Dr. Marianne van der Steen is a transatlantic life sciences entrepreneur, venture builder, and professor, recognized for building and scaling high-impact ventures at the intersection of regenerative medicine, life sciences innovation, and advanced biomanufacturing. She is considered a leading ecosystem builder in regenerative medicine, with a strong track record in translating breakthrough science into ventures and scalable clinical solutions and is a proven fundraiser who has raised and mobilized over €500 million to build and scale leading regenerative medicine initiatives.

She is Professor of Entrepreneurship in Healthcare at Maastricht University, the Regenerative Medicine Institute and the Cardiovascular Institute, and holds academic appointments at the University of California, Irvine (2016-2024) and Arizona State University.

Dr. van der Steen is Founder & CEO of Hummingbird Biomedical Venture Studio (2024), based on the Mayo Clinic campus in Arizona, where she originates and scales next-generation life sciences ventures. She also serves as Global Strategic Partnerships and Venture Lead at Demcon Life Sciences & Health, where she drives venture creation and international partnerships by integrating capital, clinical networks, and Demcon’s high-tech engineering capabilities across teams of over 400 engineers.

She is Founder & CEO of ReGEN Biomedical (2021–2026), developing automated manufacturing platforms for tissue-engineered therapies, for which she raised €24 million in startup capital.

Previously, she was Co-Founder and CEO of REGMED XB (2016–2023), a leading translational institute in regenerative medicine. She raised over €250 million to establish and scale the institute and designed a commercialization model that systematically converts scientific breakthroughs into ventures and industry partnerships. Under her leadership, REGMED XB became structurally embedded in leading international ecosystems, including Harvard’s HSCI, Landmark Bio (Boston), and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM).

Across her career, Dr. van der Steen has raised and mobilized more than €500 million in capital across ventures, funds, and public-private initiatives. She co-founded, together with Biogeneration Ventures, the €10 million pre-seed fund FIRST (2020), and secured €56 million through the Dutch National Growth Fund (2021).

Her core strength lies in originating, structuring, and scaling complex life sciences ecosystems—bringing together investors, corporates, hospitals, key opinion leaders (KOLs), and entrepreneurs to build and grow ventures. She acts as a strategic connector and dealmaker across Europe, the United States, and the Middle East, enabling capital formation, company creation, and international scale-up.

Dr. van der Steen serves on the boards of multiple (pre-)seed funds and is a strategic advisor to AI Capital and Ohana Capital Partners. She is part of the core team of the Mayo Clinic MedTech Accelerator and a member of the Mayo Clinic Discovery Oasis Startup Committee.

Since 2006, she has held numerous executive and non-executive roles, including founder, CEO, board member, investor, and advisor to life sciences ventures in Europe and the United States. She also serves on the Life Sciences & Health Advisory Board to the Dutch government.

Dr. Chris Yoo is not only a successful entrepreneur; he’s an innovative visionary within the healthcare and life science startup ecosystem. With over 25 years of experience, Chris is building companies and the very foundation upon which future breakthroughs are made. Chris accomplishes this through his unique blend of scientific expertise, entrepreneurial acumen, and a deep commitment to fostering collaborative ecosystems.

As a serial entrepreneur, Chris consistently bridges the gap between cutting-edge science and impactful solutions. From co-founding Systems Imagination, a pioneer in AI for drug discovery, to shaping the future of cancer treatment with Systems Oncology, his ventures consistently champion disruptive technologies. Beyond these ventures, Chris’ track record speaks volumes. He successfully founded and exited ventures including MedTrust Online, the world’s first online cancer doctor community, TransMed Partners, the first boutique consultancy for translational medicine, and LabBook, the pioneering electronic lab notebook. His ability to not only identify these innovations but also shepherd them towards successful application solidifies Chris’ position as a leader at the forefront of the bioscience revolution.

Chris’s deep scientific background (PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology) combined with his entrepreneurial spirit bridges the gap between groundbreaking ideas and real-world impact. He actively participates in Arizona’s innovation infrastructure as the Regional Innovation Officer of the Medical Device Manufacturing Multiplier (MDM2) Consortium, a member of the Flinn Biosciences Roadmap Steering Committee, an ambassador for the Right to Start Movement and board member for a multitude of startups across the healthcare industry. In addition, Chris teaches at Arizona State and Grand Canyon Universities, works as a venture mentor for ASU’s Venture Devils MedTech and Arizona Commerce Authority’s new venture programs, and actively invests in Arizona Tech Investors, Canyon Angels, and InvestU angel networks. Finally, as CEO of Yoo & Co Accelerators, Chris continues to drive the adoption of transformative technologies through angel investment and acceleration of new ventures, working alongside the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators.

Chris is the ultimate connector, a bridge between academia and industry. His comprehensive understanding of the entrepreneurial journey, from ideation to exit, and the resources available within the entrepreneurial ecosystem makes him an ideal partner for anyone seeking to engage in the exciting and evolving industry of healthcare and life science innovation and investment.

Hsiao-Ling Hung, Ph.D. is a pharmaceutical regulatory consultant with nearly three decades of experience in biotech and pharmaceutical R&D. She advises biotech and pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. and Taiwan on regulatory development strategies, product development, and licensing opportunities.

Dr. Hung previously served as Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance at Ambrx Biopharma, and held key regulatory leadership roles at Bristol Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson. Throughout her career, she has led global regulatory strategies for multiple drug development programs and helped guide therapies through complex regulatory pathways.

Before entering regulatory affairs, Dr. Hung trained as a scientist and worked in preclinical research. Her own career transition from scientist to regulatory strategist has shaped her passion for mentoring the next generation of biotech professionals. She has served on the board of the Taiwanese American Biotech Association for more than six years and currently serves as its President.

Dr. Hung received her B.S. in Medical Technology from National Taiwan University and her Ph.D. in Pathology and Molecular Biology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Shao-Jen Weng is the Dean of the College of Interdisciplinary Innovation and a tenured Professor at Tunghai University, Taiwan. With over 20 years of research and industrial practice in Industrial Engineering, his expertise centers on Healthcare Systems Engineering and Smart Healthcare. Prior to his current roles, he earned his Ph.D. from Arizona State University and has held significant leadership positions including the Director of the Healthcare Systems Research Center.

Focusing on simulation optimization and hospital resource management, he has led numerous high-profile projects funded by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and has secured major industry collaborations. As the founder and coordinator of the Healthcare Systems Consortium (HSC), he bridges the gap between engineering and clinical practice, fostering a national ecosystem for smart medicine.

C. Joseph Chang, MHA, is a healthcare executive with nearly 25 years of leadership experience in Southern California hospitals, including serving as President and CEO of East Valley Hospital Medical Center from 2001 to 2014. Throughout his career, he held senior executive roles at major healthcare organizations across the San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles region, specializing in hospital administration, operations, and business development.

Since retiring from hospital leadership in 2014, Mr. Chang has remained actively engaged in nonprofit healthcare initiatives, community service, and education. He has served on numerous boards and advisory committees, including the Huntington Library, Huntington Medical Research Institutes, and Chinatown Service Center Health. An elected member of the San Marino Unified School District Board of Education since 2001, he has championed innovative programs in STEM, healthcare education, humanities, and dual-language immersion. His longstanding commitment to healthcare, education, and community service has earned him multiple leadership and civic awards throughout his career.

Dr. Yao-Chuan Chang is currently a Principal System Engineer at Synchron, where he leads the system architecture, integration, and verification of next-generation Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) medical devices. With over 15 years of experience spanning biomedical engineering, neurostimulation, and neuroscience, his expertise comprehensively covers the central, peripheral, and retinal nervous systems. At Synchron, he spearheads applied clinical research evaluating BCI system robustness, architecting study protocols to ensure these advanced technologies meet rigorous safety, reliability, and regulatory standards such as FDA and ISO compliance. Prior to this role, Dr. Chang served as a Senior Biomedical/Neural Engineer at Medtronic, providing technical leadership for emerging neurotechnologies and driving system development through pre-clinical studies and computational simulations. He also advanced the field of bioelectronic medicine as a Staff Scientist at The Feinstein Institutes, designing closed-loop systems for fiber-selective and function-specific neuromodulation. Earning his Ph.D. in Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering from the University of Southern California, Dr. Chang’s innovative contributions have been widely recognized, most recently with the Synchron Decoder Whisperer Award FY25 and the Medtronic Technical Excellence Award FY24.

Sheng-Hsiou (Shawn) Hsu is Chief Technology Officer at Kura Care Inc., where he leads the development of a digital health platform using generative AI, machine learning, and cloud infrastructure for personalized care. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from NTU and a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from UC San Diego. Shawn began his career at Google X and was a founding member of NextSense, a neurotechnology startup focused on wearable health devices. He later served as Director of Data Science at Arctop, advancing brain-computer interfaces and human-AI interaction. His work focuses on translating multimodal biomedical data into actionable insights and practical platforms across health and clinical applications. Outside of his core work, he supports the entrepreneurial community and mentors others through career coaching, and remains interested in how humans and AI can collaborate more effectively.

Chien-Cheng (Mike) Shih, Ph.D., is a data scientist at Novartis Biomedical Research in San Diego, where he applies AI and computer vision to drive drug discovery decisions across data modalities ranging from cellular imaging to medical imaging, including the day-to-day analytical assays that power early discovery. He partners closely with biologists and chemists to translate experimental questions into machine learning workflows, with a focus on phenotypic screening and image-based assays. Dr. Shih earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Georgetown University and previously served as a research scientist in image informatics at Washington University’s Center for Cellular Imaging (WUCCI), where his work spanned 3D segmentation, super-resolution analysis, and nonlinear optical imaging. His current focus pairs benchmarking and evaluation of image foundation models for biomedical imaging with the design of multi-agent generative AI workflows that scale experimentation and analysis — bridging biological domain expertise with modern machine learning system design to accelerate phenotypic and translational drug discovery.

Dr. Yi-Hsiang Hsu serves as VP and Head of Computational Biology and Human Genetics at ProFound Therapeutics (a Flagship Pioneering company) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, while maintaining academic affiliations as program director and faculty at the Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Harvard Medical School, and at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

An innovative computational biologist and statistical geneticist with over 15 years of experience, Dr. Hsu applies bioinformatics, statistical methods, and AI/deep learning approaches to drug target and biomarker discovery, clinical trial design, and patient stratification. He has demonstrated expertise across oncology, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, and cardiometabolic disorders. Dr. Hsu leads multidisciplinary teams of data scientists, bioinformaticians, computational biologists, informatics programmers, and experimental scientists; he has contributed to 11 IND submissions and has spearheaded 14 target and biomarker discovery and development programs, providing scientific and strategic leadership for the management and modeling of human multi omics data pipelines and cross functional projects.

A highly cited researcher with 200+ publications in human genetics and multi omics, including contributions to NEJM, Cell, Nature, JAMA, Lancet, etc… Dr. Hsu’s research focuses on the genetic contribution to aging related disorders using population based whole genome and exome sequencing and GWAS; statistical method development for multi phenotype association analyses; and AI deep-learning, 3D chromatin structure and perturbation screening to build gene regulatory landscapes and to identify causal genes involved in disease pathophysiology.

Dr. Diane Tang-Liu is the Co-Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of AiViva BioPharma, a clinical-stage biotechnology firm specializing in innovative therapeutics for ophthalmology, dermatology, and oncology.

With over 35 years of leadership in the global pharmaceutical sector, Dr. Tang-Liu has overseen the entire spectrum of translational drug development through regulatory execution. Her experience includes building multidisciplinary R&D organizations and playing pivotal roles in the growth of biotechnology ventures. She possesses significant expertise in expediting drug development while maximizing long-term intellectual property value. Dr. Tang-Liu’s efforts have consistently merged scientific innovation with effective clinical strategies, enabling multiple products to reach commercialization. Before founding AiViva, she co-founded Allgenesis Biotherapeutics in Taiwan, and previously served as a senior executive at Allergan, where she led the development of novel therapies across several specialty areas.

Dr. Tang-Liu is an elected Fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and the American College of Clinical Pharmacology. She has contributed to more than 80 peer-reviewed publications and holds over 80 patents as named inventor. Alongside her industry roles, she is a Full Adjunct Professor at the School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, and at the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco.

Her accomplishments have been recognized with honors including the Vision in America Award from International Channel Network and being named one of the World’s Top 10 Outstanding Chinese Businesswoman Entrepreneurs by the Global Federation of Chinese Businesswomen. Dr. Tang-Liu holds a B.S. in Pharmacy from National Taiwan University and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of California, San Francisco.

Francesco Cutrale, PhD is a founder, engineer, and scientist whose work lives at the intersection of biotech, imaging, and translational technology. As Co-Founder and CTO of Kulia Labs, he leads the development of multi-modal imaging platforms that bring laboratory-grade optical intelligence into real-world health applications. He has built multiple ventures including Lena Labs and Scopulus Optics, and brings a hands-on perspective on what it takes to move ideas from the bench to the market, with deep cross-border ties spanning Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the broader U.S.–Asia biotech landscape.

Kat is an attorney at Hille Firm specializing in life sciences transactions and clinical data privacy, with a background in international law and biotech contracting. She previously worked with the legal team at Arcturus Therapeutics, managing transactions across research, clinical development, manufacturing, licensing, and government contracting. Earlier, she was a Senior Associate at DS Avocats, an international business law firm operating across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Vietnam Health Clinic, a nonprofit providing healthcare to underserved communities in the U.S. and Vietnam. She holds a J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law. At this year’s SoCal TBA symposium, Kat speaks on the transactional and legal challenges in global clinical trial supply chains.

Erik brings over two decades of expertise at the intersection of economics, healthcare, and data-driven decision-making. As Vice President of Modeling & Analytics at MDM, a leading Health Economics and Outcomes Research consultancy, he specializes in building pharmacoeconomic models that help the biopharmaceutical industry evaluate the value and viability of new treatments. His career spans financial and healthcare consulting, with deep experience in analytical economic modeling across the drug development and commercialization lifecycle.

Erik holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Experimental and Behavioral Economics from Southern Methodist University and a B.S. in Biology from Caltech.

At this year’s SoCal TBA symposium, Erik will discuss drug pricing, one of the most misunderstood forces in biopharma. Drawing on his work modeling treatments for global pharmaceutical clients, he will demystify the process. We will review how prices are set using models of treatment outcomes and Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER). We will also review the strikingly different willingness to pay (pricing) in the U.S. versus markets abroad, and the consequences of this on industry go-to-market strategy.

Aerie Lin serves as the Associate Director, Patent Counsel at Insmed Incorporated, where he oversees intellectual property and commercial strategies for biopharmaceutical pipelines, striving to deliver advanced therapies to help patients facing serious genetic diseases. His deeply rooted expertise in life sciences and biotechnology traces directly back to his postdoctoral research and Ph.D. in Molecular Neurobiology from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. A San Diego native, he is a UC San Diego alumnus, holding a B.S. in Animal Physiology and Neuroscience alongside a minor in East Asian History. Aerie received his legal training through his J.D. from the California Western School of Law and developed his patent prosecution experience at the intellectual property law firms Knobbe Martens and Lucem.

Christopher K. Lee is a healthcare and technology strategist. He has worked across the public health ecosystem from a community clinic to an academic medical center, from a digital health startup to a large health insurer. Within these settings, he specialized in launching new products and services.

Chris is a venture partner at GoAhead Ventures, where he sources and evaluates early-stage technology startups. He teaches at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and advises for Bruin Entrepreneurs. Previously, he had served as a participant ambassador for the NIH All of Us Research Program.

Outside of healthcare and innovation, Chris is passionate about helping others find clarity for their lives and careers. He is the author of the book “The Five Elements of Professional Networking”. And he has spoken at dozens of universities and professional associations about work, meaning, and identity.

Chris holds a Master of Public Health Degree from San Diego State University and a BA in Psychology from UC Irvine. He has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, and Forbes.

Dr. Debbie Lin has over 20 years of life science business leadership experience. Currently, Debbie is Vice President for Strategic Collaborations at Caris Life Sciences, a precision oncology company. She is also a venture partner at T.Rx Capital, an early stage health and biotech fund where she builds and incubates new companies and leads and supports venture fundraising. She’s excited about her current endeavor in building a CNS company for T.Rx.

She spent 15 years at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma in global and US roles. She was Executive Director for Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund and held operational roles as Global Director of Corporate Development and in roles in Health Economics and Medical Affairs.

Debbie is Adjunct Faculty at UCLA Anderson School of Business. She received her BA in Chemistry and Public Policy from Pomona College, a Masters in Operations Engineering Decision Systems from Stanford, Masters in Health Policy from UCLA and PhD in Pharmacology and Bioinformatics at UCSF.

Christopher Korban is the Co-Founder and CEO of Revilico Inc, where he leads the development of an AI and physics-driven operating system for small molecule drug discovery. Revilico is digitizing pharmaceutical R&D, empowering every chemist and biologist with unified virtual simulations and closed loop experimentation to develop better medicines faster, and with greater precision.

His technical expertise spans quantum chemistry, machine learning potentials, and multi-omic analytics, resulting in a 10x reduction in experimental waste and a 20x increase in high-throughput screening hit rates across the pharmaceutical industry using end to end operating system technology. Trained at UCLA, Korban’s extensive research background includes managing high-throughput screening campaigns of over 300,000 compounds for incurable genetic disorders, developing AI-enabled diagnostics, and engineering protein polymer bioconjugates for drug delivery. Throughout his career, he has led the direct advancement of 14 therapeutic pipelines from target identification through to lead optimization across pancreatic cancer, TNBC, lifespan extension, IPF/MASH.

Over the past 15+ years, Kaushal Solanki has worked across the full lifecycle of medical AI innovation, translating core AI algorithms into real-world clinical impact and market adoption.

Kaushal Solanki founded Eyenuk and served as its CEO, growing the company from an early concept to global scale. He directed the development and clinical validation of EyeArt, an autonomous AI system for diabetic retinopathy detection, and drove the overarching product vision and go-to-market execution. Along the way, they secured NIH funding, achieved major regulatory milestones including FDA clearance, established novel reimbursement pathways, and built commercial adoption in the U.S. and internationally.

Kaushal Solanki is now Founder & CEO of Solan Health, where they are building clinical-grade AI systems designed to extend specialist-level expertise through safe, scalable, patient-centered models, with a current emphasis on cardiovascular and cardio-kidney-metabolic health. Prior to Kaushal Solanki’s Medtech ventures, he was a Research Scientist at Mayachitra, where he led DARPA and DoD image analysis programs from concept through productization. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from UC Santa Barbara, has authored 80+ publications with more than 2,500 citations, and is an inventor on multiple patents.

Lauren Supraner is president of CAL Learning, an intercultural communication coaching and training company. Since founding CAL Learning in 2004, she’s helped thousands improve their culture and language skills for success in the US workplace and on global teams. Her training focuses on adopting the cultural mindset, persuasive language, and clarity of speech for workplace success and advancement. She coaches global leaders to build effective messaging that is clear, compelling, and culturally appropriate.

Lauren is the author of Accent Reduction for Chinese Speakers and has published articles on cross cultural communication in HR Magazine and Multilingual Magazine. She has lived and worked in Thailand and Japan. Partial Client List: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Eikon Therapeutics, BD, Amgen, Colgate-Palmolive, Disney, META.