and Metabolic Disorders.

Prior to his current work experiences in pharma, Shane has used and leveraged his healthcare background as a Registered Respiratory Therapist staff therapist and an Education Coordinator responsible for over 50 staff Respiratory Care Practitioners in a level 1 trauma center to bridge the impact that lifesaving medications & therapies contribute to patients and their caregivers!

Shane also holds a M.S. in Health Sciences from Rutgers University (Formally UMDNJ, University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ) and an MBA from Kean University.

Dana G. Vaughns, Sr.

Dana is currently responsible for making critical Market Access decisions that secure competitive product access and formulary placement as the National Account Manager – Specialty Care for a $130B market cap Fortune 500 global biotechnology company. He also engages with CEOs, COOs, CMOs, SVPs, Directors, & other key influencers at a global healthcare company and a global pharmacy benefit manager.

Dana has over 15 years of directorship, leadership, & management experience, has lived on two continents, & has made his home in all regions of the United States. During his career, he has built his reputation on thinking strategically while maintaining a “hard work” mentality.

He began his pharmaceutical career as a sales representative in the Pittsburgh, PA area & quickly ascended to district sales manager. Soon, Dana would lead sales teams in primary care, institutions, & specialty sales across many southern states before achieving an associate director position in execution/operations for a global diabetes biopharmaceutical company in New Jersey.

Since then, he’s relocated to the west coast & was responsible for driving $250MM in YoY sales for another global biopharmaceutical company across three states. During his tenure, he achieved many awards while being named a company ambassador for a major partnership between his company, a major television network, & a large cancer research company.

Throughout his career, Dana has been recognized for his leadership excellence & business acumen while being highly engaged with various diversity & inclusion employee resource groups. He completed his undergraduate degree with a Bachelor of Arts in Fine

Arts from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, is a co-founder of a Western PA youth group (Peers Outlook, Inc.), & thrives at providing leadership & mentorship. He resides in Los Angeles, CA.

Dennis C. Peacock

Dennis recently retired from his role as a Senior District Business Manager in the Cardiovascular Division of Bristol-Myers Squibb managing a team of Specialty and Institutional representatives in the St. Louis and Central Illinois area. Dennis joined Bristol-Myers Squibb as a Neuroscience –Infectious Disease Representative in Tulsa OK in 1998. Dennis was promoted to Sales Trainer at the Home Office in New Jersey. Dennis was promoted to Primary Care District Business Manager in Houston, TX where he served for 8 years and won several Winners Circle Awards. Dennis was promoted to Specialty/Institutional Sales Manager in the St. Louis area 2008 in which he was a key contributor to the company’s people resource group BOLD (Black Organization for Leadership and Development).

Dennis started his pharmaceutical career with The Upjohn Company in 1982 immediately after graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, OK with a degree in Chemistry. He spend 17 years in the Oklahoma City market in various roles which included Pharmaceutical Sales Representative, Hospital/Government Sales Consultant and Senior Pharmaceutical Consultant.

Dennis joined the Houston Chapter of the National Sales Network in 2005 and represented Bristol-Myers Squibb at several of the NSN National Conferences. Since moving to St. Louis, Dennis has been a actively involved with the local chapter in with his contribution the Backpack-to Briefcase Mentoring/Scholarship Program and served on the Annual Golf Tournament Committee. Dennis was awarded the “2016 Member of the Year” and in 2017 received the NSN Pinnacle Award for his dedicated service and contributions to the St. Louis Chapter for the past 10 years.

Dennis is a Life Member of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and has been a dedicated financial member for the past 40 years. He served as the Oklahoma City Graduate Chapter President during the 1990’s and was inducted into the Oklahoma Sigma Hall of Fame in February of 2017.

Dennis has been married for 34 years to Delcenia and has a 29 year old son and a 25 year old daughter. He likes to play golf and a Las Vegas Raider and Oklahoma Sooner fan.

James J. Gillespie

James J. Gillespie is an entrepreneur, executive, and researcher with extensive experience building collaborative stakeholder relationships in the healthcare, life science, and technology sectors. He currently works at Center for Healthcare Innovation, Prysm Institute, Stanford University, and Yale University. Dr. Gillespie’s education includes Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, M.S., Ph.D.; Harvard University School of Law, J.D.; Princeton University School of Public Policy, M.P.A.; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, B.S.; Carnegie Mellon University Heinz School; and Rand Graduate School. He is fortunate and honored to have served his country in the United States Army Reserves.

Kevin K. Hambrick

Born and raised in Jackson, MS, Kevin completed his undergraduate degree in Business Administration with focus on Pharmaceutical Sales from University of Southern Mississippi. Kevin began his professional career in the pharmaceutical industry in 1995. Kevin has held several different roles in the pharmaceutical industry including Primary Care Sales Representative, SeniorSalesSpecialist, Executive Sales Specialist, and Rare Disease Sales Consultant. On an entrepreneurial level Kevin has also owned and operated several business ventures. Kevin is currently an independent life insurance broker in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX area and is currently seeking to get back into the pharmaceutical industry. On a personal level, Kevin is passionate about serving the homeless on the streets of Dallas, Texas by providing: food, hygiene kits, pillows, socks, blankets, jackets and other items.

Kevin Watkins

Kevin was born and raised in Ohio. He earned a football scholarship to Howard University where he was a student athlete earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business. His first sales position was with NCR Corporation as an Account Manager. He then moved into the pharmaceutical industry with Ciba-Geigy (now Novartis) and has worked for several companies in his 25-year tenure in the industry. While working in the primary care space Kevin held positions as an account manager, hospital rep and Senior account manager while also taking on the task as District Sales Trainer and POD leader. He currently is working in the area of rare disease with Takeda Pharmaceuticals as Territory Business Manager prior to Takeda he was with Grifols also in rare disease.

Louvel J. Fauntroy

Louvel J. Fauntroy is a 20+-year veteran of the healthcare industry having navigated his way through some of the country’s top corporations, most notably General Electric, Pfizer and Amgen. He currently holds the role of Regional Access Lead for Union Chimique Belge (UCB) Pharmaceuticals with responsibility for the development and implementation of patient value solutions, innovation in disease management and contract negotiations across the Mid-Atlantic states. Over the course of his career he has led initiatives calling for collaboration across all facets of healthcare, resulting in successful changes in the areas of care management, clinical education and advocacy.

His focus on performance and personal development has earned him numerous awards in the functional areas of sales, marketing and organizational excellence.

Academically, Mr. Fauntroy graduated with honors from Gonzaga College High School, Hampton University (B.S., business Administration) and Saint Joseph’s University (Master’s in business administration- Pharmaceutical Marketing). He is Six Sigma trained and is currently exploring the role of Design Thinking as a problem-solving construct in healthcare via Stanford University Graduate school of business Executive Education program.

Mr. Fauntroy as a “Man for Others” serves his community by dedicating his time, talent and treasure to causes that help families and people suffering with chronic health conditions. He has contributed in various capacities with:

American Diabetes Association – National Capital region Community leadership board (Chairman)
Arthritis Foundation (DC & Baltimore Chapters) Education & Prescription access committee
Washington Regional Transplant Consortium – Speaker Advocate
Saint Joseph’s University – Graduate Alumni Advisory Board
Gonzaga College High School – Board of Trustees
National Association of Healthcare Service Executives -member
National Sales Network (DC/ Baltimore chapter)- Secretary

He believes that everyone living with a chronic condition in our society should have the goal to “THRIVE” in the face of a healthcare challenge. Doing so, requires proper support in the areas of Education, Family and Access to quality care.

Richard (Tone) Johnson, MS

As Tone’s full name is Richard Anthony Johnson and his dad was truly King Richard, the name Tone was bestowed on him as a small boy and has been part of his profile ever since. Tone has been in the Northeast his entire life, first in New York and has been in New Jersey for the past 20 years.

He started his career as a research scientist at Union Carbide and played an integral role for 3 years as part of the research and development of the silicone used in the manufacture of Puffs Plus Tissue. Following his role as a research scientist, he moved into an analytical chemist role testing raw materials in the pharmaceutical industry for approximately 10 years. Tone then moved into a quality assurance role in the drug manufacturing and clinical research space for the next 10 years at various pharmaceutical companies.

His ability to provide guidance and direction on the regulatory requirements and best practices for compliance in the pharmaceutical industry has served him well with leading Quality Assurance and Clinical Compliance functions for the past 10 years. Additionally, his background and expertise has contributed to successful regulatory inspection outcomes, most notably with marketing approvals of a billion-dollar drug treating Acute Macular Degeneration and a biologic for regeneration of skin tissue to treat burn victims.

In addition to his current position at Head, Clinical Quality at Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, he is also an active contributor to the companies African American Business Resource Group along with serving on the company’s Inclusion and Diversity Council.

Tone has obtained a Bachelors of Science degree in Chemistry from SUNY New Paltz and a Master of Science degree in Quality Assurance & Regulatory Affairs from Temple University. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Jurisprudence focused on Pharmaceutical/Medical Device Law & Compliance from Seton Hall University.

Royce E. Thomas, MBA

Born and raised in Indianapolis, IN, Royce (a former US Marine) completed his undergraduate degree in Psychology from Indiana State University while also competing as a collegiate athlete (Track & Field). Royce continued to receive multiple certificates in HR and Management from Indiana University and completed his MBA in Management and Marketing from Franklin University. Royce began his professional career in the insurance industry before transitioning to pharmaceuticals in 2000. Royce has held several different roles in the pharmaceutical industry including Senior Executive Sales, Key Account Manager, HR Manager, Sales Manager, Marketing, and Regional Trainer. Royce has also had the grand opportunity throughout his pharmaceutical tenure to work within the Diversity and Inclusion leadership teams and the ERG leadership team. Royce is an entrepreneur and is also a Senior Territory Business Manager at Bristol Myers Squibb in Columbus, OH. Royce is a proud life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.

Von Potter, MD

Born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut, Von is currently a medical director in clinical development at Forma Therapeutics where he oversees clinical trials in solid tumors. With more than 10 years’ experience in clinical research, Von leads a team of professionals including clinical scientists, trial managers and data managers. As the trial’s medical expert, Von works closely with the individual KOLs to carefully monitor the safety and efficacy of the company’s asset in their patients. Prior to Forma, Von worked at Bristol Myers Squibb and Boehringer Ingelheim. Before transitioning into the pharmaceutical industry, Von began his research career at Yale University’s Comprehensive Cancer Center now known as the Smilow Cancer Hospital where he worked on multiple trials in hematological malignancies and helped design investigator-initiated clinical trials. Von received his medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine and his undergraduate degree from Fairfield University. On a personal level, Von is passionate about health equity on a global scale participating annually on mission trips to various locations such as Myanmar, Honduras, and Ghana, West Africa.

Zack Demopoulos

Zack Demopoulos began his 22 year pharmaceutical career with Parke-Davis, a division of Warner Lambert, which later became Pfizer. He held various positions in the field and in NJ & NYC HQ from sales representative, sales management, Human Resources management, HR executive, and Diversity and Inclusion Business Partner. After Pfizer he owned and operated a non medical home care agency assisting over 500 families care for their loved one while hiring and managing over 750 caregivers during a 13 year time span. He played an important role in advocating for caregivers on various issues like affordable and safe elder care as a member of the New Jersey’s Home Health Services Association Board. He is currently a caregiver advocate writing, speaking and consulting on behalf of unpaid family caregivers. He and his wife Phyllis reside in New Jersey along with their three adult children, their significant others, and their grandchildren.

Jerald Cosey

Senior Healthcare Advocate

Jerald began his pharmaceutical career in sales, joining Pfizer Pharmaceuticals in 1996. He quickly advanced to the leadership role of district sales manager. During his 18-year pharma career, Jerald received several distinctions. He was named District Sales Manager of the Year twice and a member of the Vice President’s Management Club four times. He is founder of Graceful Moments, an outreach ministry focused on minimizing isolation within the senior community. Experiences he had during outreach stoked a desire in Jerald to serve others professionally, and in 2013, he resigned from his sales career to become an Administrator in Training, completing work for his Health Facility Administrator license and Nurse Aide certification. Jerald is a member of the Board of Directors of the Indiana Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. He is a member of the National Speakers Association, Brothers of Color in Pharma, and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.