Join us for our 11th Annual Lobster Pot Pitch Event! As the name suggests, this event will be “shark tank style,” with each fundraising executive pitching to investors (VCs) and the audience. The investors will provide feedback on the pitch and comment on the ideas presented. Join us to learn how to pitch to investors more effectively and check out some exciting new companies in the life sciences space. Don't miss this event if you are starting your own company, raising money, or want to celebrate powerful women.

Each ticket includes one drink voucher.

Program

4:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.  Registration/Networking
5:15 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.  Pitch Presentations
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.  Networking/Cocktail Hour

Founders/Pitch Companies

Astrid Margossian, MD, PhD, Founder, CEO, and CMO of Multiomics Inc.

Dr. Astrid Margossian is an internationally acknowledged surgical oncologist specializing in breast cancer, as well as an expert in mammography and breast cancer clinical research, with over 30 years of experience in the field. She is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Multiomics Inc., a company dedicated to advancing an AI driven liquid biopsy platform for cancer screening, subtyping and treatment prediction . Her immediate goal is to fast launch of a CLIA-certified Liquid Mammo® a small RNA blood test for early breast cancer diagnosis without painful mammograms by leveraging Multiomics exclusive access to the Breast Cancer Biobank. Her experience includes serving as Chief Medical Officer at SEngine Precision Medicine in Seattle, where she worked on a tumor organoid test for cancer response that was later acquired by Tempus AI. She also held the position of VP of Global Medical Affairs at Myriad Genetics (with products such as Endopredict, MyRisk, BRCA analysis) and Agendia (MammaPrint). In these roles, she successfully managed the validation, CLIA certification, FDA approval, and market introduction of several cancer diagnostics. During her time at SEngine Precision Medicine, she collaborated with Nobel Prize laureate Professor Lee Hartwell. Dr. Margossian founded and served as Medical Director of the Breast Center in Buenos Aires, directing the Breast Cancer research biobank project dedicated to biomarker discovery for over 15 years under the mentorship of Professor Kent Osborne, Director of the Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston, TX. Additionally, she played a pivotal role in the creation, design, and development of the Population Science Biorepository at BCM’s Cancer Center.

Multiomics Inc is an AI-driven biotechnology startup focused on discovering cancer biomarkers. Its immediate mission is to transform breast cancer screening by replacing painful mammograms with a simple blood test. We aim to fast launch our CLIA-certified Liquid Mammo®, an AI-powered small RNA blood test for early breast cancer detection with over 90% sensitivity and specificity, using exclusive access to the Breast Cancer Biobank. Our AI-driven platform will enable early diagnosis, prognosis, and personalized treatment for all solid cancers. By integrating machine learning, we analyze complex small RNA patterns for scalable diagnostics and use AI to advance scientific research. In July 2025, MultiOmics Inc. was honoured to be chosen as an AI-driven biotech company for the AI Biohub program, sponsored by MIT’s LabCentral and C10 Labs in Cambridge, MA. This program helps advance AI biotechnology projects by creating opportunities for collaboration with experts, investors, and entrepreneurs, and offers access to state-of-the-art lab facilities at LabCentral's main site, where MultiOmics is headquartered. Our senior level team has led and exited several successful biotech companies.

Chelsea Trengrove, PhD, CEO & Co-Founder of Neoclease

Chelsea is CEO and Co-founder of Neoclease, a Boston-based genetic medicines company building AI-designed, gene-specific editors for precision therapeutics, starting with Parkinson’s disease. She is a neuroscientist by training with over a decade of experience spanning platform biotech, pharma clinical development, and early-stage company building. Prior to founding Neoclease, Chelsea led strategic partnerships at Regeneron and served as Director of Business Development at Empatica, where she drove global pharma collaborations supporting clinical trials and biomarker development. Chelsea brings a combination of deep biology, deal execution, and platform-building experience, and is focused on translating breakthrough genetic technologies into real medicines.

Neoclease is rethinking gene editing by designing a new editor for every gene, rather than forcing one CRISPR protein to work across the entire genome. Using generative AI, Neo builds compact, highly specific nucleases optimized per target, enabling improved precision and delivery. This drug-development–like approach allows each editor to be purpose-built for its disease. The company’s lead program targets Parkinson’s disease via a novel LRRK2 editor aimed at modifying disease biology upstream. In under 12 months, Neo has advanced its lead candidate to in-vitro validation, filed foundational IP on its AI editor design platform, and raised over $850K in dilutive and non-dilutive funding. The company has received support from MilliporeSigma, AWS, NVIDIA, Chiesi, and Nucleate (Alnylam Award), and is advancing toward IND-enabling studies while scaling its platform.

Claire Zeng, MD, PhD, Co-Founder, CEO, and CTO of DoriNano

Yang Claire Zeng is the co-founder, CEO and CTO of DoriNano, a biotechnology company developing DNA origami-based nanodelivery platforms for immunotherapy and gene-based therapies. Trained in clinical medicine and cell biology, she has extensive experience in biomaterials engineering, nanotechnology, and immunotherapy. Claire pioneered the integration of DNA origami nanotechnology with cancer immunotherapy and has published high-impact work in Nature Nanotechnology and Nature Biomedical Engineering. Previously, she was an Instructor and Senior Scientist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Wyss Institute, and Harvard Medical School. She founded DoriNano in 2023 and has led the company to multiple BioVenture competition awards.

DoriNano, a Harvard spinoff, is pioneering a new class of programmable nanoparticle delivery systems powered by DNA origami nanotechnology. The platform offers unmatched precision, customizability, stability, and targetability compared to conventional approaches such as LNPs and AAVs, enabling flexible multi-cargo loading, safe repeat dosing, and scalable manufacturing. The company is advancing both an internal oncology pipeline and strategic partnerships, including a clinical collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for its lead immunotherapy against Head & Neck Carcinoma, DoriVac-101, and a sponsored research collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo (to be released).  Backed by peer-reviewed publications in Nature Nanotechnology and Nature Biomedical Engineering, angel and VC investments, promising NHP and rat non-GLP safety data, and operations at LabCentral with an expanded leadership team, DoriNano has raised $2.5 million pre-seed is raising a $10M seed round to drive DoriVac-101 into clinical development and generate two additional platform-derived drug candidates.

Tatiana Blanchard, PhD, Co-Founder and CEO of Laurel Biotherapeutics

Tatiana is the Co-Founder and CEO of Laurel Biotherapeutics, an early-stage cardiovascular biotechnology company developing next-generation biologic therapies. With over a decade of experience in translational therapeutic development, she has worked at the intersection of immune engineering, receptor biology, and drug discovery. Tatiana earned her PhD in pharmacology from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. A LabCentral Ignite Fellow and recipient of the Mission BioCapital Platinum Ticket, she co-founded Laurel to address some of the most urgent and complex challenges in cardiovascular medicine.

Laurel Biotherapeutics is building a new class of precision biologics at the intersection of cardiovascular disease and serious comorbid conditions affecting millions of patients. The company’s approach centers on restoring protective biological signaling pathways that support cardiac and systemic health. Laurel’s initial program in cardiorenal disease leverages targeted nanobody therapeutics designed to activate the natriuretic peptide pathway, representing the first step in a broader platform strategy to redefine cardiovascular care.

VCs

Jenna Aronson, Principal at Two Bear Capital

Jenna is a Principal at Two Bear Capital, where she sources, diligences, and leads investments in innovative life sciences therapeutics companies. She serves as a board observer for Montara Therapeutics and Abilita Therapeutics. Prior to joining TBC, she was a researcher in the Genetics & Aging Research Unit of the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, working under Dr. Rudy Tanzi to develop 3D human neural stem cell models of Alzheimer’s disease. She completed her PhD in brain and cognitive sciences at MIT, advised by Dr. Ed Boyden in The McGovern Institute for Brain Research, where she developed biotechnology platforms for enhanced resolution in clinical samples, including brain tissue and liquid biopsies, with applications in cancer and neurodegeneration. Her doctoral training was supported by fellowships from the Singleton Foundation, Koch Institute, and the Center for Neurobiological Engineering, and during graduate school, she completed coursework and served on the teaching team at the MIT Sloan School of Management. When she’s not working with founders, Jenna enjoys exploring new places, experimenting in the kitchen, and finding time for skiing or sailing.

Lauren Mifflin, Principal of Company Creation at Frazier Life Sciences

Lauren is a Principal of Company Creation at Frazier Life Sciences, where she is currently building NewCos in immunology, neuroscience, and rare diseases. Previously, Lauren co-founded and built several biotech companies working with 82VS/Alloy Therapeutics and 5AM Ventures focused on developing treatments for cancer, autoimmune diseases, neurodegenerative conditions, and rare diseases. Early in her career, she was a health tech investor with Jump Capital and a management consultant with Monitor Group. Lauren completed her PhD at Harvard Medical School, where she worked with Dr. Junying Yuan on RIPK1 inhibitors for neurodegenerative diseases. She is passionate about developing new therapies for neurodegenerative diseases and serves as a grant reviewer for the ALS Association, Michael J. Fox Foundation, and Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.

Marian Nakada, PhD, Life Science Advisor

Marian is a life science veteran and corporate venture investor with over 30 years of experience translating scientific innovations to the clinic. As a former VP, Venture Investments at Johnson & Johnson’s corporate venture group, JJDC, she identified and invested in promising life science companies that were strategically aligned with the goals of Johnson & Johnson. Her career spans the entire spectrum of R&D, from hands-on laboratory science and research leadership to business development and corporate venture capital, giving her a broad perspective on innovation, strategy, and value creation. During her almost 13-year tenure at JJDC, she executed >30 strategic investments in private life science companies, where she actively served on their boards to guide their progress. Her work began at the lab bench at Centocor, where she later transitioned into leadership roles before Centocor’s acquisition by Johnson & Johnson. She subsequently moved into business development before joining JJDC in 2013. As a Board member, advocate, and mentor for Venture Forward (a non-profit created by the National Venture Capital Association), Marian is inspired by mentoring aspiring VC talent. Marian has an AB in biology from Harvard and a PhD in pharmacology from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Stella Paffenholz, Senior Associate at Atlas Venture

Stella is a Senior Associate at Atlas Venture, where she builds and invests in early-stage companies translating innovative biology into new therapies. Prior to joining Atlas, Stella was a Principal on the investment team at Nextech Invest, where she invested across the lifecycle from early-stage Series A companies through the public markets and served as a board observer for multiple portfolio companies, including Tubulis and Delphia Therapeutics. Earlier in her career, she gained experience across strategy, venture building, and pharmaceutical operations through roles at McKinsey & Company, Apollo Health Ventures, and Merck KGaA. Stella earned her PhD at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in the lab of Scott Lowe, where her research focused on genetic determinants of cancer treatment response. Her doctoral work was supported by the German Academic Scholarship Foundation. During her PhD, she served as President of the Tri-Institutional Biotech Club and now advises the MSKCC start-up incubator. She received her Master of Science from the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg and her Bachelor of Science from the University of Bonn. Outside of work, Stella can be found running, cycling, or swimming while training for her next endurance race, ideally followed by refueling at a German-style bakery. She also enjoys traveling, often centered around hiking and backpacking, and has explored all seven continents. 

Pricing Information

• Members/Guests: $50

• Non-members*: $85

*Not a Member? Click here to purchase a WIB membership and gain access to our video library, mentorship opportunities, and more. 

Please read WIB's Code of Conduct and Refund Policy.

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

Parking Information

Parking is available on site.

Public Transit Information

Alewife Station (Red line) is a 5-minute walk from the venue.

Sponsors