8:00am - 8:30am

REGISTRATION AND CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

8:30am – 8:45am

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION TO THE MEETING

SpeakerS:

• • Nancy J Kelley, JD/ MPP 
    President & CEO, Nancy J Kelley + Associates. Founding Member, Builds Bio+
  • Mitchel W. Simpler 
    Partner Emeritus, JB&B. Founding Member, Builds Bio+

8:45am – 9:00am

OPENING KEYNOTE

Speaker:

• • Christopher D. Hillyer, MD, President and CEO, New York Blood Center Enterprises

New York Blood Center Enterprises (NYBCe) has proudly served its community since 1964 as one of the largest independent, community-based blood centers, providing the highest quality blood and stem cell products and related medical and consultative services to hospitals and patients across the country.  It’s business units include:

• Comprehensive Cell Solutions, which offers its deep expertise in the development and manufacture of cell and gene therapies, using its GMP and GTP facilities.  CCS boasts a client roster comprised of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, innovative biotechnology organizations, and academic medical centers.
• NYBC Ventures, a $50M early-stage life sciences investment fund that will focus on investment in therapeutics, devices, and innovative technologies addressing the most pressing challenges in benign hematology, transfusion medicine, and infectious disease.
• Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, a global leader in basic and applied research in hematology and transfusion medicine with a prestigious team of investigators recognized globally for their innovative ideas and quality research.

A new NYBCe Rye NY campus is scheduled to open in late 2024. This 187,000-square-foot state-of-the-art campus, will be home to NYBCe’s tri-state operations, including space for life sciences research, blood collections, processing, and cell therapy manufacturing.

MARKET HIGHLIGHTS: NEW YORK

9:00am – 9:15am

SPARC KIPS BAY

The Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC) Kips Bay will be a first-of-its-kind job and education center in the heart of New York City, transforming the Hunter College Brookdale campus into a state-of-the-art life sciences, healthcare, and public health hub, and bringing public realm improvements to the broader Kips Bay neighborhood. The project will support the continued growth of the life sciences and healthcare industries in New York City through the construction of new facilities and the cultivation of the city’s talent pipeline in these industries. The SPARC Kips Bay Master Plan represents a shared vision for the future of this site and outlines key next steps to advance the project into design and construction.

SPEAKERS:

• • Adam Meagher, Senior Vice President, Director of Neighborhood Strategies,
    New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)
  • Mikko Baylosis, Assistant Vice President of the Life Sciences and Healthcare Initiatives portfolio,
    New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)
  • Molly McGowan, Partner, Ennead Architects 

9:15am – 10:00am

CITY OF YES FOR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY: UNDERSTANDING RECENT ZONING WINS FOR LIFE SCIENCES

On June 6, 2024, the City Council voted to approve the City of Yes for Economic Opportunity zoning text amendment. The amendment is one of three City of Yes zoning text amendments proposed by the Adams administration to address outdated provisions within the zoning text that unnecessarily restrict or limit housing, the implementation of green technology and infrastructure, and economic development. The City of Yes for Economic Opportunity zoning text amendment consists of several provisions aiming to reduce hurdles and obstacles for small business owners trying to find space to operate within the city.  It greatly expanded the number of locations where life science businesses could locate throughout NYC.

SPEAKERS:

• • Carolyn Grossman, Director of Economic Development and Regional Planning,
    NYC Department of City Planning 
  • Jeremy Kozin, Associate, Fried Frank 
    
  • Erin Stolz, Senior Technical Director, AKRF 
  • Anthony Montalto, Partner, Jaros, Baum & Bolles 
  • Jennifer Savicky, NY Territory Sales Manager, Safety Partners
  • James Gibaldi, Vice President, NYCEDC 

10:00am – 10:30am

INDUSTRY CROSS-POLLINATION & COLLABORATION: BIOENGINEERING AND HARD TECH IN BROOKLYN NY AND NEWARK NJ

Across City, State and National boundaries, new organizations are providing a place for climate and deep tech entrepreneurs to find the tools, space, and community to supercharge their ambition and create a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable world.  These organizations are mobilizing startups, industry leaders, governments, and investors to accelerate tangible progress against the world’s most pressing challenges across climate, industrial automation and human health. New York City and New Jersey are leading the way in this field with numerous initiatives working to unlock the power of biology to create the future.  This panel will highlight several of these organizations.

MODERATOR:

• • Kidd Solomon, Assistant Vice President, NYCEDC, Sustainable Bioeconomy on the Brooklyn Waterfront

Speakers:

• • Casey Lardner, Executive Director, Genspace 
  • Elena Soterakis, Co-Founder, Executive Director and Curator, BioBAT Art Space (Confirmed)
  • Paul Rubery, Executive Director, Biodesign Challenge
  • Ahmet Hamdi Cavusoglu, Program Director, Merck Digital Science Studio 

10:30am – 11:00am

BREAK – NETWORKING AND EXHIBIT HALL

11:00am – 11:40am

NY INCUBATOR/ STARTUP SPOTLIGHTS

Today, there are more than 33 incubators/ accelerator programs throughout the Greater NY Metro area, each offering homes and financial support to growing companies working on leading edge innovations in life sciences. The companies that graduate from these programs often take step out space of between 10,000 to 15,000 sq ft as they scale up their products and concepts and raise additional capital. They are the growth engines for the NY Metro life science economy. Several of these companies report on the progress of their programs and the products they are developing.

11:00am – 11:20am:
HARLEM BIOSPACE

• • Moderator:
    • Sam Sia, Professor and Provost, Columbia University 
  • Companies Showcased:
    
    • Aykut Aksit, Co-Founder and CEO, Haystack Medical
    • Mo Chen, CEO at WNT Scientific 
    • Philip Band, PhD., Chief Executive Officer, Cytodel

11:20am – 11:40am:
JLABS

• • Moderator:
    • Tingting Zhang-Kharas, Head of JLABS US Northeast, Johnson & Johnson Innovation 
  • Companies Showcased:
    • David Longo, Co-Founder and CEO, Ordaos Bio 
    • Dori Thomas-Karyat, PhD., Founder and CEO, Synthis Therapeutics 
    • Paul Romness, CEO, OS Therapies

MARKET HIGHLIGHTS:NEW JERSEY

11:40am – 12:20pm

EXPANDING NEW JERSEY’S LIFE SCIENCE INFRASTRUCTURE AND ECOSYTEM

Driven by strategic policies, collaboration, and state-of-the-art infrastructure projects, New Jersey's life science ecosystem is growing and continues to attract cutting-edge innovation. Developments like HELIX NJ, a 13-acre, 1.7 million-square-foot hub in downtown New Brunswick, are creating integrated research and commercialization spaces for global biotech firms and academic institutions. Similarly, NJII’s incubator of 110,000-square-foot of space across two buildings, houses private offices, dedicated parking, and wet labs.  This ecosystem is further bolstered by organizations like BioNJ, which connects biotech companies with investors and policymakers, and HINJ, whose policy reforms have strengthened the sector. Together, these initiatives and partnerships are continuing to propel New Jersey's status as a global leader in life sciences by delivering comprehensive, business-friendly support that ensures sustainable growth.

MODERATOR:

• • Sho Islam, Director, Office of Business Engagement, Department of Economic Development,
    Middlesex County NJ

SPEAKERS:

• • Debbie Hart, President & CEO, BioNJ
  • Chrissy Buteas, President & CEO, HealthCare Institute of New Jersey 
  • Michael Johnson, President, New Jersey Innovation Institute 
  • Chris Paladino, President, New Brunswick Development Corporation and CEO, HELIX 

12:20pm – 12:50pm

NEW JERSEY LIFE SCIENCES & RESEARCH PARK REPORT

New Jersey has over 19M SF of life sciences space in close proximity to NYC.  While New Jersey remains home to a large pharma community, several former pharma properties have been repurposed for multi-tenant biopharma use to serve the life sciences needs of the Greater NY Metro area.  Each offers a home to growing companies working on leading edge innovations in life sciences.  They are the growth engines for the NY Metro life science economy.  Some leaders of these research parks and a resident company will report on their progress.

MODERATOR:

• • Lenzie Harcum, Director, New Jersey Bioscience Center / Incubator at North Brunswick 

SPEAKERS:

• • John Pena, MD, PhD., Founder and CEO, Sonder RX, Cornell Medical School Spinoff

  • Matthew Flath, Senior Vice President Asset Management,
    Onyx - The Northeast Science and Technology (NEST) Center’s New State-of-the-Art Life Science Campus

  • Susan L. Levinson, PhD., Chief Executive Officer, BioAegis Therapeutics 

12:50pm – 1:30pm

LUNCH, NETWORKING AND EXHIBIT HALL

1:30pm – 2:00pm

LONDON/ NEW YORK METRO CONNECTION: INTRODUCING LONDON/UK BUILDS BIO+ CHAPTER

We are facing a global healthcare crisis that will affect us all in the coming year.  Thankfully, we are also experiencing an unprecedented opportunity to improve human health thanks to the scientific and technological advances in the age in which we are living.   Life Science Clusters make a crucial contribution to realizing this opportunity, highlighting the critical value of the new Builds BIO+ transatlantic partnership between London/UK and Metro New York, two clusters that share a lot in common for medicine and new technologies.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

• • Professor Sir Robert Lechler, MD, FRCP, FRCPATH, FMEDSCI, Emeritus Senior Vice President, King's College London and Board of the National Health Service (NHS) Non-Executive Director 
    

2:00pm – 2:30pm

THE LONDON RESEARCH REPORT AND STUDY TOUR 

From June 20^th to 22^nd, 2023, a Life Science Study Group from London visited New York City with an aim to foster knowledge exchange and collaboration between the life sciences communities in London and New York City.  The success of this trip resulted in a White Paper summarizing the key findings from the visit which was announced at a Summit at Savills in London in March 2024, followed by a New York Life Science Study Group visiting London/Oxford and Cambridge in April, 2024 and the formation of a London chapter of Builds BIO+ in September 2024.

The results of the 2024 Study Tour will be presented by the hosts and Founding Members of Builds BIO+ London.

MODERATOR:

• • Ryan Matenchuk, Chief Executive Officer, Galileo Life Science Property 

SPEAKERS:

• • Justin Cratty, Chief Scientific Experience Officer, Galileo Life Science Property 
    
  • Faaiza A. Lalji, Director Planning & Development, Precis Advisory 
    
  • Bennett John, Senior Capital Investment Officer, Real Estate. British Consulate General New York 
    
  • Roshni Prasad, Co-Head of Investor Relations, North America Investment Directorate,
    British Department for Business and Trade
  • Daniel Clark, Vice President and Director, Business Development, NYCEDC

2:30pm – 3:00pm

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN & NAVIGATING LOCAL LAW 97

Local Law No 97 of 2019, passed as a part of the Climate Mobilization Act by the New York City Council in March 2019, requires large (over 25,000 square feet in 2017) existing buildings in New York City reduce their emissions by 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050. This law is unique and novel in its aim, because it targets existing buildings and requires owners to invest in renovation and retrofitting to make their buildings more energy efficient.

For this reason and others related to climate change, cutting carbon is a hot topic in life science facilities. This session will highlight the must-dos for slashing emissions and talk about electrification and smart design that make buildings work better and smarter. The session will also focus on future-proofing, resiliency, and redundancy—key attributes that are essential in adapting to an ever-changing environment.

MODERATOR:

• • Timothy Hegarty, Partner, Zetlin & De Chiara

SPEAKERS:

• • Josh Winefsky, Partner, Kramer Levin, Naftalis & Frankel 
  • Zachary Steinberg, Senior Vice President, The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) 
    
  • Daniel Castner, AIA LEEDS, AP, Principal,
    Director-Life Science practice at Mancini Duffy and Co-Founder, I2SL Regional Chapter 
  • Richard Nowak, LEED, A.P., National Director,
    Syska Hennessy Group and Co-Founder, I2SL Regional Chapter 

3:00 PM – 3:20pm

UNVEILING THE BREAKTHROUGH ADVANCEMENTS TRANSFORMING THERAPEUTIC TREATMENTS AND RESEARCH

Women’s Health: When Geneticist Marlena Fejzo had a difficult start to her first pregnancy, her
doctor dismissed her extreme morning sickness. So, she found the gene behind it, launched a
new company to treat the condition and became Time Women of the Year. Harmonia
Healthcare plans to open an HG-focused treatment center in New Jersey before expanding to
New York City later this year.  

SPEAKER:

• • Leslie Gautam, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Harmonia Healthcare

Cell and Gene Therapy: In8Bio is pursuing new CGT approaches to address aggressive brain
tumors (Glioblastoma) that have not had a new approved therapy in 20 years.

SPEAKER:

• • William Ho, Director, President, CEO, and Co-Founder, In8Bio

3:20pm – 3:50pm

LIFE SCIENCE LANDSCAPE OUTLOOK 2025, GREATER NY METRO AREA

The closing session to hear how private and public investments are driving exponential growth for the life science industry despite current economic challenges, what new initiatives are furthering innovation in the space and what this means for the Greater NY Metropolitan Area.

This session will also highlight the private sector macro trends driving industry growth, map where concentrated development is occurring, and will provide a forecast for future opportunities and areas of expansion

MODERATOR:

• • Alex Philippidis, Senior Business Editor, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

SPEAKERS:

• • Chirag Surti, Executive Director, Morgan Stanley

4:00pm – 5:00pm

RECEPTION AND NETWORKING