Ian Tolfree

Dr. Ian Tolfree is a Principal at Emerald Development Managers LP and a theoretical physicist turned commercialization generalist.

He joined the firm in 2019 as Entrepreneur-in-Residence and was named Principal in 2022. At Emerald, Dr. Tolfree leads scientific and technology diligence on potential new investments and supports portfolio companies in a variety of ways, including operations, business development, and research.

Previously, as Manager of The Johns Hopkins University’s FastForward incubator, Dr. Tolfree advised more than 70 research groups, many in the fields of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, on commercialization and business building. Dr. Tolfree is a serial entrepreneur with experience in medical devices, optics and semiconductors. He is also the Founder and CEO of TBT Pharma Inc., a preclinical stage biotechnology company addressing large unmet needs in the dermatology market.

Dr. Tolfree received his BS in Applied Physics from Columbia University and his PhD in Particle Physics from The Johns Hopkins University.