Joseph Hernandez (entrepreneur): Difference between revisions

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===Campaign developments===

===Campaign developments===

In August 2025, Hernandez signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge of [[Americans for Tax Reform]], formally committing to oppose any net tax increases if elected.<ref name=YahooATR>{{cite web |title=Mayoral candidate Joseph Hernandez signs Taxpayer Protection Pledge |work=Yahoo Finance |date=August 7, 2025 |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mayoral-candidate-joseph-hernandez-signs-155700208.html |access-date=October 21, 2025}}</ref>

In August 2025, Hernandez signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge of [[Americans for Tax Reform]], formally committing to oppose any net tax increases if elected.<ref name=YahooATR>{{cite web |title=Mayoral candidate Joseph Hernandez signs Taxpayer Protection Pledge |work=Yahoo Finance |date=August 7, 2025 |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mayoral-candidate-joseph-hernandez-signs-155700208.html |access-date=October 21, 2025}}</ref>

The following month, he received the official endorsement of the [[Reform Party of the United States of America]] and the Reform Party of New York State.<ref name=ReformEndorse>{{cite web |title=Reform Party of the United States and Reform Party of New York State endorse Joseph Hernandez for Mayor of New York City |work=ReformParty.org |date=September 7, 2025 |url=https://reformparty.org/reform-party-of-the-united-states-announces-joseph-hernandez-as-candidate-for-new-york-city-mayor/ |access-date=October 21, 2025}}</ref> In July 2025, Hernandez also filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit challenging the exclusion of independent candidates from the use of ranked-choice voting in New York City’s general mayoral election.<ref name=RCV>{{cite web |title=Independent mayoral candidate Joseph Hernandez files federal civil rights lawsuit to bring ranked-choice voting to NYC general election |work=PR Newswire |date=July 18, 2025 |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/independent-mayoral-candidate-joseph-hernandez-files-groundbreaking-federal-civil-rights-lawsuit-302508940.html |access-date=October 21, 2025}}</ref> As of October 2025, Hernandez has appeared on multiple national and local news outlets, including [[Fox News]], [[Fox Business]], [[NewsNation]], [[Newsmax]], [[Spectrum News NY1]], [[Fox 5 New York]], [https://www.audacy.com/1010wins 1010 WINS], [[PIX11]], Univision Nueva York, and Fox Noticias, where he discussed his policy priorities on education reform, housing expansion, mental-health services, and sanitation technology.<ref name=FoxNews>{{cite news |title=Cuban-born businessman enters NYC mayoral race, calls himself ‘polar opposite’ of Mamdani |work=Fox News |date=August 21, 2025 |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/cuban-born-businessman-enters-nyc-mayoral-race-calls-himself-polar-opposite-mamdani |access-date=October 21, 2025}}</ref><ref name=FoxBusiness>{{cite news |title=Cuban-born entrepreneur Joseph Hernandez discusses NYC mayoral campaign |work=Fox Business |date=August 22, 2025 |url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6377278431112 |access-date=October 21, 2025}}</ref><ref name=Fox5NY>{{cite news |title=Battleground NYC: The Fight for Your Vote – Independent candidate Joseph Hernandez interview |work=Fox 5 New York |date=September 25, 2025 |url=https://www.fox5ny.com/video/1718089 |access-date=October 21, 2025}}</ref><ref name=NY1/><ref name=NewsNation/><ref name=WINS>{{cite news |title=Interview: Joseph Hernandez on NYC mayoral race |work=1010 WINS |date=October 2025 |url=https://www.audacy.com/1010wins/news/local/interview-joseph-hernandez-nyc-mayoral-race |access-date=October 20, 2025}}</ref>

The following month, he received the official endorsement of the [[Reform Party of the United States of America]] and the Reform Party of New York State.<ref name=ReformEndorse>{{cite web |title=Reform Party of the United States and Reform Party of New York State endorse Joseph Hernandez for Mayor of New York City |work=ReformParty.org |date=September 7, 2025 |url=https://reformparty.org/reform-party-of-the-united-states-announces-joseph-hernandez-as-candidate-for-new-york-city-mayor/ |access-date=October 21, 2025}}</ref> Hernandez also filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit challenging the exclusion of independent candidates from the use of ranked-choice voting in New York City’s general mayoral election.<ref name=RCV>{{cite web |title=Independent mayoral candidate Joseph Hernandez files federal civil rights lawsuit to bring ranked-choice voting to NYC general election |work=PR Newswire |date=July 18, 2025 |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/independent-mayoral-candidate-joseph-hernandez-files-groundbreaking-federal-civil-rights-lawsuit-302508940.html |access-date=October 21, 2025}}</ref> As of October 2025, Hernandez has appeared on multiple national and local news outlets, including [[Fox News]], [[Fox Business]], [[NewsNation]], [[Newsmax]], [[Spectrum News NY1]], [[Fox 5 New York]], [https://www.audacy.com/1010wins 1010 WINS], [[PIX11]], Univision Nueva York, and Fox Noticias, where he discussed his policy priorities on education reform, housing expansion, mental-health services, and sanitation technology.<ref name=FoxNews>{{cite news |title=Cuban-born businessman enters NYC mayoral race, calls himself ‘polar opposite’ of Mamdani |work=Fox News |date=August 21, 2025 |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/cuban-born-businessman-enters-nyc-mayoral-race-calls-himself-polar-opposite-mamdani |access-date=October 21, 2025}}</ref><ref name=FoxBusiness>{{cite news |title=Cuban-born entrepreneur Joseph Hernandez discusses NYC mayoral campaign |work=Fox Business |date=August 22, 2025 |url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6377278431112 |access-date=October 21, 2025}}</ref><ref name=Fox5NY>{{cite news |title=Battleground NYC: The Fight for Your Vote – Independent candidate Joseph Hernandez interview |work=Fox 5 New York |date=September 25, 2025 |url=https://www.fox5ny.com/video/1718089 |access-date=October 21, 2025}}</ref><ref name=NY1/><ref name=NewsNation/><ref name=WINS>{{cite news |title=Interview: Joseph Hernandez on NYC mayoral race |work=1010 WINS |date=October 2025 |url=https://www.audacy.com/1010wins/news/local/interview-joseph-hernandez-nyc-mayoral-race |access-date=October 20, 2025}}</ref>

==Personal life==

==Personal life==

American biotechnology entrepreneur and political candidate

Joseph Hernandez is a Cuban-born American biotechnology entrepreneur, investor, and political candidate. He is known for founding and leading several biotechnology ventures, including Blue Water Vaccines and Blue Water Acquisition Corp. III, and for his 2025 independent campaign for Mayor of New York City.[1][2]

Early life and education

[edit]

Hernandez was born in Camagüey, Cuba, on September 27, 1972.[2][3] He immigrated to the United States with his family as a child refugee at the age of seven, settling in South Florida.[2][4] Hernandez is the son of a Cuban political prisoner, and his parents worked blue-collar jobs after arriving in the United States—his father washing dishes and his mother working as a housekeeper.[4]

He attended the University of Florida, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in neuroscience, a Master of Science in molecular genetics and microbiology, and a Master of Business Administration in finance and entrepreneurship.[3] He later completed a Master of Science in epidemiology at Yale University and a Master of Science in global healthcare leadership at the University of Oxford.[5]

After completing his graduate studies, Hernandez began his career in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. He worked for Merck & Co. and later joined Digene Corporation, a Maryland-based molecular diagnostics company that specialized in HPV testing technology.[6] Following Digene’s acquisition by QIAGEN in 2007, he transitioned to entrepreneurship, founding and managing a series of life-science startups.

Company founding and leadership

[edit]

Hernandez has founded and led multiple biotechnology companies focused on diagnostics, gene therapy, and vaccine development. In 2004, he founded Innovative Biosensors, Inc., a biotechnology firm specializing in pathogen-detection systems, and served as its president and chief executive officer until 2009.[7] In 2013, he founded Microlin Bio, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on microRNA-based cancer therapeutics, serving as chairman until 2017.[8] He later served as executive chairman of Ember Therapeutics, a regenerative medicine company exploring the use of BMP-7 biology in metabolic disease and bone repair.[9] Hernandez also founded or held leadership roles in Prolias Technologies and Sydys Corporation, both clinical-stage biotechnology ventures.[10]

Blue Water companies

[edit]

In 2018, Hernandez founded Blue Water Vaccines, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of broad-spectrum vaccines, including a universal influenza vaccine. The company completed its initial public offering on the NASDAQ in February 2022 under the ticker symbol BWV.[11] He later established Blue Water Acquisition Corp. III, a healthcare- and biotechnology-focused special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), which priced an upsized $220 million initial public offering in June 2025 under the ticker BLUW.[12]

Scientific and philanthropic initiatives

[edit]

In 2020, the University of Oxford announced a Hernandez-funded research initiative through its Department of Zoology to perform whole-genome sequencing of extinct flightless birds, including the dodo and Rodrigues solitaire.[13]

In July 2025, Hernandez announced his independent campaign for Mayor of New York City.[2][1] A first-time candidate, he positioned himself as a political outsider focused on using technology and private-sector management strategies to reform city government. His campaign emphasized themes of affordability, safety, and technological innovation in city management.[1][14]

Platform and policy proposals

[edit]

Hernandez’s campaign platform centered on three main priorities: public safety, affordability, and technology.[2][1][15]

  • Public safety: Hernandez proposed hiring 10,000 additional NYPD officers to restore morale and improve neighborhood policing. He has stated that law enforcement must be supported “with the resources and respect they deserve.”[2]
  • Housing and affordability: His housing plan calls for converting underutilized office buildings into residential units, unlocking vacant rent-stabilized apartments, and accelerating construction of new housing to raise the city’s vacancy rate to 7 percent.[2] He has also advocated expanding homeownership programs and streamlining permits for private development.[15]
  • Mental health and homelessness: Hernandez pledged to expand mental-health treatment capacity through public-private partnerships, including developing long-term treatment facilities and housing pipelines for people experiencing homelessness.[1]
  • Technology and modernization: He proposed applying artificial intelligence and data analytics to improve city operations, optimize sanitation and traffic management, and reduce bureaucratic waste.[14]
  • Cost of living and migration: Hernandez has criticized city spending on migrant housing and pledged to “prioritize New Yorkers first” while advocating for a national immigration system that is both lawful and humane.[15]

Campaign developments

[edit]

In August 2025, Hernandez signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge of Americans for Tax Reform, formally committing to oppose any net tax increases if elected.[16]
The following month, he received the official endorsement of the Reform Party of the United States of America and the Reform Party of New York State.[17] Hernandez also filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit challenging the exclusion of independent candidates from the use of ranked-choice voting in New York City’s general mayoral election.[18] As of October 2025, Hernandez has appeared on multiple national and local news outlets, including Fox News, Fox Business, NewsNation, Newsmax, Spectrum News NY1, Fox 5 New York, 1010 WINS, PIX11, Univision Nueva York, and Fox Noticias, where he discussed his policy priorities on education reform, housing expansion, mental-health services, and sanitation technology.[19][20][21][1][14][22]

Hernandez lives in New York City.[3] He has described his interests as including aviation, classic cars, and boating.[3] He is a father of three.[3]

  1. ^ a b c d e f “Joseph Hernandez talks about mayoral bid”. Spectrum News NY1. August 22, 2025. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Hogan, Bernadette (August 16, 2025). “Cuban-born biotech honcho enters NYC mayoral race seeking to upset Mamdani: ‘I despise socialism’“. New York Post. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e “Joseph Hernandez Biography”. Joseph Hernandez. Official website. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  4. ^ a b “Why Joseph”. Hernandez for NYC. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  5. ^ “Graduate an Independent Candidate in New York Mayor Race”. Oriel College, University of Oxford. August 2025. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  6. ^ “QIAGEN to acquire Digene for $1.6 billion”. Reuters. June 4, 2007. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  7. ^ “Innovative Biosensors, Inc. Announces Resignation of CEO Joseph Hernandez” (Press release). Business Wire. January 27, 2009. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  8. ^ “Microlin Bio, Inc. SEC Registration Statement”. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  9. ^ “Ember Therapeutics announces financing and strategic partnerships”. GlobeNewswire. May 12, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  10. ^ “Immutep Limited and Sydys Corporation Enter License Agreement”. GlobeNewswire. June 14, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  11. ^ “Blue Water Vaccines Announces Closing of Initial Public Offering”. GlobeNewswire (Press release). February 23, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  12. ^ “Healthcare SPAC Blue Water Acquisition III prices upsized $220 million IPO”. Renaissance Capital. June 10, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  13. ^ “Oxford scientists sequence dodo genome with support from alumnus Joseph Hernandez”. University of Oxford Department of Zoology. October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  14. ^ a b c “Independent NYC mayoral candidate Joseph Hernandez on why he’s running”. NewsNation. September 10, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  15. ^ a b c “What Joseph Will Do for You”. Hernandez for NYC. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  16. ^ “Mayoral candidate Joseph Hernandez signs Taxpayer Protection Pledge”. Yahoo Finance. August 7, 2025. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  17. ^ “Reform Party of the United States and Reform Party of New York State endorse Joseph Hernandez for Mayor of New York City”. ReformParty.org. September 7, 2025. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  18. ^ “Independent mayoral candidate Joseph Hernandez files federal civil rights lawsuit to bring ranked-choice voting to NYC general election”. PR Newswire. July 18, 2025. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  19. ^ “Cuban-born businessman enters NYC mayoral race, calls himself ‘polar opposite’ of Mamdani”. Fox News. August 21, 2025. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  20. ^ “Cuban-born entrepreneur Joseph Hernandez discusses NYC mayoral campaign”. Fox Business. August 22, 2025. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  21. ^ “Battleground NYC: The Fight for Your Vote – Independent candidate Joseph Hernandez interview”. Fox 5 New York. September 25, 2025. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  22. ^ “Interview: Joseph Hernandez on NYC mayoral race”. 1010 WINS. October 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.

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