Edward C. Allegra
Chief Executive Officer & Co-founder
BioLum Sciences
Innovating Asthma Management
Having suffered with childhood asthma, Edward C. Allegra is all too familiar with the challenges of living with the disease and the feeling of suffocation and panic asthmatics experience when symptoms become overwhelming. Coming from a family of altruistic doctors, Edward’s mission in life has always been to provide the biggest positive impact possible on humanity and the health of patients around the world. And while he set out on a pre-med track at Southern Methodist University (SMU) following high school graduation, he eventually decided to take a different path—one with a little more risk but the potential to make a greater impact.
He co-founded BioLum Sciences, alongside Jack Reynolds and Miguel Quimbar, to develop a personalized monitoring solution that will provide patients with a means to better manage their respiratory symptoms. He started the business with $55,000 in prize money from 13 different business pitch competitions. As a 24-year-old CEO straight out of college with limited resources, Edward has led his team to successfully build a commercial prototype that has already gone through several human studies. Throughout this research and development phase, Edward also led further fundraising efforts and has successfully secured angel and venture funding.
Now their prototype, the BioSense AMD (Airway Monitoring Device), is ready to begin FDA clinical trials. This device has a disposable and low-cost test that allows users to perform a point-of-care, non-invasive analysis of exhaled breath indicative of lung function and inflammation. Their precise biomarker analysis provides information that leads to improved outcomes and lower rates of uncontrolled asthma.
Even as Edward continues to push to make this product a reality, he still contributes a significant portion of his time to help other entrepreneurs begin their own journeys. He often goes back to SMU to teach classes on entrepreneurship, mentor those just getting started, and network with entrepreneurs who have developed business plans and ideas. His goal is not just to help build a culture of entrepreneurship on campus at SMU, but also to help push Dallas to become the innovation hub of America.
