International Institute for Nanotechnology Welcomes Ed Bachrach to its Executive Council

We are excited to share that Ed Bachrach has joined the Executive Council of the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN) at Northwestern University. Ed is the retired Chairman and CEO of Bachrach Clothing, Inc. and founder of the Bachrach Family Foundation. He is a longtime supporter of the IIN and its structural nanomedicine research programs.

After three decades of growing Bachrach Clothing into a national retailer, Ed turned his attention to public policy and philanthropy. He founded the Center for Pension Integrity in Chicago and co-authored The New Chicago Way: Lessons from Other Big Cities. Through the Bachrach Family Foundation, Ed has championed early-stage research nationwide, including work at Northwestern University focused on developing spherical nucleic acid (SNA) nanoconstruct-based therapies for blood, skin, and prostate cancers. The Foundation has also supported projects led by IIN-affiliated faculty that focus on targeted mitochondrial delivery and membrane protein folding and assembly with important implications for clinical translation.

“I’ve known Ed for years, and what has always impressed me is that he is a lifelong learner and a visionary,” said Chad Mirkin, Director of the IIN. “He built his success in the clothing industry and has chosen to leverage that success to invest in the future of nanotechnology and medicine. Through the Bachrach Family Foundation, he is giving talented young scientists the opportunity to pursue promising early-stage ideas. Ed understands that supporting research also means supporting education and future leaders in science, and that perspective will make him an extraordinary addition to the IIN’s Executive Council.”

Ed holds a degree in Business Administration from Northwestern and a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School. In 2002, he founded the Build Cambodia Foundation and has supported healthcare initiatives throughout Southeast Asia ever since. He currently lives in both Chicago and Decatur, Illinois.

We invite you to join us in welcoming Ed Bachrach to the IIN Executive Council.