Opening

Aaron Olver

Managing Director at University Research Park

Carrie Thome

Managing Director at NVNG Investment Advisors

From Discovery to Deal: Lessons in Building

Licensing and acquisitions are powerful pathways for firms to strengthen their innovation portfolios and accelerate growth. Moderated by Kevin Little from the Madison Chamber of Commerce, this session dives into three recent Wisconsin-based case studies of value creation that demonstrate how strategic partnerships and transactions can advance both company goals and the state’s broader life sciences ecosystem. Hear directly from the participants who made these deals happen and what it takes to build lasting value from discovery to deal close.

Kevin Little

Vice President at Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce

Andy Muller

Senior Director, Business Development at Exact Sciences

Bradley Garcia

Director of Strategy & Operations at AbbVie

Faraz Choudhury, PhD

Co-Founder & CEO at Immuto Scientific

The Research Powerhouses Fueling Wisconsin’s Healthcare Innovation Economy

Wisconsin’s research colleges and universities are driving scientific progress and economic impact through billions in annual research investment and patient utilization and commercialization as north stars. In this session, we’ll hear from the Medical College of Wisconsin and the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in conversation with one another about their most compelling and high-potential research efforts, spanning cutting-edge medical science, translational innovation, and partnerships that bring discoveries from the lab to the patient.

Mara Lord, PhD, MBA

Chief Strategy & Growth Officer at Medical College of Wisconsin

Kurt Zimmerman

Senior Director of Biohealth Industry Partnerships at UW-Madison

Investing in Innovation: Insights from Life Sciences VC

Venture capital continues to reshape the future of healthcare and biotechnology—from new therapeutic modalities to AI-driven drug discovery. We’ve gathered leading investors from across the country to share what’s exciting, what’s concerning, and what’s next in the venture ecosystem. Expect candid insights into current market dynamics, funding trends, and the kinds of innovation that are drawing attention (and capital) in 2025 and beyond.

Paul Stone

Partner, Chief Legal Officer at 5AM Ventures

Dennis McWilliams

Managing Director at Santé

Mary Wheeler

Founding GP at BioRock Ventures

Greg Banker

Partner at Vensana Capital

Serial Success in Wisconsin

What does it take to scale a Wisconsin-born biotech company from startup to exit (repeatedly!)? In this conversation, hear from serial entrepreneur Maneesh Arora, who has led multiple Wisconsin-based companies through exits. He’ll share lessons learned, challenges faced, and what it means to build enduring public companies right here in Wisconsin.

Maneesh Arora

Founder & CEO at Elephas

Grady Buchanan

Managing Director at NVNG Investment Advisors

Lunch – Sponsored by Medical College of Wisconsin

Versiti: A Unique Asset Driving Blood-Based Innovations

Versiti is a fusion of donors, scientific curiosity and precision medicine, passionate about improving the lives of patients. This unique asset is a national leader in innovative blood health solutions based right in our backyard. Dr. Matt Anderson, Versiti’s EVP Medical Sciences Institute and Chief Medical Officer, will explore how new scientific and clinical approaches are transforming the way we understand and treat disease—linking research innovation directly to patient outcomes.

Matthew Anderson, MD, PhD

CMO at Versiti

The Big Question: Is AI the Scientist of the Future?

Each year, we convene experts from academia and industry to wrestle with one provocative question shaping the future of biotechnology and life sciences. This year, we explore The Big Question: Could AI, armed with enormous amounts of scientific data, generate hypotheses, run experiments, and iterate toward discoveries that advance science in ways humans alone cannot?

Spencer Maughan

Managing Partner at DYDX

Sebastian Kube, PhD

Assistant Professor Department of Materials Science and Engineering at UW-Madison

Ben Lengerich, PhD

Assistant Professor at UW-Madison; Founder at Intelligible

Paul Weiss

Partner at Venture Investors Health Fund

Breakthroughs in Radiotherapy: From Isotopes to Particle Therapy

From groundbreaking research on campuses to cutting-edge companies like SHINE Technologies, the state is driving advancements in radiotherapy. This session brings together scientists and entrepreneurs leading the charge in radiotherapeutics to discuss where the field is headed and how Wisconsin is shaping the next generation of cancer care.

Todd Asmuth

Strategic Advisor at SHINE Medical Technologies, Inc

Reinier Hernandez, PhD

Assistant Professor, Medical Physics at UW-Madison

Peter Stafford

General Manager at TAE Life Sciences

Michael Holt, MD

Chief, Assistant Professor at Medical College of Wisconsin

Greg Keenan

Partner at WARF Ventures

Wisconsin’s Innovation Edge: Cell & Gene Therapy

Cell and gene therapy represent one of the most transformative frontiers in medicine—and Wisconsin has historically been a leader in this space. In this session, we’ll explore pioneering research and commercialization efforts happening across the state and where cell and gene therapy is headed.

Andy DeTienne

Director of Licensing at WARF

Amani Gillette

CEO at SeLight, LLC

Melissa Skala, PhD

Professor at Morgridge Institute for Research

Krishanu Saha, PhD

Professor of Biomedical Engineering & Retina Research Foundation Kathryn and Latimer Murfee Chair at University of Wisconsin-Madison

David Gamm, MD, PhD

Professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Steve Tregay, PhD

Managing General Partner at Mission BioCapital

Julie-An Talano, MD

Professor of Pediatrics at Medical College of Wisconsin

Bringing it all Together

Lisa Johnson

CEO at BioForward Wisconsin

Marina Rostein

Head of Platform at NVNG Investment Advisors

Reception – Sponsored by Findorff