Glen de Vries
Glen de Vries | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 29, 1972 New York, U.S. |
| Died | November 11, 2021 (aged 49) |
| Alma mater | Carnegie Mellon University |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Founder of Medidata Solutions Space tourist (Blue Origin NS-18 suborbital flight) |
Glen de Vries (June 29, 1972 – November 11, 2021) was an American entrepreneur in the field of medical science and pharmacology. He was the co-founder and co-CEO of Medidata Solutions. In October 2021, de Vries flew into space on Blue Origin NS-18 in a suborbital flight.
Early life and education
De Vries grew up in New York and showed a passion for computers and science at a young age. In middle school, he founded a rocket club in the science lab.[1] He attended the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in Manhattan and the Bronx, NY. His mother encouraged him to learn ballroom dancing in high school, and he danced competitively with her.[2] De Vries attended Carnegie Mellon University and graduated in 1994. He taught himself to speak Japanese.[3]
De Vries received his undergraduate degree in molecular biology and genetics from Carnegie Mellon University, worked as a research scientist at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, and studied computer science at New York University's Courant Institute of Mathematics.
Career
In 1994, Glen de Vries and Ed Ikeguchi created OceanTek, a startup that developed Web applications for conducting clinical trials. In 1999, along with Tarek Sherif, de Vries and Ed Ikeguchi founded Medidata Solutions to provide online systems for designing and running clinical trials.[4][5] Medidata made its IPO on the Nasdaq Stock Market on June 25, 2009.[6]
In 2013, he endowed the first student fellowship of NYU Center for Data Science, the Glen de Vries Permanent Fellowship Fund.[7]
De Vries sold Medidata to Dassault Systèmes in 2019 for $5.8 billion.[8][9]
Blue Origin flight
On October 13, 2021, de Vries accompanied actor William Shatner and two tourists on a New Shepard launch vehicle as part of the Blue Origin NS-18 suborbital flight into outer space.[10][11]
Death
De Vries was killed in a small plane crash involving a Cessna 172 in a heavily wooded area outside Hampton Township, New Jersey, on November 11, 2021, at the age of 49. He was a certified private pilot with an instrument rating. The plane's other occupant, Thomas Fischer, also died in the crash.[12][13] The origins of the crash were not identified. The National Transportation Safety Board found no mechanical issue or meteorological reason that could explain the crash. De Vries was reportedly en route for Branchville, even though there is no airport in this area. Authorities' tracking of the plane was lost during its fatal descent.[14]
As a tribute, his initials were added to the mission patch of Blue Origin's crewed flight Blue Origin NS-19, which took place on December 11, 2021.[15] In October 2023, his collection of rare luxury watches was auctioned.[16]
Published work
- de Vries, Glen; Blachman, Jeremy (2020). The patient equation: the data-driven future of precision medicine and the business of health care. New Jersey: Wiley. ISBN 978-1119622147.
References
- ^ Alpern, Molly (April 25, 2023). "Honoring Glen de Vries '90 with the Fieldston Science Research Program Fellowship and Endowment". ECFS. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
- ^ De Vries, Glen (May 5, 2012). "Dance Lessons in Life". The New York Times. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
- ^ "40 Under 40 - Glen de Vries". Crain's New York Business. July 10, 2018. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
- ^ Krippendorff, Kaihan (August 2, 2012). "The 5-Part Formula For Growth". Fast Company. Archived from the original on February 12, 2025. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
- ^ de Vries, Glen (May 5, 2012). "Dance Lessons in Life (Published 2012)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 5, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
- ^ Scott Austin, "Medidata IPO Prices, No. 3 For Venture-Backed Companies," Wall Street Journal, June 24, 2009.
- ^ Communications, NYU Web. "Medidata President De Vries Endows First Data Science Fellowship at NYU". www.nyu.edu. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
- ^ "Dassault Systemes targets life sciences with $5.8 billion Medidata deal". Reuters. June 12, 2019.
- ^ Eddy, Nathan (June 13, 2019). "Medidata acquired by Dassault Systèmes for $5.8 billion". www.healthcareitnews.com. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
- ^ Weitering, Hanneke (October 13, 2021). "Blue Origin launches William Shatner and crew of 3 to the final frontier and back". Space.com. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
- ^ Roulette, Joey (October 13, 2021). "Who are William Shatner's crewmates?". The New York Times. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
- ^ Reardon, Sophie (November 12, 2021). "Glen de Vries, entrepreneur who traveled to space on Blue Origin flight, dies in New Jersey plane crash". CBS News. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ^ Fisher, Kristin; Muntean, Pete (November 12, 2021). "Blue Origin astronaut Glen de Vries dies in plane crash". CNN. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ^ Comstock, Lori. "Fatal Hampton plane crash was not due to mechanical failure, NTSB says in initial report". New Jersey Herald. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
- ^ Beil, Adrian (December 11, 2021). "Blue Origin to launch NS-19 with full passenger complement". NASA Spaceflight. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
- ^ DeMarco, Anthony (October 22, 2023). "Hindman's Glen De Vries Single-Owner Auction Achieves $3 Million". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 22, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2026.