Speros Team
Contact our team at Speros@SperosFL.org
For media inquiries, please contact MediaRelations@Moffitt.org
Meet Our Team
Josh Carpenter, DPhil
President, Speros | Vice President & Chief Integration Officer, Moffitt Cancer Center
Josh Carpenter, DPhil, is the president of Speros and Moffitt’s vice president and chief integration officer. As president of Speros, he oversees the development and strategy for the 775-acre mixed-use development owned by Moffitt in Pasco County, Florida. Carpenter also serves as chief integration officer and vice president for Moffitt, overseeing strategic alignment between the cancer center and Speros.
Carpenter brings a strong background in translational research, biotech commercialization and economic development to his role. Most recently, he served as president and CEO of Southern Research, a nonprofit research institute with over 200 scientists dedicated to drug discovery, genomic data science and biotechnology. Under his leadership, the institute secured more than $100 million in capital to modernize lab space and advance biotech initiatives, including the creation of a clinical-genomic database to expand clinical trial access for underserved communities. During his tenure, Carpenter also spearheaded efforts that secured $44 million of federal funding to establish Birmingham as a designated Regional Tech Hub.
Prior to Southern Research, Carpenter was a senior executive for the city of Birmingham, where he led economic and real estate development initiatives. His work included launching the Birmingham Promise, which raised $24 million to fund apprenticeships and scholarships for public school students. He has also held leadership and faculty roles at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and was a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Recognized as one of Birmingham’s most influential executives, Carpenter has published research on economic development, workforce policy and public health.
A Rhodes scholar, Carpenter holds a doctorate in political economy from the University of Oxford where he focused on health policy. He has served on multiple national advisory boards, including the National Academy of Sciences’ STEMM Workforce Committee and the Association of American Rhodes Scholars. Known for his leadership in economic competitiveness and health policy, Carpenter is committed to advancing scientific research, fostering public-private partnerships, and improving access to and trust in health care solutions.
Hannah Mae Merten, MBA, MPP
Executive Director of Strategy, Chief of Staff
Hannah Mae Merten leads strategic initiatives for Speros. In her role as executive director of strategy, she oversees real estate, economic development and placemaking efforts that shape Speros into a collaborative hub for partners and people committed to curing cancer and improving lives. As chief of staff and a key execution partner to Speros President Dr. Josh Carpenter, Merten aims to build an ecosystem that contributes to cancer prevention and cures while also building the innovation economy in the Tampa Bay region and the Southeast. Her goal at Speros is to foster a human-scale, people-centric campus that generates economic opportunity.
Merten brings a decade of experience in impact-oriented real estate and place-based investments as tools for economic development. Prior to joining Speros, Merten served as a key deputy within Bedrock Detroit, the largest investor in Detroit's urban redevelopment, and Rock Ventures, the family office of impact investor and Rock Companies Chairman Dan Gilbert. Merten’s portfolio at Bedrock Detroit focused on real estate and economic development with the goal of catalyzing an innovation economy for Detroit’s future. Her work also includes advising public-private partnerships for the City of Boston, launching investment practices for underserved U.S. markets with CrossBoundary Advisory, and shaping statewide housing policy as a Michael S. Dukakis Fellow within the Colorado Governor’s Office.
Merten most recently completed a joint master’s program at Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government, earning degrees in business administration and public policy. A Denver native and Boettcher Scholar, Merten also holds multiple degrees from the University of Denver, including a master’s degree in international development and global health affairs, as well as a bachelor’s degree in international studies and Spanish.
Lawrence Range II, CPA, MBA, CHFP,
Business Development Director
Range is the Business Development Director for Speros. He most recently held the role of Financing and Venture Analytics Specialist, where he delivered financial models and lease rate evaluations, including cash flows, financing, proformas, and analysis to provide insight and guidance for the Speros campus. In his prior role, he was the Sr. Financial and Contract Administrator for Strategic Alliances and Partnerships, where he led the oversight of fiscal management for strategic partnership activities, including budget development, monitoring, reporting, billing, accounts receivables, and business consulting. He also supported complex organizational strategic projects by developing detailed financial modeling and business case assessments.
Range has 19 years of diverse experience in corporate accounting, project management, financial analysis and reporting, and business consulting. In addition to his time at Moffitt, he spent five years with EY (Project Analyst), 3 years with PwC (Domestic & International Accounting) and five years with Bloomin Brands (Accounting).
Range holds a BS in Accounting from the University of South Florida and a MBA from the University of Arizona Global Campus. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a Healthcare Financial Management Association Certified Healthcare Finance Professional.
Range is a true Floridian with two children. He enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, volunteering at church, coaching his son’s soccer team and serving on the Executive Board of the Team Member Engagement Networks at Moffitt. Previously, he served 9 years on the Executive Board of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) Tampa Bay Chapter as Treasurer, President and Advisor to the incoming President.