Join Executive Women In Bio Metro New York and Weill Cornell Medicine BioVenture eLab for this virtual event featuring a panel of investors who have worked closely with women founders. They will discuss their funds and investment criteria and run through a case study investment. This is a great opportunity for founders and entrepreneurs to get smart about fundraising and company formation in today's capital climate.

Speaker Bios

Loren A. Busby, CFA, Director, Weill Cornell Medicine BioVenture eLab, Moderator

Loren is director of Weill Cornell Medicine’s BioVenture eLab and previously served as one of its Entrepreneurs-in-Residence. Trained in corporate finance, Ms. Busby is a veteran of the New York City venture capital ecosystem. Life sciences and digital technology were central themes in her 20+ year career at three early-stage venture capital funds. Over the years, she has served as a venture investor and operator in numerous academic spinouts and healthcare-related companies. She delivers lectures and programming at Weill Cornell Medicine and other Cornell University schools and neighboring academic institutions. Ms. Busby also mentors researchers and clinicians on startup formation, fundraising, and team-building. She has served on corporate boards of directors and chaired committees for CFA Society of New York and other nonprofits. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst who earned an MBA from Columbia University and BS from Central Connecticut State University.

Tara Bishop, MD, MPH, Founder & Managing Director at Black Opal Ventures

Dr. Tara Bishop is passionate about improving health and healthcare. In her twenty-year career as a physician executive, Tara has on-the-ground experience in delivery system improvement, health policy, payer operations, product development, value-based care, and start-ups. She is the founder and managing director of Black Opal Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in companies that are transforming healthcare through technology. Tara served as the Chief Medical Officer at Bind, a health insurance start-up that is at the forefront of disrupting healthcare. She was a leader in the early development of the Bind product and helped grow the company 10x in revenue in three years. Prior to joining Bind, Tara was the Medical Director and Senior Expert at McKinsey & Co. She designed new payment models for numerous clients. She was an Associate Professor of Medicine and Healthcare Policy at Weill Cornell Medicine, where she did cutting-edge research on health policy, innovative technologies, and health services. She directed quality improvement at Cornell and cared for patients as a primary care doctor. Dr. Bishop has published almost 50 peer-reviewed research articles which have been cited by the NY Times, WSJ, and others. Tara serves on the boards of Optellum and led investments in Intellihealth, Empatica, and Conceivable Life Sciences. Tara is also an Associate Professor of Population Health Sciences (Courtesy) at Weill Cornell Medicine and was named a Woman of Influence in Venture Capital by Private Equity International in 2022. She holds a BS in chemical engineering from MIT and an MD from Weill Cornell Medicine.

Dimitra Georganopoulou, PhD, General Partner at Qral Ventures

Dimitra Georganopoulou, PhD joined Qral Ventures as a General Partner in 2020 and serves as Chief Business Officer (CBO) in select portfolio companies. She is an experienced biotech professional with deep knowledge of personalized medicine projects, therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, and Health IT. She is currently also a member of the Innovation Faculty team for MIT’s LinQ Catalyst program, mentoring and guiding innovators solving health and medical challenges. Dimitra serves on the investment committee of the Aim-Hi Accelerator Fund and acts as a technical due diligence lead for the Keiretsu Forum Midwest Investments. Dimitra has deep expertise in Tech Transfer with deep connections with the US innovation ecosystem, as she continues to be a mentor for mHUB’s MedTech Accelerator program, a venture mentor for the Polsky COMPASS program, and a venture advisor for Northwestern's N.Xt Fund and FoundHer program. Dimitra is a Director at Large for Women In Bio (WIB), an organization dedicated to promoting careers, leadership, and entrepreneurship of women in the life sciences.

Sonia Gulati, PhD, Principal, Global BioAccess Fund

Sonia has a broad background in life sciences venture capital, biotechnology strategy consulting, and basic science research. Prior to joining the Fund, Sonia served as an Executive in Residence (EIR) at Kairos Ventures, where she focused on venture creation. As an EIR, she was responsible for both driving the investment process and acting as interim CEO for her newly formed portfolio companies. Before joining Kairos Ventures, Sonia was Assistant Director at New York Ventures, where she managed the life sciences portfolio. Prior to her move to investing, Sonia worked at a boutique healthcare consultancy where she helped shape product launch and life cycle management strategies for biopharma. Sonia completed her post-doctoral studies and received her PhD from the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University. She has a BA from Barnard College.

Jeanne M. Sullivan, JD, Chief Inspiration Officer at Sullivan Adventures LLC

Jeanne, an investor, speaker, and strategic consultant, is passionate about delivering ideas, information, and inspiration to entrepreneurs and fiercely advocates for supporting women investors and entrepreneurs. Sullivan co-founded a NYC-based tech fund that invested in cloud-based software and eCommerce solutions. She also co-founded a fund based on plant-based companies as Chief Investment Officer for Arcview Ventures. Sullivan is a sought-after industry speaker on how to fund one's company, and with humorous and pithy counsel, Sullivan can demystify the effort. Jeanne has been a member of Harvard Kennedy School's Women’s Leadership Board and is an Athena Entrepreneur Fellow for Barnard College. She also served many years on the Board of Trustees of the New York Hall of Science and the Global Board of Trustees of Astia, which funds high-growth women entrepreneurs.

Pricing Information

• Members: Free
• Non-members*: Free

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