The WIB-San Francisco Bay Area founders pitch event showcases the next generation of innovative, women-led biotech startups. This event highlights early-stage founders who are driving breakthroughs in therapeutics and therapeutic platform technologies, offering investors and industry professionals the chance to discover bold, creative solutions poised to transform life sciences and healthcare. WIB is dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs and fostering a collaborative ecosystem where talent, mentorship, and investment converge. By connecting visionary founders with key stakeholders, we’re unlocking new opportunities and advancing the future of biotech. Join us to engage with pioneering companies, support women founders in life sciences, and explore the next wave of transformative innovation.

Ticket price includes light bites and non-alcoholic beverages.

Walk-ins will not be accepted.

Program

6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.  Check in & Networking
6:30 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.  Welcome Remarks & Intros
6:45 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.  Pitch Event
7:45 p.m. – 8:15 p.m.  Networking & Prize Distribution

VC Judges

Susan Chen, Vice President at Novo Holdings Ventures Investments

Susan is currently a Vice President at Novo Holdings Ventures Investments, where she helps make investments in both private and public companies in therapeutics and life sciences. Prior to Novo, she was an investor at Decheng Capital and a consultant at L.E.K. Consulting. Susan holds a PhD in genetics, cell biology, and biochemistry from University of California, San Francisco, and a BS in bioengineering and BA in molecular cell biology from University of California, Berkeley. She is excited to be part of and build the innovation ecosystem in biotech.

Eddie Eltoukhy, Partner at Pear VC

Eddie currently heads life sciences investing at Pear VC, a venture firm in Menlo Park, CA, that specializes in seed-stage investments. Before joining Pear VC, Eddie led corporate development at Senti Biosciences from its seed stage until just before its public financing. Eddie drove partnering collaborations with Spark/Roche in gene therapy and BlueRock/Bayer in regenerative medicine. Previously, Eddie worked at a drug delivery company spun out of MIT as a scientist in formulation and process scale-up for two ocular clinical drug candidates that are now FDA-approved products. He holds a PhD in biological engineering from MIT, where he pursued research on non-viral gene therapies, as well as an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

Julian Homburger, Associate at Novo Holdings

Julian is an Associate on the Venture Investments team at Novo Holdings, focusing on investments in biotechnology and medical devices. Prior to joining Novo Holdings, Julian was an Associate Director at Foresite Labs, where he led translational research to support the creation and launch of new companies in healthcare and biotechnology. Julian has held multiple roles at the intersection of life science and data science, including at Color Health and at Maze Therapeutics. Julian holds a PhD in genetics from Stanford University, where he published multiple studies in cardiovascular genetics and human population genomics. He also holds a BS in statistics from Cornell University.

Ekaterine Kortkhonjia, Senior Director of Early Innovation Partnering at Johnson & Johnson

Eka is a Senior Director of Early Innovation Partnering at Johnson & Johnson. In this role, Eka is responsible for identification, diligence, and strategic transactions for oncology and cross-TA data science opportunities from discovery to early clinical proof of concept. As part of this role, Eka also supports J&J venture fund and JLABS incubator network. Eka joined Johnson and Johnson from Genentech/Roche, where she spent over 13 years in various roles, including Pharma Partnering, Biomarker Development, and Investor Relations. Eka holds a PhD in chemistry and chemical biology and an MS in biophysics.

Leah Makley, Chief Operating Officer at MBC BioLabs

Leah is Chief Operating Officer at MBC BioLabs, the largest life science incubator in the Bay Area, where she helps support more than 165 early-stage biotech companies and advises the affiliated venture fund Mission Biocapital. She brings over a decade of experience in biotech startups, including roles at Ocutheia and ViewPoint Therapeutics. Her background is in medicinal chemistry, with technical expertise in protein misfolding diseases and targeted protein stabilization. Leah’s work spans company formation, preclinical development, and venture financing, with a focus on small-molecule therapeutics and platform technologies. She is passionate about building ecosystems that help startups launch, grow, and thrive.

Becky Pferdehirt, Investment Partner at Andreessen Horowitz

Becky is an investing partner on the a16z Bio + Health team, focused on early-stage companies building technology platforms for therapeutic discovery and development. Prior to joining Andreessen Horowitz, Becky worked at Amgen, where she most recently led business development efforts for therapeutic platform partnerships. Before moving to BD, Becky was a research scientist in Amgen R&D, focused on cell and gene therapy technology innovation. Becky completed her postdoctoral education at Genentech, studying cancer cell biology and proteomics. She holds a PhD in molecular and cellular biology from UC Berkeley and a BS in biology from MIT.

Katherine Williams, Early Innovation Partnering at Johnson & Johnson

Kate has more than 10 years of experience in business development and alliance management, with experience driving collaborations with academic, non-profit, biotech, and pharma partners. Kate is currently a member of the Early Innovation Partnering team at Johnson & Johnson's California Innovation Center, where she plays a key role in sourcing, shaping, and transacting preclinical and early-stage clinical collaborations for the Immunology and Oncology Therapeutic Areas. Prior to joining J&J, Kate served as the Head of Business Development, Alliance, and Portfolio Management at Atreca, a clinical-stage biotech company that developed novel antibody therapeutics for oncology. During her seven years with the organization, Kate began her career in alliance management and subsequently transitioned into business development and transaction roles, where she played a key role in advancing the company’s portfolio. Kate holds a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health, and a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and completed a postdoc at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Pricing Information

• Members: $50 ($35 if registering by June 4)
• Student Members: $25
• Non-members*: $65 ($50 if registering by June 4)
• Student Non-members: $45

*Interested in joining Women In Bio? Click here to learn more about WIB membership and gain access to our video library, mentorship opportunities, and more. 

Please read WIB's Code of Conduct, In-Person Event Waiver, and Refund Policy.

Note: A confirmation email will be sent after registration has been completed. 

Maximum Capacity

80

Parking Information

Street parking is available and at these nearby garages: The Beacon or Townsend Garage.

Public Transit Information

Take the N line Caltrain/Ballpark to King St & 2nd St stop. Walk 0.2 miles to venue.

Accessibility Accommodations

The event space is ADA accessible.

Prize Sponsors