We’re less than one month away from our annual biotech event in San Francisco. This year, it’s called Xconomy Forum: Innovation at Biotech’s Epicenter, and we’re gathering December 17 in the Mission Bay neighborhood to talk about the emerging science, unique geography, and risk-taking strategies that will spur the Bay Area’s biomedical innovation for the next 25 years.
UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood will kick things off and discuss his school’s central place in Bay Area biomedical research and innovation—not to mention its ever-growing footprint in San Francisco, which could expand 26 percent in the next 20 years, according to the school’s just-released long-range development plan.
We’ll hear from key Bay Area figures in regenerative medicine, synthetic biology, and microfluidics. We’ll talk about the convergence of biopharma and Big Data, the venture hunt for big local ideas, and how tech and biotech cultures learn from one another in Silicon Valley. And of course, no Bay Area conversation is complete without real estate. A lot of groups are trying to solve the space problem with incubators—or, as they’re often known, accelerators. We’ll convene a panel to discuss the growing choices of shared spaces in the life sciences.
We hope you can join us for this fun, fast-paced day.
Here’s the agenda:
1pm. Registration and networking
2pm. Welcome and Introductions
Reg Kelly, Director, QB3
Alex Lash, National Biotechnology Editor, Xconomy
2:10 pm Opening Keynote: UCSF in the 21st Century
Sam Hawgood, Chancellor, University of California, San Francisco
2:30 pm One-on-One Chat: CIRM Rebooted?
Randy Mills, President, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Alex Lash, Xconomy
2:55 pm Discussion: Big Data for Big (And Small) Biopharma
Rick Morrison, CEO, Comprehend Systems
David Shaywitz, CMO, DNANexus
3:25 pm BREAK
3:55 pm Solo Talk: Synthetic Biology, From DIY to Big Business
Jack Newman, Co-founder and CSO, Amyris Biotechnologies
4:15 pm Bay Area Bloodlines: An Investor/CEO Discussion
Mark Goldsmith, Partner, Third Rock Ventures
Ted Love, CEO, Global Blood Therapeutics
4:40 pm Solo Talk: Microchips and Single Cells
Gajus Worthington, CEO, Fluidigm
5:00 pm Discussion: Incubators/Accelerators, A Growing Menu
Lindy Fishburne, Executive Director, Breakout Labs and VP Investments, Thiel Foundation
Stephanie Marrus, Director, UCSF Entrepreneurship Center
Arvind Gupta, Investment Partner, SOSventures; Co-founder, IndieBio Accelerator
Chris Haskell, Head of U.S. Science Hub, Bayer HealthCare
Alex Lash, Xconomy
5:30 pm Networking
6:30 pm End
Stay tuned for more additions to the lineup. In the meantime, for more information and to reserve your spot please visit our registration page. I hope to see you in December for what’s shaping up to be a great day.
