Agenda

4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Registration and Hotel Check-in

6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Welcome Reception & Dinner

7:00 – 8:00 a.m.

Yoga/Pilates

8:00 – 9:00 a.m.

Breakfast

9:00 – 9:45 a.m.

Business Development Panel: What do large pharma acquirers actually look for when evaluating a target — and what can make or break a deal?

A candid conversation on how acquirers’ source, assess, and pursue acquisitions, and what boards of life sciences companies should understand about how they are seen from the other side of the table. We will also discuss the role that boards can have in making sure their company is best prepared for a potential transaction, even before offers are solicited or received.

Moderator:
Farah Gerdes, Partner, Wilson Sonsini

Speakers:
Catherine Arnold, Partner, Centerview Partners
Ramlah Nehring, Global Head of Partnering, Partnerships and Transactions, Roche

9:45 – 10:00 a.m.

Networking Break

10:00 – 10:30 a.m.

The LP Perspective: What Allocators Look for in Managers

As institutional capital becomes more selective, what actually drives an LP’s decision to back a fund? In this candid conversation, Sarah Samuels, Chief Investment Officer & Partner at NEPC, shares a rare look from the allocator’s side of the table — how LPs evaluate fund managers, assess track record and think about portfolio construction. How can a GP stand out from the crowd and ‘Define Your Edge’? What does a leading allocator wish a GP knew going into a fundraise? How should future GPs think about the role and what it takes to be successful?

Speaker:
Sarah Samuels, Chief Investment Officer & Partner, NEPC

10:30 – 11:10 a.m.

Fundraising in Life Sciences: What LPs Want GPs to Know

For GPs navigating today’s fundraising environment, understanding how LPs evaluate and select managers has never mattered more. This panel brings together institutional allocators and fund managers with deep life sciences investing experience — including perspectives from a fund-of-funds, an OCIO, and general partners actively raising and deploying capital — for a candid conversation on what LPs look for in a manager today, how due diligence and manager selection have evolved, and what separates funds that raise successfully from those that struggle. We will take a deeper look at how the evolving landscape around AI tech investing, public markets and a general dynamic of increasing concentration impacts the Life Sciences sector.

Moderator:
Anna French, Managing Partner, Qiming Venture Partners USA

Speaker:
Julie Grant, General Partner, Canaan
Barbara Piette, Founder and Managing Partner, Avoca Partners
Sarah Samuels, Chief Investment Officer & Partner, NEPC

11:10 – 11:25 a.m.

Networking Break

11:25 – 12:05 p.m.

Roundtables – LP-GP Dialogue

A candid, small-group discussion bringing together LP and GP perspectives on fundraising in today’s life sciences market. An opportunity for you to share your perspectives and ask questions.

Moderators:
Barbara Piette, Founder and Managing Partner, Avoca Partners
Sarah Samuels, Chief Investment Officer & Partner, NEPC

Interactive discussion in small group discussion format

12:05 – 1:30 p.m.

Networking Lunch & Program

The Management Board Relationship: A candid conversation with an experienced C-suite executive and board member on the dynamics between management and the board — exploring what founders and operators need from their investor-directors, and how the best board relationships are built on trust, candor, and well-timed support.

Moderator:
Karen Deschaine, Partner, Wilson Sonsini

Speaker:
Kate Haviland, Board Chair, GC Tx and Fulcrum Tx

1:30 – 2:00 p.m.

Afternoon Break

2:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Spa Activities

5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Afternoon Break

6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Networking Reception

7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Dinner

7:30 – 8:00 a.m.

Nature Walk

8:00 – 9:00 a.m.

Networking Breakfast

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.

Crisis Management: What does effective board leadership look like before, during, and after a corporate crisis?

A leading crisis management expert shares a practical framework for preparing for, responding to, and recovering from a range of potential crises.

Moderator:
Karen Deschaine, Partner, Wilson Sonsini

Speaker:
Samantha Lasky, Founder & Principal Consultant, SJL Group Consulting

10:00 a.m.

Departure