Ronald Dorenbos, Vice President, Business Development, Evotec (Moderator)
Ronald Dorenbos is the Vice President of Business Development at Evotec, known for his strategic and innovative leadership. With a passion for leading cross-functional teams and driving innovation, Ronald has delivered impactful strategies, including a digital transformation for a global pharma operating in over 90 countries and revitalizing an underperforming oncology asset for a top 10 pharmaceutical company. A keynote speaker on AI, pharma, and healthcare innovation, Ronald brings positive energy to diverse projects. His extensive global academic and industry network further enhances his ability to identify and seize out-of-the-box opportunities, helping organizations perform at their best.

Wayne Boulais, Co-Founder & Partner, Tensility Venture Partners
Wayne Boulais has 24 years of venture capital experience and is currently Co-founder and Managing Director of Tensility Venture Partners. Tensility is a seed stage firmfocused on Enterprise Software applications of Artificial Intelligence. A few of the firm’s notable exits are Duo Security, DocuSign, Kenna Security. The firm is currently raising their Fund III. Wayne and his co-founder at Tensility focus on founders creating Clinical Digital Health, Security, Vertical Industry and AI infrastructure applications. Prior to his investment experience, Mr. Boulais worked at Mercer Management Consulting (now Oliver Wyman) and Raytheon Corporation. Mr. Boulais holds an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as well as a Master and Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts.

Carter Caldwell, Program Director, Penn Medicine Co-Investment Program, Penn Center for Innovation (PCI)
Carter is the Director of the Penn Medicine Co-Investment Program, overseeing investments in cell therapy, gene therapy, mRNA, lipid nanoparticle, and connected health sectors. With decades of experience as an entrepreneur and investor, he sources faculty-driven investment opportunities, manages co-investor relationships, and supports program governance. Previously, he was a Managing Director at Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, managing over $500 million in assets. He also founded and led two software companies, Quazant Technology and Acorn Systems, the latter acquired by Ignite Technologies in 2014. Carter holds an MBA from Columbia University and a BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

Shahram Hejazi, Partner, BioAdvance
Dr. Shahram Hejazi is a life science investor and entrepreneur with extensive experience in managing both early-stage ventures and large global companies. As Managing Director and CEO of BioAdvance, he leads the organization’s strategic direction with a focus on investments in research tools, devices, diagnostics, and digital health. He serves on the boards of several companies, including Halo Labs, Talex Medical, and Oncora Medical, and is Chairman of the Philadelphia Pediatric Device Consortium at CHOP. Previously, Dr. Hejazi was President of Kodak’s life science division and CEO of Zargis Medical, where he led the company through FDA approval and its eventual sale to 3M. He is also a part-time faculty member at Princeton University and a former Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship. Dr. Hejazi holds a PhD in electrical engineering with a focus on biophysics from SUNY Buffalo and has executive business education from Stanford University.

Garrett Peterson, Chief Revenue Officer, Yahara Ventures
Garrett Peterson, Chief Revenue Officer at Yahara Software, brings 35 years of IT management experience, driving innovation in life sciences and Biohealth informatics. He leads Yahara’s efforts in developing advanced software solutions that enhance technology investments in Biohealth and scientific instrumentation. Under his leadership, Yahara has become a leader in Biohealth innovation, implementing cutting-edge laboratory systems for the CDC and developing digital health platforms for global initiatives. Garrett’s background as CIO of Wisconsin’s State Public Health Laboratory gives him unique insights into the needs of tech transfer offices, universities, and research labs. He holds a BA in Computer Science and an MBA, combining technical expertise with business acumen. Outside work, Garrett is active in the Biohealth community and enjoys playing music with his band, The Yarddogs.

Mike Thomas, Managing Partner, Bold Brain Capital
Mike was a Venture Capitalist at Inova Health System Strategic Investments (ISI), where he managed a $150M strategic fund with a 33.9% IRR and a 1.3x multiple on invested capital. Before Inova, Mike spent over 20 years as a healthcare technology CEO, raising $125M in capital and delivering shareholder returns ranging from 4x to 80x, including one IPO and one acquisition. He was the founder and CEO of Appian Medical, focusing on sleep apnea, and previously led iSonea Ltd, where he grew its market cap from $4M to $250M. Mike began his career at Merck and GlaxoWellcome and holds a degree in Microbiology from Cornell. He serves on the boards of Tanzen Medical and Bone Index Limited.