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 Jean Leducq was a French entrepreneur who over the course of 50 years built a successful international business involving the supply and care of linens and uniforms in Europe and North America.
Shortly before the sale of this international business, Jean and his wife Sylviane created the Fondation Leducq in 1996, charging it with the mission of improving human health through international efforts to combat cardiovascular disease. Having strong ties in both Europe and in North America, the Leducqs decided to position the foundation to support collaborative work between investigators of the two continents.
From its beginning the foundation was able to benefit from the help of eminent scientific leaders, who, in an inaugural meeting in 1999, helped define the mission, objectives and guidelines of the foundation. Fondation Leducq awarded its first research grants in both Europe and the United States later that same year. After several years of funding basic research projects the foundation decided to reorient its program to more specifically emphasize international collaboration. So began the Transatlantic Networks of Excellence research program in 2003. The application cycle of 2009 to 2010 marks the seventh year of this program.
Following Jean's death in 2002, Sylviane Leducq has carried on the work of the foundation, currently serving as President of its board of directors. In 2009, she was awarded the French Legion of Honor in recognition of her generosity and leadership of the foundation.
The bequest from the Leducq family includes the Napa Valley, California vineyard Ehlers Estate (www.ehlersestate.com), which reflects the Leducqs' lifelong interest in wine. A portion of proceeds from the sale of Ehlers Estate wines is returned to the foundation to support its philanthropic mission.
In 2008 the trust of the Fondation Leducq created a new company, Broadview Ventures, Inc. (www.broadviewventures.org), to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into clinical benefit in cardiovascular and neurovascular disease through targeted investment in support of early stage technology. Although associated with the Fondation Leducq, with which it shares an overlap of mission and philosophy, Broadview Ventures is constituted as an independent, for-profit corporation. Profits from this company must be used for further targeted investments through Broadview Ventures or for Fondation Leducq grant funding. Broadview Ventures is designed to help overcome the problem of the so-called "translation gap," where very early stage companies find that their research is too advanced for traditional academic funding, but not sufficiently developed to attract conventional venture capital investment.
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