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Kevin J. Kinsella Kevin Kinsella founded Avalon Ventures in 1983. Avalon has specialized in the formation, financing and/or development of nearly 100 early-stage companies, including: Athena Neurosciences (acquired by Elan (NYSE: ELN)); Onyx Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ONXX); Sequana Therapeutics (merged with Arris to form AXYS Pharmaceuticals, acquired by Celera Genomics (NYSE: CRA)); Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: VRTX); Synaptics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SYNA); Vocera Communications; CloudKick, Pictela, Simulmedia, Cheezeburger Network and Zynga Game Network. Mr. Kinsella is a Director on the Boards of Amira, AnaptysBio, Avelas, InCode - all Avalon companies. Mr. Kinsella is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a Tony Awards voting member of the Broadway League. He is the holder of two U.S. Patents on anti-diabetic compounds.

Prior to founding Avalon, Mr. Kinsella was in charge of all international joint ventures, barter and counter-trade for Solar Turbines International (Caterpillar Tractor).

Early life and education Mr. Kinsella was born to Mrs. Jane Davis and Mr. Walter Kinsella. Jane Davis was a model in New York City, NY appearing in Life Magazine on March 3, 1947. Walter Kinsella was an actor both on radio and on Broadway.

Mr. Kinsella is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in management, with minors in electrical engineering and political science. He holds a Master of Arts degree in international relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies ("SAIS") and conducted post-graduate work in political economy on a Rotary International Fellowship at the University of Stockholm, Sweden. He is a member of the Dean's Advisory Council at SAIS, and is a trustee of the San Diego Museum of Art.

Mr. Kinsella is a member of the Circumnavigators Club, an elite group of explorers who have gone around the world in a continuous trip using multiple modes of transport and penned an article on "Traveling 'Hard Class' on the Trans-Siberian Railroad" for the New York Times in June, 1971.

After graduate school, Mr. Kinsella served as advisor to the Peruvian government in National Nutrition Planning, ran a technology exchange program between the U.S. and Latin America based in Mexico City, and taught algebra at the American High School in Beirut, Lebanon. He was also a guest op-ed columnist for the Boston Herald American.

Other interests Mr. Kinsella is the largest producer of the Tony Award winning, smash hit Broadway musical, Jersey Boys and is the partner of Rhino Records (Time Warner) in producing the Grammy Award winning, Platinum Jersey Boys Original Cast Recording. Jersey Boys has won Best Musical on every continent it has played. More than 12 million people world-wide have seen the show and its global revenue exceeds one-billion dollars. Jersey Boys is already the 10th most successful show in Broadway history.

In October 2011, his Healdsburg-based Kinsella Estates winery released its inaugural vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon.