About — sweetbio®

Recovery starts with SweetBio®

What We Stand For

The safety and well-being of our patients and those that care for them and about them is what matters most.
We believe that everyone deserves affordable wound care.
We aim to push the envelope when it comes to bioengineering + health care. Our mission is to continue tackling complex problems through disruptive yet approachable solutions.

Our Executive Team

Kayla Rodriguez Graff, MBA

Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer
Kayla is a thought provoking business leader bringing a fresh perspective to the healthcare and wound care industries. As CEO and co-founder, Kayla has spearheaded fundraising to bring APIS from product development through patenting, FDA clearance, and early commercialization. Kayla is passionate about policy and advocacy for women and diverse entrepreneurs as well as the life science industry, serves on several boards supporting these efforts, and recently presented at the U.S. Senate on Women Entrepreneurship and had highlights in Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and national TV commercial.
Email and connect with Kayla.

Isaac Rodriguez, PhD

Co-founder, Chief Science Officer
Dr. Rodriguez is a co-inventor of the SweetBio technology with 15 years of experience in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and biomaterials. His work has been cited over 1,000 times in academic journals. As Chief Science Officer and Co-founder, Dr. Rodriguez is responsible for scientific and clinical evidence, future product development, and IP strategy. Some of Dr. Rodriguez’s notable achievements include serving as the keynote speaker for NASA Langley’s 2017 Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, being named Memphis' Top 40 Under 40 in 2015, and being honored in 2017 by his alma mater as a Top 10 Alumni to graduate in the last 10 years.
Email and connect with Isaac.

Press

“Not only do we believe in the mission and these founders, not only do we recognize the hurdles that are presented to people of color in general — especially women — but we also believe that the product that they’re developing could be very transformational for communities of color.”

— Marcos Gonzalez / VamosVentures founder featured on Apple Newsroom

Read the full article

The Hive

Sep 12, 2023

Startup Spotlight: SweetBio

Sep 12, 2023

SweetBio is a medical device company bioengineering honey into wound care products. It is led by sibling duo Kayla Rodriguez Graff, Chief Executive Officer, and Dr. Isaac Rodriguez, Chief Science Officer. SweetBio is a 2015 graduate of the ZeroTo510 medical device accelerator, and is currently headquartered at the University of Memphis CommuniTech Research Park. They are committed to making their products accessible to all patients, and are voices in the movement to make startup economies more diverse and inclusive. They are advocates for the Memphis entrepreneurship ecosystem, and can often be found at regional and national entrepreneurship events. Rodriguez Graff also serves on Epicenter’s Board of Directors.

Sep 12, 2023

Sep 14, 2022

A Preliminary Direct Comparison of the Inflammatory Reduction and Growth Factor Production Capabilities of Three Commercially Available Wound Products

Sep 14, 2022

A Preliminary Direct Comparison of the Inflammatory Reduction and Growth Factor Production Capabilities of Three Commercially Available Wound Products: Collagen Sheet, Manuka Honey Sheet, and a Novel Bioengineered Collagen Derivative + Manuka Honey + Hydroxyapatite Sheet

Sep 14, 2022