8:00am – 8:30am 

REGISTRATION, BREAKFAST AND INCUBATOR/ EXHIBITOR INNOVATION HALL

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8:30am – 8:45am

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION TO THE MEETING

SPEAKERs:

• • Nancy J Kelley, Founding Member, Builds Bio+; President & CEO, Nancy J Kelley + Associates
  • Mitchel Simpler, Founding Member, Builds Bio+; Partner Emeritus, JBB

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8:45am – 9:15am | OPENING KEYNOTE

OPTIMISM FOR THE FUTURE OF LIFE SCIENCES – FROM SCIENCE TO BUILDING THE REQUIRED INFRASTRUCTURE, WORKFORCE, COMPANIES AND RELATIONSHIPS

SPEAKER:

• • Joshua C. Brumberg, PhD, President, The City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center and Professor of Psychology, Biology and Neuroscience, CUNY

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9:15am – 10:00am

THE GOTHAM FOUNDRY (SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS INNOVATION HUB)

The Gotham Foundry is a new innovation center in New York City focused on developing sustainable, circular-economy materials like degradable bioplastics and textiles made from food products.  The Hub will support early-stage, deep tech companies, research and development to create new sustainable materials for buildings, fashion, food, packaging and medical devices.  The goal is to reduce industrial waste and pollution, support key industries like fashion, construction, and regenerative medicine, and make NYC a global leader in materials innovation.

The Gotham Foundry currently consists of a consortium of leading academic and research institutions, including Columbia University, the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, the Fashion Institute of Technology, and Genspace.  The New York City Economic Development Corporation recently announced a $45 million grant to the Foundry, advancing New York City’s Green Economy Action Plan.  The Hub is located at Harlem Biospace in West Harlem,  and anticipates a significant presence on the Columbia University's Manhattanville campus at a newly constructed School of Engineering.

MODERATOR:

• • Kidd Duhe Solomon, MPH, Assistant Vice President for Life Sciences and Healthcare, New York City Economic Development Corporation

SPEAKERS:

• • Helen H. Lu, PhD., Senior Vice Dean, School of Engineering, Director, Biomaterials and Interface, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University
  • Theanne Schiros, PhD.,Professor of Materials Science; Columbia University, Research Scientist, Center for Integrated Science and Engineering
    
  • Casey Lardner PhD., Executive Director, Genspace
  • Tavis Ezell, Director of Business Development, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center

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10:00am – 10:30am

STATE OF THE LIFE SCIENCE INDUSTRY

The life science industry in 2025 is characterized by significant innovation, with strong growth driven by digital transformation, AI, personalized medicine and cell and gene therapies.  While challenges remain, including economic uncertainty, policy pressures and supply chain complexities, executives and scientists are largely optimistic, anticipating growth in M&A, funding and dealmaking.  Key trends include leveraging data and AI to enhance drug discovery and clinical trials, a focus on sustainability, and efforts to build supply chain resilience.

The industry’s strong focus on adaptability, combined with scientific advancements and robust pharma investment, positions it well for growth despite ongoing challenges.  Hear from the experts!

SPEAKERS:

• • Elizabeth Bertheletter, Head of Northeast & National Life Science Research, Newmark
  • Alex Philippidis, Senior Business Editor, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, Inside Precision Medicine and Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

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10:30am – 11:00am

NETWORKING BREAK AND INCUBATOR/EXHIBITOR INNOVATION HALL

• Breakout Session 1: Reports from the Visionary Incubators Helping Innovation to Thrive
  Meet the incubators from the Greater NY Metro Region and representatives from their portfolio companies, including the four+ new incubators recently announced and others with big news to share!
  • BioBAT and BioBat Art Space
  • BioLabs@NYU
  • CUNY Industrial & Applied Research
  • Genspace
  • Harlem Biospace @Mink and @Sweets
  • IndieBio/SOSV
  • Industry City
  • Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JLABS NYC
  • Nucleate New York
  • NYBCe Rye Bio
  • Portal Innovations
  • Weill Cornell Medicine Enterprise Innovation

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11:00am – 11:45am

WHAT’S NEW IN NEW JERSEY?

New Jersey remains one of the strongest hubs in the U.S. for life sciences.  Over 3200 life sciences/ biopharma establishments call New Jersey home with several future hubs and big-projects underway.  One of the newest projects is the HELIX.  The Health & Life Science Exchange (HELIX NJ) is an innovation district providing industries and universities the critical ecosystem to research, learn, work and collaborate.

Currently being built on the HELIX campus in New Brunswick NJ, the New Jersey Innovation Hub @ the HELIX will offer premier workspaces & laboratories for both startups and established companies operating across the gamut of healthcare, biotech, pharma, and, most broadly the life sciences. The New Jersey Innovation Hub is comprised on an unrivaled ecosystem supporting science, technology and innovation, offering an incubator and coworking solution – Portal Innovations – with enterprise suites for established, larger organizations.

New Jersey has also been a magnet for foreign investment this year.  This panel will explore the reasons why!

MODERATOR:

• • Sho Islam, Director of Business Engagement, Middlesex County NJ

SPEAKERS:

• • Nancy Tyrrell, Director of Academic Partnerships, Portal Innovations
  • Michael Zwick, Senior Vice President for Research at Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey
  • John F. Coelho, Senior Advisor Life Sciences, NJ Economic Development Authority

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11:45am – 12:00pm | PATIENT KEYNOTE

MISSION CURE – A NEW MODEL FOR CURING DISEASE

Mission Cure is an alliance of patients, caregivers, doctors, researchers, drug developers and entrepreneurs pioneering a new approach to curing diseases through innovative outcome-based financing. The organization educates, motivates and collaborates with impact investors and payers to discover life-altering therapies and bring them to patients.

SPEAKER:

• • Megan Golden, Co-Founder, Mission: Cure, A New Model for Curing Disease

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12:00pm – 12:50pm

NETWORKING LUNCH AND INCUBATOR/EXHIBITOR INNOVATION HALL

• Breakout Session 2: Reports From the Builds Bio+ Leadership Committees
  Chairs of the newly reconstituted Builds Bio+ Leadership Committees share their initiatives and goals. Join now to get involved!
  • Institutions: John Stofko – Biopharma Executive, Associate Professor, Pharmaceutical and Health Economics, University of Southern California
  • NY Metro Life Science Subclusters: Laidon Zekaj – Vice President, Batska Consulting
  • Planning & Membership: Christina Esser – Project Manager, Jacobs
  • Regulatory: Erin Stolz – Senior Technical Director, AKRF
  • Workforce Development: Casey Lardner – Executive Director, Genspace NYC
  • Life Science, Healthcare & Technology: Tom Plumitallo, Project Manger and Registered Architect, Project Management Advisors (PMA)

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12:50pm  – 1:20pm | AFTERNOON KEYNOTE

UNITING GENOMICS, INNOVATION, AND PARTNERSHIPS TO TRANSFORM THE FUTURE OF LIFE SCIENCES

SPEAKER:

• • Lon Cardon, PhD, FMedSci, President & CEO, The Jackson Laboratory

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1:20pm – 1:50pm

A LANDMARK ALLIANCE: THE JACKSON LABORATORY/ NEW YORK STEM CELL FOUNDATION

The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) and the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) formed a landmark alliance in July 2025 to accelerate disease research and therapy discovery by combining their expertise in genomics, AI-enabled data science, and stem cell research.

Both organizations are driven by a shared goal to transform human health through innovative science and discovery. The alliance will merge JAX's genomic and live/cellular model capabilities with NYSCF's cutting-edge stem cell and AI-enabled data science expertise with a goal to speed up the discovery of life-changing therapies and cures for complex diseases.

The Jackson Laboratory encompasses two research campuses, including its headquarters in Bar Harbor, Maine, and The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, located in Farmington, Connecticut.  JAX Genomic Medicine, which opened in 2014 next to the UConn Health campus, facilitates research and clinical collaborations with Connecticut’s many universities and hospitals.

MODERATOR:

• • Mary Dickinson, Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, The Jackson Laboratory

SPEAKERS:

• • Daniel Paull, PhD, Senior Vice President, Discovery & Platform Development New York Stem Cell Foundation
  • Martin Pera, PhD, Professor, The Jackson Laboratory

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1:50pm – 2:30pm

INTRODUCTION TO LONDON LIFE SCIENCES WEEK /
LONDON, UK INAUGURAL SYMPOSIUM

London Life Sciences Week (LLSW), November 16th – 23rd, is the annual event that brings together the global biotech community for a dynamic week of networking, dealmaking, and celebrating innovation in life sciences.

Centered around the prestigious Jefferies European Healthcare Conference, which draws over 1,300 senior decision-makers and more than 3,300 attendees from international life sciences companies and investor firms, LLSW provides an exceptional platform to connect, collaborate, and explore the latest advancements in the sector.

Builds Bio+ is partnering with MedCity and London & Partners to promote the event and will be participating in industry meetings throughout the week, including:

• Conquering Cancer – Innovators Forum on November 17th
• Inaugural London/ UK Life Sciences Symposium on November 20, 2025

This collaboration is key to building a vibrant transatlantic relationship between three life science powerhouses: New York Metro, Philadelphia and London/UK.

KEYNOTE | British Land: 1 Triton Square
London’s Nucleus for the Knowledge Community

• • Simon Hepher-Davies, Head of Asset Management – Regent’s Place and Innovation Assets (Virtual)

2:00 PM – 2:20 PM SPEAKERS:

• • Timothy Burke, Director Of Strategic Relationships, Merrick & Company
  • Bennett John, Senior Capital Investment Officer, Real Estate-North America, British Consulate New York
  • Ryan Matenchuk, Chief Executive Officer, Galileo Labs

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2:20pm – 3:00pm

THE CAPITAL CATALYST: ALTERNATIVE FINANCING MECHANISMS FOR LIFE SCIENCE INVESTMENTS

This discussion, designed for specific and intentional engagement with family office principals, institutional investors, and pioneering life science innovators, focuses on addressing the crucial need for a sustainable capital foundation for innovation. Moving beyond the short-term return cycles of conventional investment models, this candid conversation will explore how patient, values-aligned capital from sources like Private Family Offices and Philanthropic Foundations is uniquely positioned to fuel the profound breakthroughs in human health and sustainability. This is particularly relevant given the ongoing economic uncertainties and policy pressures facing the life sciences sector. This strategic approach to financing is vital for sustaining the rapid growth of the NY Metro's life sciences ecosystem and accelerating the discovery of life-changing therapies.

MODERATOR:

• Nancy J Kelley, President & CEO, Nancy J Kelley + Associates

SPEAKERS:

• Randall N. Hyer, MD, PhD, MPH, Chief Executive Officer, Merlin Biotech
• Mona Jhaveri, PhD, Founder, Executive Director and Chairman of the Board, Music Beats Cancer
• Richard Novak, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder, Unravel Biosciences
• Eric Schaefer, Senior Director, Portfolio Strategy & Investment, March of Dimes
• Michael F Chou, PhD, CEO & Co-Founder,  iXbio

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3:00pm – 4:00pm

RECEPTION AND INCUBATOR/ EXHIBIT INNOVATION HALL