Tuesday, August 25

5:00 - 7:30 PM | Welcome Reception and Golden Helix Awards Ceremony

Wednesday, August 26

8:00 – 8:45 AM | Registration & Networking Breakfast

8:45 – 9:00 AM | Welcome & State of the Ecosystem

9:00 – 9:40 AM | Panel Discussion: The Power of Regional Ecosystems: How States Drive National Innovation 

This panel brings together state association and regional hub leaders to explore how localized strategies are shaping the future of the U.S. life sciences sector. Panelists will share how their regions are building and scaling successful ecosystems—through strategic investments in infrastructure, workforce development, research partnerships, and policy alignment. The discussion will highlight what differentiates leading states, how they compete and collaborate, and the role regional hubs play in strengthening the nation’s ability to innovate, manufacture, and deliver life-saving technologies.

• Mason Ailstock, President & CEO, Rowen Foundation 

• Joshua T. Hoffman, Director, Healthcare, Ohio Life Sciences Association  

• Tom Luby, Chief Innovation Officer, Texas Medical Center 

9:45-10:30 AM | CEO Spotlights: Decisions That Define a Company 

Presented by BioSpark Labs

• Lori Chmura, CEO, Nyra Medical 

• Samir Patel, President & CEO, Moonlight Therapeutics 

• Dr. Nikhil L. Shah, CEO and Co-Founder, Nephrodite 

• Gareth Sheridan, Founder & CEO, Nutriband 

10:30-11:10 | Panel Discussion: From Discovery to Delivery: AI and the Future of Therapeutics & Diagnostics

As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes the life sciences landscape, the convergence of AI, biopharma innovation, and advanced manufacturing is redefining how therapeutics and diagnostics move from discovery to delivery. This panel will bring together leaders from emerging AI-driven biotech companies and global biopharmaceutical organizations to explore how new technologies, data-driven approaches, and scalable production models are accelerating drug discovery, improving development efficiency, and transforming the commercialization of next-generation therapies and diagnostics. Discussion will also examine the operational, regulatory, and manufacturing challenges associated with scaling innovation to meet growing patient and market demands.

• Edgar Rivera Hernandez, Director – Georgia & Puerto Rico, RoviSys 

• Raghavan Venugopal, Senior Director of Computational Pathology R&D, Roche Diagnostics Solutions

11:10-11:30 | Break

11:30-12:00 | Keynote 

• Tim Opler, Managing Director, Stifel 

Noon- 12:20 | Boxed Lunch/ Break

12:20-1:20 | Startup Showcase 

Presented by Johnson & Johnson

1:20-1:30 | Transition

1:30 – 2:10 | Panel Discussion: Resilience, Supply Chains, and the Future of U.S. Life Sciences Manufacturing

Moving beyond broad discussions of “supply chain resilience,” the conversation will focus on the real, boardroom-level decisions shaping strategy today: balancing cost versus redundancy, global efficiency versus regional manufacturing footprint, and speed versus regulatory complexity. At the core of these decisions is a rigorous cost-benefit analysis—how companies evaluate risk, investment, and return when determining where and how to build, scale, and source.

Importantly, the discussion will bridge strategy and execution—examining not only how these decisions are made, but how they are operationalized on the ground. Panelists will share practical insights into implementation challenges, trade-offs encountered during execution, and the tensions between long-term strategy and near-term realities.

• Attly Aycock, CEO, Remington Medical

• Gary S. Lynch, CEO and Founder, The Risk Project, LLC

• Scott Nudelman, Co-Founder and Managing Principal, Vitrian

• Scott Rizzo, Board of Directors, Bend Biosciences (moderator) 

2:10- 3:00 | Spark Sessions: Scaling in Georgia  

Presented by Jones Day

• Alison Cernich, Ph.D., Director, Shriners Children’s Research Institute

• Kimberly Eck, MPH, PhD, Sr. Associate Vice President for Research, Emory University

• Angela Nelms, Managing Director, Biolocity

3:00-3:30 | Refreshment Break

3:30- 4:10 | Panel Discussion: From Policy to Pitch: What Investors Want in Today’s Life Sciences Landscape

This session will begin with a fireside chat featuring John Guy, Policy Director at Incubate Coalition, who will share insights from recent investor surveys and conversations examining the policy issues most influencing life sciences investment decisions today.

Building on these insights, the session will transition into a discussion with venture capital leaders on how emerging companies can effectively address these concerns in their fundraising strategy and investor messaging. From regulatory pathways, drug pricing, and Most Favored Nation (MFN) policies to federal funding priorities, FDA stability, and global competitiveness, the conversation will explore how policy uncertainty and market dynamics are shaping capital allocation across the sector.

• Wayne Elowe, Co-Chair, Life Sciences, Medical Technology Group, and Corporate Practice, Greenberg Traurig, LLP (moderator)

• John Gutierrez, MD, Principal, Ascenta Capital

• John Guy, Policy Director, Incubate Coalition 

• Patrick Jordan, Managing Partner, NovaQuest Capital Management

4:15: Closing Remarks 

4:30: Conclude