Mr. Bendis is the Founder, President and CEO of BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI). BHI is a private/public partnership and innovation intermediary which focuses on accelerating the commercialization of BioHealth science and research based entrepreneurs and SME’s. BHI created and manages a unique Entrepreneur and Residence program with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and also provides business and commercialization services to its National and International portfolio of clients BH has a for profit subsidiary BHI Management Ince. Which owns equity in 28 companies and has successfully exited 7 of its portfolio companies.

He is a successful entrepreneur, corporate executive, angel investor, investment banker, innovation and technology- based economic development leader, international speaker and consultant in the technology and healthcare industries. He also served as the founding President and CEO of Innovation America, a national public-private partnership focused on accelerating the growth of the innovation economy in America. He was also the founding Chairman of The Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation and Founder and CEO of Innovation Philadelphia. He also serves as the Co-Chairman of the AURP BioHealth Caucus.

As one of the most recognized experts in the field of the innovation economy, Mr. Bendis has served on numerous distinguished boards and task forces including the White House U.S. Innovation Partnership Advisory Task Force, the Small Business Innovation Research Committee, the National Association of State Venture Funds Board; State Science and Technology Institute Board and the Ernst and Young Entrepreneurial Institute as a National/Regional Judge and Entrepreneur of the Year winner.

Mr. Bendis has provided global consulting services to over 16 countries and 22 states, several cities, and regions, along with international organizations including the United States Department of State, United Nations, NATO, UK Trade and Industry, European Commission, French Embassy, the German Marshall Fund, The Canadian Consulate, METI, AKEA, the International Science Parks and Innovation Expert Group and other global entities. Mr. Bendis serves on Governor Hogans Life Science Advisory Board. He was voted one of the Top 5 Speakers on innovation and creativity, voted 4th best Innovation Blogger, a 2017 most influential Marylander award and a 2017 Maryland innovator of the year award. Mr. Bendis is also the host of the BioTalk podcast series.

Anthony Lakavage is Senior Vice President, Global External Affairs. In addition, he serves as Secretary, USP Convention and Board of Trustees. In his role, Mr. Lakavage oversees Global Communications, U.S. and International Government and Regulatory Affairs, USP Convention and Global Stakeholder Engagement and the USP Quality Institute. He is the lead architect of the organization’s external engagement and influence strategy and represents USP in a variety of forums involving the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Congress, international regulatory authorities and ministries of health, professional and trade organizations, non-governmental organizations and the news media. The engagement strategy that Mr. Lakavage established includes the building and cultivation of multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral coalitions which have fostered collaboration in shaping regulatory and public policy.

As Secretary to the USP Convention, Mr. Lakavage works closely with the 450 member organizations comprising the USP Convention, which includes healthcare practitioner and patient organizations, industry associations, and governments. Mr. Lakavage’s leadership envisioned and established the USP Convention Sectors and Regional Chapters which have harnessed the collective insights and advocacy power of the USP Convention to help advance organization goals. As Secretary to the Board, he led the Board’s recruitment and onboarding, and supports the Board’s work on organization strategy, and financial and risk management. He is an officer of the USP Convention, an Executive sponsor of USP’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Council and the sponsor of eQuality, USP’s affinity group for the LGBTQ+ community,

Mr. Lakavage has worked in numerous segments of the life sciences industry including the pharmaceutical, vaccine, medical devices, research tools and clinical laboratory sectors. His experience is geographically diverse and spans the U.S. federal and state level, Europe, global institutions and emerging markets.

Mr. Lakavage brings more than twenty years of demonstrated leadership in market shaping and market access; public affairs; public policy and government relations; and global health advocacy to his role at USP. A biopharmaceutical industry veteran, Mr. Lakavage has held a variety of US and international public policy and government affairs leadership roles for GlaxoSmithKline, Gilead Sciences, Chiron Corporation and Applied Biosystems. Prior to joining USP, Mr. Lakavage worked in the medical technology sector serving as Worldwide Vice President, Public Affairs, at Becton Dickinson. Earlier in his career, he worked for Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Mark Singel and Missouri Congressman Alan Wheat.

Mr. Lakavage earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree, cum laude, in International Politics from Saint Joseph's University, and his Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from the Temple University School of Law–where he served on the Temple Political & Civil Rights Law Review staff. He is admitted to the bar in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Alex Philippidis specializes in biopharma business news and industry issues as Senior Business Editor for GEN / Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, and its parent company, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 

Alex joined GEN in 2011 after four years at GenomeWeb L.L.C., where he covered research institutes and spent three years following biotech economic development as editor of the weekly newsletter BioRegion News. 

Previously, Alex worked for more than 20 years for various newspapers covering business, science, Navy, and general-interest news, including the Westchester County Business Journal, where he served as Editor-in-Chief and held reporting positions from 1994 to 2007. Alex reported for Soundings, an independent newspaper covering the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps in Norfolk, VA, from 1992-1993; and reported for Gannett Suburban Newspapers (now The Journal News) in White Plains, NY, from 1987-1992.

Alex has been interviewed and quoted by news outlets that include The New York Times, the BBC, WCBS-TV (CBS2 New York), Triad Business Journal, and WHYY-FM, the NPR station serving the Philadelphia region. He has delivered presentations before the Association of University Research Parks (AURP), the BioHealth Capital Region, Builds Bio+, California Biomanufacturing Center, and Roundtable Japan. In addition, Alex has moderated or guested on panels for the BIO International Convention 2023, AURP, and several conferences hosted by LSX.

In his spare time, Alex enjoys solving crossword puzzles, watching classic TV game shows, and traveling with his family.

Current responsibilities

Pete Briskman is currently Executive Managing Director and Co-Lead for JLL's Mid-Atlantic Life Sciences Practice. Previously, he led JLL’s Maryland region overseeing brokerage operations for both the Baltimore and Bethesda offices. His primary focus is working closely with the region’s most visible Life Sciences and Government Contracting organizations, assisting them with strategic real estate planning, lease/purchase structuring, negotiations, municipal incentives and overall transaction management for clients’ with leased and owned real estate portfolios.

Experience 

Pete has over twenty years of experience leading complex real estate assignments nationally for headquarter transactions, custom build-to-suits, consolidations, expansions, and site selection of technical facilities to support his clients’ business needs. He is a multiple recipient of GWCAR’s award for Commercial Leasing Broker of the Year and Leasing Transaction of the Year. He has also been recognized by the Maryland Daily Record’s Power 100 List 2021 and most recently, CREBA’s 2021 Maryland Broker of the Year. Pete was also recognized by Commercial Observer as one of the Mighty and Powerful of Washington, D.C., Commercial Real Estate, 2022 ( Pete Briskman Commercial Observer link ).

Education and affiliations 

Pete graduated from McDaniel College with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He is Chairman of the Board for BioHealth Innovation and sits on the Alumni Council for McDaniel College, Advisory Council for Junior Achievement and Regional Board for the Montgomery County Boys and Girls Club Pete is from Montgomery County where he still resides with his wife and three children.

Brian Darmody is Chief Strategy Officer for the Association of University Research Parks, an international membership organization of research parks and innovation districts sponsored by universities, federal labs, and cities, plus the private organizations building communities of innovation around the world. AURP's DC area headquarters is in UMD Discovery District in College Park, Maryland. www.aurp.net

Previously, Darmody served in a variety of external facing roles at UMD in the Division of Research, Division of Development, Legal Office and President's Office.

Earlier he served as staff member in the U.S House of Representatives, Maryland House of Delegates in Annapolis, Maryland and US Health Care Financing Administration Office of Attorney Advisor.

Matt Owens is president of COGR. COGR is the national authority on federal policies and regulations affecting
U.S. research institutions. The association provides a unified voice for over 230 research universities and affiliated
academic medical centers and research institutes. COGR’s work strengthens the research partnership between
the federal government and research institutions and furthers the frontiers of science, technology, and
knowledge. COGR advocates for effective and efficient research policies and regulations that maximize and
safeguard research investments and minimize administrative and cost burdens. Owens became COGR’s president
in March 2023.
From 2002-2023, Owens served at the Association of American Universities (AAU) in several positions. He twice
served as Interim President (2016, 2020). From 2018-2023, he was AAU’s Executive Vice President & Vice
President for Federal Relations. In these roles he provided strategic leadership and management to the
association’s priorities and oversaw federal relations activities. His primary issue responsibility was federal budget
and appropriations policy and advocacy, and he twice testified before Congress on budget process reform. During
his service he staffed the AAU board of directors and membership committee, as well as the association’s chief
academic officers, senior research officers, federal relations, and graduate deans constituent groups.
While at AAU, he led the association’s efforts in higher education policy and advocacy, including the
reauthorization of the Higher Education Act from 2002-2008, as well as AAU's response to post-September 11,
2001 immigration and visa policies and procedures affecting international students and researchers. From 2003-
2007 Owens served on the U.S. Department of State's Advisory Committee for the Study of Eastern Europe and
the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union. He also served on the Group of Advisors to the U.S.
Department of Defense's National Security Education Program from 2002-2006.
Prior to his AAU service, Owens was the Assistant Director of Government and Community Relations at Stanford
University from 1999-2002. In this role he worked on federal higher education, research policy, and funding
issues, as well as town-gown relations and the university’s land use plans.
Owens began his professional career in higher education with the AAU in 1994, where he served until 1997 when
he left to pursue graduate studies. He also served as an intern in the U.S. Senate and worked in the mortgage
industry from 1993-1994.
Owens earned a Master of Public Administration (1999) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a
Bachelor of Arts in English (1993) from the University of California at Davis, and an Associate of Arts in English
(1991) from Santa Rosa Junior College.
Since 2018, Owens has served on the Leadership Council of Convergence. Convergence is the leading organization
bridging divides to solve critical issues through collaborative problem-solving across ideological, political, and
cultural lines.

Kate Hudson serves as the Deputy Vice President and Counsel for Government Relations and Public Policy with the Association of American Universities. Her portfolio includes intellectual property, technology transfer, export controls, open and public access, data privacy, SBIR/STTR, tax, university endowments, and copyright issues. She also leads AAU’s General Counsels (GC) constituent group and Council of Federal Relations Tax Task Force. 

Prior to AAU, Kate served as legal counsel in both the executive and legislative branches of the federal government. As senior counsel in the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), she provided legal counsel on federal governance, financial management and provided legislative drafting expertise to members of Congress and committee staff. Prior to GAO, she served as an attorney-advisor at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), where she provided regulatory expertise and represented the agency as a litigator before administrative tribunals and the federal courts. While at OPM, she also served as agency counsel in the class action litigation following the 2015 OPM cyberbreach.

She holds a Master of Public Administration and Policy from American University, a Juris Doctorate from the University of Dayton School of Law, and both a Master and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Ohio University. She is licensed to practice law in Georgia, North Carolina, and the District of Columbia. An active-duty Army spouse of 20 years, she currently resides in northern Virginia with her husband and two children.  

Craig Gravitz is designing and implementing the commercial strategy for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). This includes identifying gaps and opportunities in the health space, intellectual property, and research protection, desirability testing (minimum viable products), providing experts- & entrepreneurs-in residence, and building a trusted network of mentors, investors, and beneficiaries.

Prior to joining ARPA-H, Craig Gravitz launched and ran a rapid prototype team at the Defense Logistics Agency. His team was responsible to identify emerging problems and then rapidly solve them, typically with novel technology. Mr. Gravitz’s main contribution was to actively incorporate innovation methodologies like human-centered, co design and lean innovation into the process.

Working with SSTI since 1998 and the technology-based economic development field since its formulation in the mid-eighties, Mark Skinner was named CEO of SSTI in late 2024. He continues to serve as lead content developer for SSTI’s widely praised annual conference and as the editor of the SSTI Weekly Digest, the nation’s first and still largest, circulating free e-newsletter for technology-based economic development. Applying systems thinking to regional innovation strategies, SSTI strives to encourage evidence-based, market-driven public policy design; peer-to-peer sharing of best/common practices; and collaborative public-private investment for technology deployment and innovation-centered entrepreneurship.

Mark received his B.A. in Urban and Regional Planning from Miami University (Oxford, OH)

Steve works to ensure that AUTM serves the needs and interests of its members through strategic planning, outreach and advocacy, while empowering Association members and promoting the profession.

A regular speaker on technology transfer issues, Steve has presented on Capitol Hill and internationally on topics ranging from the evolution of the technology transfer profession to start-up formation.

Before joining AUTM, Steve served as Associate Director for Commercialization at Wake Forest Innovations where he was responsible for commercializing high-impact inventions, and drafting, negotiating and executing a wide variety of licensing and start-up transactions.

Steve is a registered U.S. Patent Agent and a past Board member of multiple Wake Forest-affiliated start-ups. Steve has also led the Winston-Salem Technology Council to retain and grow local technology businesses to strengthen the economy.

Tatiana is the Vice President for the Office of Technology Commercialization at Georgetown University, where she leads initiatives to advance innovation and support faculty entrepreneurship. Since she joined the university in 2023, her office has secured a 'Build to Scale' grant from the Economic Development Administration to build infrastructure for new technology ventures from Georgetown and the wider DMV region.

A Registered Patent Agent with a Ph.D. in Pharmacology, Tatiana brings 20 years of experience in IP management, technology licensing, and business development. Her expertise spans the life sciences, physical sciences, and agriculture sectors.

Prior to her role at Georgetown, Tatiana was the Associate Vice President of Innovation Ventures at Rutgers University. There, she led the overhaul of the university's patent policy, established a fellowship program for technology transfer professionals, and contributed to the launch of TechAdvance, the university’s technology gap fund.

Active in the professional community, she currently serves on the Board of Directors for AUTM, speaks regularly on intellectual property topics, and has taught courses on commercializing innovation at both Georgetown University and Rutgers University. Outside of her professional work, Tatiana is an avid sailor and supports her family's sailing activities at their local club.

Deb Autor has over 30 years of experience in regulatory, compliance, legal, and business strategy, including serving as Deputy Commissioner of the FDA, Director of Compliance at FDA/CDER, and leading global regulatory and quality functions at AstraZeneca and Mylan. Before the FDA, Deb was a Trial Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, where she prosecuted dozens of civil and criminal cases on behalf of the FDA. She is Chair of the FDA Alumni Association, and an expert advisor, board member, and decorated government leader educated at Harvard, Kellogg, BU, and Columbia. Healthcare Innovation Catalysts’ multidisciplinary team of ex-FDA, industry, and academic experts combines strategic and technical expertise in regulatory affairs, clinical, quality, compliance, reimbursement, and federal partnerships. They are a catalyst for healthcare innovation.

Kelliann Payne's science education and background in the medical device industry allow her to quickly understand emerging medical device technology, including digital health products, and informs her current focus on related legal and business issues. Her experience includes the development, regulation, advertising, and litigation of medical devices and digital health products, including machine learning-based clinical decision support software.
 

Kelliann drafts premarket submissions for diagnostic and therapeutic medical devices, including orthopedic devices, evaluates and formulates applicable regulatory strategies, and reviews the accuracy of marketing claims. She helps companies in their preclinical and clinical programs and leads due diligence reviews for investments and acquisitions.
 

In her role as Assistant General Counsel at QVC, Inc. from 2013 to 2014, Kelliann counseled internal clients on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations applicable to health, wellness, beauty, and cosmetic products.
 

As a consultant for the medical device industry, she assisted companies with complex regulatory challenges and strategies for marketing innovative products. Kelliann majored in biology prior to pursuing a career in law.

William Hurley "Whurley" is founder and CEO of Strangeworks, an Eisenhower Fellow, a Senior Member of the IEEE, founder of the Quantum Computing Standards Workgroup at the IEEE, the first Ambassador to CERN and Society, and the co-author of "Quantum Computing For Babies” and the upcoming “Quantum Computing for Dummies” (available for pre-order now). Prior to starting Strangeworks, he was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs [NYSE: GS]. He came to Goldman Sachs via the acquisition of his second startup, Honest Dollar. Prior to Honest Dollar, Whurley founded Chaotic Moon Studios, which was acquired by Accenture [NYSE: ACN].

Katie Duncan is a Director of CMC Policy and Advocacy with Global Regulatory Affairs/CMC Excellence. Before joining GSK, Katie was a senior pharmaceutical quality assessor with the Office of Pharmaceutical Quality at the US Food and Drug Administration. She previously worked in small molecule drug discovery at a biotechnology company in San Diego, CA. She received her Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA, and a B.A. from Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Mike Bemben serves as Director, Data Science External Innovation and works across the Data Science, R&D, and broader Janssen organization to build and lead high-impact data science partnerships, collaborating with colleagues from Johnson & Johnson Innovation (W. North America, Australia, & NZ), Janssen Business Development, Procurement, and other functions.

Mike joins Johnson & Johnson from Evozyne, an AI/ML molecular engineering company with a unique approach to protein design, where he held various leadership positions across corporate strategy and business development. Prior to joining Evozyne, Mike worked as a management consultant at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in their healthcare practice, focusing on R&D strategy, M&A, and digital transformations.

Amitabh Varshney is Dean of the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, and Professor of Computer Science at the University of Maryland at College Park. He received a B. Tech. in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Varshney's research focus is on exploring the applications of high-performance computing and visualization in engineering, science, and medicine. He has worked on a number of research areas, including visual saliency, summarization of large visual datasets, and visual computing for big data. He is currently exploring applications of virtual and augmented reality in several applications, including healthcare and telemedicine. He has previously worked on the design and implementation of virtual walkthroughs of proposed structures, such as buildings, automobiles, and submarines. In the process, he has developed new algorithms for automatically generating multiresolution object hierarchies, image-based rendering, parallel computation and simplification of radiosity meshes, and fine gesture recognition for virtual environments. His work on efficient and robust computation of smooth molecular surfaces is useful in the rational drug design process through the protein folding and docking problems. He is currently exploring applications in general-purpose high-performance parallel computing using clusters of CPUs and Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). He has also consulted and collaborated with the industry, including NVIDIA, Honda, IBM, Daimler Chrysler, General Dynamics, and Reuters. Varshney received an NSF CAREER Award in 1995 and a Honda Research Initiation Award in 1997. He received the IEEE Visualization Technical Achievement Award in 2004. He is a Fellow of IEEE.

Ron began his tenure as Chief Executive Officer of USP in February 2014. He provides strategic leadership to USP’s global staff of over 1,300 across sites in the U.S. (Rockville, MD; Frederick, MD; Washington D.C.), India, Brazil, China, Ghana, and Switzerland, and global public health field offices including Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan. USP has been a leader in quality since its founding in 1820, and that has continued during Ron's tenure as the organization continues to incorporate quality across the healthcare spectrum. He has helped USP modernize its operations and launch innovative science, including in the areas of digital medicine, cutting-edge manufacturing technologies, and advanced biologics. Under Ron’s leadership, USP has built a growing suite of “capability building” service offerings, including quality manufacturing consulting, donor-funded work, and education.

Ron brings more than 20 years of industry experience across pharmaceutical sciences, research, and business strategy. Before joining USP, he served as Vice President of Development Sciences with Biogen, where he designed and launched Biogen’s value-based medicine group focusing on applying tools and technologies of personalized medicine in the treatment and management of multiple sclerosis. Ron is a former partner and leader in McKinsey & Company's global pharmaceutical and medical products practice for over 12 years, helping launch McKinsey's global drug safety, medical and regulatory service line. With McKinsey, Ron led the global research and information analytics team, managing staff in New Jersey, London, Brussels, and India.

Marco Pistoia, Ph.D., is Senior Vice President of Industry Relations at IonQ. Previously, he has served as the Head of Global Technology Applied Research and the Global Head of Quantum Computing at JPMorganChase, where he was a Managing Director, Distinguished Engineer and Prolific Inventor., Before joining JPMorganChase in January 2020, he was a Senior Manager, Distinguished Research Staff Member and Master Inventor at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center in New York, where he managed an international team of researchers responsible for Quantum Computing Algorithms and Applications, particularly in the area of Quantum Chemistry. Dr. Pistoia was at IBM Research for 24 years.

In July 2022, Dr. Pistoia was certified as the 248th most prolific American inventor of all time according to the U.S. Patents and Trademarks Office. He is the inventor of 647 patents, 100 of which are in the areas of Quantum Computing, Quantum Communications, Quantum Cryptography, and/or Quantum-Inspired Algorithms. The rest of his intellectual property is in AI/ML, static program analysis, formal verification methods, and language-based security.

Dr. Pistoia is the author of ten books and over 200 scholarly articles, including 13 papers on Quantum Computing published in the Nature portfolio of journals. Most recently, he was the Principal Investigator of the first real-world Quantum Computing application unattainable on any classical supercomputer, published in Nature in April 2025.

Dr. Pistoia received his Ph.D. in Mathematics from New York University in May 2005. He has been serving as a member of the Industry Advisory Council for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Quantum Science Center based at Oak Ridge National Laboratory since April 2020, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) International Technical Advisory Panel (ITAP) since 2023, and the World Economic Forum's Quantum Application Hub Evaluation Panel since November 2024. He is also a featured industry collaborator of Q-NEXT, a consortium of national laboratories, universities, and technology companies, led by the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and focused on Quantum Communications. Additionally, Pistoia has been General Chair, Program Chair, and Program Committee Member of numerous conferences, including the IEEE Workshop on Quantum Algorithms for Financial Applications since its inception in 2022.

John P. Sawyer is the Director of Strategic Research Initiatives for the University of Maryland, where he builds and manages major programs and partnerships that enhance the impact and visibility of the university. As part of the Capital of Quantum Fearlessly Forward Initiative, Sawyer serves as the coordination lead for quantum-related efforts across campus and the Executive Director of the Mid-Atlantic Quantum Alliance, which enhances collaboration with regional partners. Sawyer was also the main architect of a large-scale regional autonomy and AI research collaboration that brings together nearly 300 researchers supported by a $68 million cooperative agreement with the Army Research Laboratory.

Sawyer previously served as the Director of Strategic Corporate Research Relationships, where he expanded the unique partnership between the University of Maryland and Lockheed Martin, and grew the volume and visibility of other corporate research collaborations. Before that, he was a senior researcher at UMD’s National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), where he co-founded a research program incubator and served as START’s Commercialization Director. His experience in the private sector includes domestic and international business development consulting and serving as the Chief Financial Officer for a successfully acquired EdTech startup. 

Sawyer graduated from UMD with degrees in History and Government and Politics before earning an M.A. in Security Studies and Ph.D. in Government from Georgetown University.

Kimberly currently serves as the Director for Cybersecurity and Aerospace at the Maryland Department of Commerce. She has worked in the technology field for over twenty years as an educator and professional in cybersecurity, networking, Linux, and programming. She held positions as a cyber program manager, IT manager, network administrator, technology coordinator, programmer, and auditor.

She maintains several industry certifications, as well as teaches at the collegiate level at Capitol Technology University and Frederick Community College. Kimberly serves as a member of the Maryland Cybersecurity Council, the Maryland Cyber Coordinating Council, the Cyber Maryland Board, and as the co-chair for the MD Cyber Education Committee in conjunction with the MD Center for Computing Education (MCCE) Steering Committee. In addition, she serves as a founding/executive board member of the Capitol Technology University Center for Women in Cyber. She is also a member of the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), Women in Cybersecurity (WiCys), Cybersecurity Association of Maryland (CAMI), Maryland Tech Council, TechFrederick Advisory Board, and Ethical Hacking Council Advisory Board. Recently, she received the FISSEA Innovator of the Year Award from NIST for her contributions to cyber education and was inducted into the Order of Thor by the Military Cybersecurity Professionals Association. In addition, she is also an active attendee and/or speaker at many local, national, and international cybersecurity conferences and events such as DefCon, BlackHat, RSA, BSides, and InfoSec – Europe.

Dr. John P. Fisher is a Distinguished University Professor, MPower Professor, Distinguished-Scholar Teacher, Fischell Family Distinguished Professor, and Department Chair in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering at the University of Maryland. Dr. Fisher is also the Director of the Center for Engineering Complex Tissue (CECT), which aims to create a broad community focusing on 3D printing and bioprinting for regenerative medicine applications. As the Director of the Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Laboratory, Dr. Fisher’s group investigates biomaterials, stem cells,
bioprinting, and bioreactors for regenerating lost tissues, particularly bone, cartilage, and soft tissues. Dr. Fisher’s laboratory has published over 225 articles, book chapters, editorials, and proceedings (19,000+ citations / 75 h-index) and delivered over 400 invited and contributed presentations, with support from NIH, NSF, FDA, NIST, DoD, and other institutions.

As Chair of the Fischell Department of Bioengineering since January 2016, Dr. Fisher leads a department of approximately 25 tenured/tenure-track faculty, 35 professional track faculty, 17 staff members, 450+ undergraduate students, and 125+ graduate students. Dr. Fisher’s term as chair includes a range of key accomplishments, including increasing the research expenditures of the department from $8M in FY15 to $22M in FY24, establishing a 20-member External Advisory Board with key corporate partners and securing the department’s highest USNWR rankings in 2025
for its undergraduate (#21 overall, #8 in public universities) and graduate (#28 overall, #12 in public universities)
programs.

Dr. Fisher has been elected Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (2012), the Biomedical Engineering Society (2016), the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering (2020), and the International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering (2024).

In 2023, Dr. Fisher was elected the 2025 Chair of the Council of Chairs (CoC), an assembly of the 150+ biomedical engineering/bioengineering department chairs throughout the United States and beyond.

Dr. Fisher is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Tissue Engineering, and from 2018 to 2020, Dr. Fisher was
President of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society – Americas (TERMIS-AM).

Dr. Michael W. Nestor is Board Director of the Government-University-Industry-Philanthropy Research Roundtable (GUIPRR) at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and
Medicine. He brings deep experience in advancing scientific innovation at the intersection of research, industry, and policy.

Before joining the Academies, Dr. Nestor was Scientific Engagement Lead at Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS, where he helped launch the Washington, DC site and supported the global J&J portfolio by fostering the growth of early-stage biotechnology companies focused on health innovation.

Earlier, Dr. Nestor served as Director of Neural Stem Cell Research at the Hussman Institute for Autism. There, his laboratory pioneered the development of brain organoids derived from human stem cells and led efforts in multiplexed CRISPR editing and drug-screening platforms for autism. This work contributed to the founding of two biotechnology companies, Synapstem and Autica Bio, where he serves as Chief Scientific Officer.

Dr. Nestor has advised on science and venture funding strategy as a venture partner with the University of Maryland Momentum Fund and previously served as an Early Career Policy Ambassador for the Society for Neuroscience. His government service includes time as an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy, where he worked in the Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research on programs at the intersection of
synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, and biosecurity.

He is the author of Anticipatory Ethics and The Use of CRISPR in Humans (Springer/Nature), a foundational work that offers an ethical and regulatory framework for human gene editing, particularly in the context of cognition.

Dr. Nestor earned his Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and completed postdoctoral training at the National Institutes of Health, Rutgers University (as
an NIH IRACDA Fellow), and the New York Stem Cell Foundation. He is an honorary member of the National Academy of Inventors, recognized for his contributions to translational science
and innovation.

Stephen Colvill is an Assistant Research Director at the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy, where he leads the Duke-Margolis ReVAMP Drug Supply Chain Consortium and policy work on other supply chain and biomedical innovation topics.

Stephen is also a board member for the End Drug Shortages Alliance and a volunteer advisor for Angels for Change, and he frequently speaks at national forums on pharmaceutical supply chains, drug shortages, pharmaceutical regulation, and
biomedical innovation.

Stephen previously served in the White House Domestic Policy Council as Senior Policy Advisor for Medical Supply Chains. He also co-founded RISCS, a nonprofit drug supply chain rating and certification organization with a mission to prevent drug shortages, and held various roles at Pfizer and Hospira in business analytics, supply chain, manufacturing, finance, marketing, and commercial portfolio management.

Zeena is a molecular biologist turned policy researcher who is focused on mitigating the risks of emerging biotechnologies. Previously, Zeena was a policy research fellow with the Wilson Center in DC, where she independently researched and wrote an extensive monograph on cross-border genomic data sharing between the US and China. Zeena holds a BA in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from the University of Colorado and an MS in Global Affairs from Tsinghua University in Beijing. Zeena was a Fulbright fellow in Kyrgyzstan (2019 – 2020) and a Schwarzman Scholar in China (2020 – 2021).

Vimala Raghavendran is Vice President, Digital and Innovation at the US Pharmacopeia, where she leads the development of informatics products related to pharmaceutical supply chain
transparency, and clinical, chemical, and laboratory
informatics.

She spearheaded the creation of the Medicine Supply Map, an information system that identifies, characterizes, and quantifies risk in the upstream pharmaceutical supply chain so that stakeholders
can prioritize supply chain investments and prevent drug shortages. Her other responsibilities include aspects of USP’s informatics product portfolio, including the development of executable
documentary standards.
 
Vimala has been with the US Pharmacopeia for over 9 years, where, prior to her current role, she led a multinational strategy and analytics team. Before USP, Vimala led strategy consulting teams
at McKinsey and Co., that advised payors, providers, and pharmaceutical companies within the public and private sectors. She has also worked in market research at the non-profit biotechnology company, the International Partnership for Microbicides. She has an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Economics from Knox College.

Robby Demeria served as Virginia’s first deputy secretary of commerce and trade for technology and innovation, where he guided the administration’s policy and initiatives related to those focus areas and was the chief architect of the innovation-led entrepreneurship and tech-based economic development agency, the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority. Prior to his appointment, Robby was a trade association executive for nearly 15 years, serving as the president of the Richmond Technology Council and vice president of Government Affairs for the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce. While overseeing the technology council, Robby founded its first foundation for technology education, launched one of the largest – and still running – women in technology conferences in the southeast U.S., and championed programs that highlighted and grew the region’s tech talent. Robby has served on many regional and statewide boards focused on issues from youth entrepreneurship to computer science education. He is a proud lifelong Virginian and graduate of George Mason University.

As Chief Health Sciences Growth & Innovation Officer, Sally plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI) and the broader Virginia Tech Health Sciences enterprise. Sally is responsible for leading business development initiatives, identifying and fostering opportunities with industry, government, as well as non-profit entities. Additionally, she is a strong advocate for entrepreneurship, supporting the development of spinouts from FBRI and ensuring the success of a diverse portfolio of early-stage companies.

Sally collaborates closely with strategic partners and leading health systems to drive innovation at the intersection of research and clinical care. She is actively partnering with Carilion Clinic and Children’s National Hospital to establish cell and gene therapy manufacturing capabilities in Roanoke, Virginia - laying the foundation for advanced therapeutic development in the region. As well as supporting projects that aim to translate academic
research into the clinic, such as the launch and growth of the Virginia Tech Patient Research Center and shaping the vision for a Pediatric Health AI Center of Excellence.

Sally brings over 20 years of international experience in the life science and healthcare industries, with a proven track record in developing and implementing business plans, constructing external innovation strategies, and building therapeutic area pipelines through strategic partnerships. She has a wealth of experience in leading cross-functional teams as well as managing alliances, global collaborations, and investor relations.

Sally joined Virginia Tech from Johnson & Johnson, where she held various leadership roles across the enterprise. In her last position, as Head of J& J Innovation - JLABS @ Washington, DC, Sally managed the healthcare incubator launch, which included two public-private strategic partnerships, regional business engagement, and site operational excellence. Within three years, Sally sourced and grew the portfolio to more than 55 early-stage
companies, which collectively raised over $600 million in funding. In earlier roles, Sally served as Senior Director, Strategy & Operations on the Global External Innovation team, where she contributed to establishing a new operating model, managed a global external portfolio of collaborations, and led business development efforts. She also held roles within Janssen R&D, Immunology, directing alliance portfolios, developing strategies for
translational medicine, and enhancing research operations.

Sally received her MBA from the University of California Berkeley, Haas School of Business, and both a Master of Science Degree in Microbiology / Immunology and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Virginia Tech.

Dr. Amal Isaiah is a Professor of Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Pediatrics, and Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. As the Innovation Lead for the university's Institute for Health Computing, he spearheads initiatives using AI and big data to advance pediatric and respiratory health. Dr. Isaiah is a Rhodes Scholar and was named one of the Best and Brightest MBAs by Poets & Quants.

An experienced clinician and technical champion across the scope of the managed care continuum. Acumen for developing care optimization solutions utilizing technology as a bridge to patient satisfaction. Proven complement of clinical experience, leadership capability, and proactive knowledge seeking to drive innovation in medicine. Value creator and thinker with proven success in pioneering innovative programs and processes that drive organizational growth and success

Naren Ramakrishnan is the Thomas L. Phillips Professor of Engineering and leads AI and machine learning for the Innovation Campus. He directs the Sanghani Center for AI and Data Analytics and the Amazon-Virginia Tech Initiative in Efficient and Robust Machine Learning.

Ramakrishnan’s research interests span data science, forecasting, urban analytics, recommender systems, and computational epidemiology. He and his students have received more than ten Best Paper Awards at leading data mining, AI, and data science conferences. Over the course of his career, Ramakrishnan has mentored 36 PhD students and 22 MS students, who have gone on to prominent positions in industry, startups, and academia.

Ramakrishnan’s work has been supported by AIRC, Army Research Office, DARPA, DHS, DOE, DOT&E, DTRA, IARPA, ICWERX, NEH, NIH, NSF, NSWC, ODNI, ONR, Amazon, Boeing, Ford, General Dynamics, General Motors, HP Labs, L3 Communications, Lockheed Martin, Mayfair Group, NEC Labs, Northrop Grumman, Rolls-Royce, The Washington Post, and Verisign. His research has been featured in the NIH outreach publication Biomedical Computation Review, the National Science Foundation's Discoveries series, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Smithsonian Magazine, Popular Science, The Economist, Chronicle of Higher Education, and ACM TechNews.

Ramakrishnan is a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Kenneth McKinley, MD, is a junior faculty member with a research focus in predictive analytics. At Children’s National, Dr. McKinley has built on research from his clinical fellowship, focusing on the application of complex computational models to predict the impact of system changes on pediatric Emergency Department throughput. He is now focused on the application of machine learning algorithms to develop risk prediction models for specific pediatric populations that present to the Emergency Department, including patients presenting with chief complaints related to sickle cell disease, asthma, or behavioral health. Febrile children with sickle cell disease represent a particular challenge in the Emergency Department because fever is such a common problem in childhood. Recommendations developed before the advent of conjugate vaccines continue to drive clinical practice in this high-risk population. Children with asthma or behavioral health complaints often require extended periods of emergency evaluation. By creating robust risk prediction models for patients presenting with these complaints, Dr. McKinley’s work aims to enhance care for these patients, improve patient throughput generally, and help address the national problem of ED crowding.

As Senior Director, Seed Funds, Teddy is responsible for helping to define strategy and leading seed team members with the dual objectives of investor returns and economic development for the state of Maryland. He provides thought leadership, develops investment themes, structures and executes investments, and proactively manages portfolio companies. 

Teddy initially joined TEDCO as part of the Venture Fellows program, jumped at the opportunity to come on board full-time as an Investment Analyst, and worked his way up to be promoted to the Director, Seed Funds. Teddy has evaluated hundreds of early-stage technology companies and led investments across verticals ranging from Life Sciences, Cybersecurity, SaaS, FinTech, Advanced Materials, Robotics, Drones, and more.

Prior to joining TEDCO, Teddy was a Senior Associate with Techstars Equitech, providing operational and consultative support at scale to 12 high-growth technology startups with a focus on underrepresented founders. Teddy also brings to the table experience co-founding an angel investing syndicate focused on Climate Tech and consulting for an innovative life sciences start-up in Baltimore.

Teddy earned his MBA, with a Graduate Certificate in Investments and Portfolio Management, at The George Washington University and his BA in Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Benevento has led VIPC as President and CEO since September 2023 and previously served as Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade for the Commonwealth of Virginia since 2022. As Virginia’s Deputy Secretary of Commerce, Benevento helped develop Virginia’s “Compete to Win” and “Innovative Framework” strategy for driving economic growth across all regions of the Commonwealth and oversaw an industry porfolio which included Technology, Life Sciences, Aerospace & Defense, Semiconductors, Advanced Manufacturing, Cybersecurity, Unmanned Systems, and other key sectors.

Benevento began his career at Goldman Sachs and THL Partners and brings 20 years of business strategy and investment management experience across direct equity investing, business operations growth, and executive board advisory spanning early-stage startups, small-/mid-size businesses, and Fortune 500 companies. Prior to serving the Commonwealth of Virginia, Benevento was most recently the Managing Director of a Richmond-based family-office investment firm that owns and builds mission-led, service-driven growth businesses with a strong culture of innovation by partnering with dynamic founders and management teams. During his career, Benevento has advised, invested, managed, or monitored over $10 billion in enterprise value and contributed to the successful raising of newly closed investment funds ranging from $250 million to $20 billion in size.

Benevento earned his B.S. in applied economics and management at Cornell University and his MBA from Harvard Business School.

Dr. Matthew McMahon leads the Small Business Education and Entrepreneurial Development Office (SEED), helping to transform cutting-edge technologies into products that improve health and save lives.

SEED educates and assists NIH-funded innovators as they transition from discovery science to product development. SEED helps academic innovators validate the potential health impacts of their discoveries through a national network of proof-of-concept centers and provides a host of professional advisory services to small business innovators funded by NIH’s $1.2 billion/year SBIR and STTR programs.

Matthew has a diverse background in academia, small business, congressional policy, and NIH program management. He previously served as the first director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s Office of Translational Alliances and Coordination, and he created and led the National Eye Institute’s Office of Translational Research. His previous experience also includes service as the principal scientist for the bionic eye company Second Sight Medical Products and as a staff member on both the United States Senate and House of Representatives committees responsible for science, technology, and innovation policy. Matthew holds a B.S. in Optical Engineering from the University of Rochester and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of California, San Diego.

Dr. Ruth Cheng is a dynamic leader and innovator serving as the Senior Vice President and General Manager of Research & Industrial Solutions at ATCC, the world’s premier biological materials management and standards organization. With a distinguished background in global strategy, product development, and executive leadership, Ruth spearheads strategic partnerships, product innovation, and market expansion efforts, positioning ATCC at the forefront of scientific advancement. 

Ruth’s career encompasses significant contributions to corporate research, strategic planning, and portfolio expansion. She held key positions at leading healthcare companies including vice president of Global Strategy at AgNovos Healthcare and director of Innovation and Strategy at Smith+Nephew where she oversaw strategic planning and was responsible for portfolio expansion through product development and corporate venturing. Earlier in her career at Boston Scientific, Ruth led the diligence and portfolio strategy team for merger and acquisition and served as manager of Corporate Research and Research Fellow. 

Ruth earned her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Cornell University and pursued her master’s and doctorate in biomedical engineering from the University of Michigan. Complementing her academic achievements, she holds executive certificates in Strategy & Innovation from MIT Sloan and Private Equity & Venture Capital from Harvard Business School.

A prolific author with numerous scientific publications and patents to her name, Ruth is also recognized as an esteemed lecturer on medical technology innovation at congresses and universities. With her multifaceted expertise and visionary leadership, Ruth continues to drive transformative growth and innovation within the scientific community.