Join us at KPMG Tysons Corner for an exciting evening of panels and networking with biotech founders, innovators, and investors. Hear how discoveries move from the lab to market, explore fundraising and commercialization strategies, and gain real-world insights from leaders shaping the future of health.

Featured Panels:

• Science to Commercialization – Dr. Martha Sklavos (Aloe Therapeutics) & Dr. Sadiye Amcaoglu Rieder (Amgen)
• Fundraising & Founder Insights – Katherine Hill Ritchie (TEDCO) & Aurora Griffin (LongeVC)
• Founder Perspectives – Sheila Corcoran (Evizia) & Donna J. Edmonds (BRAINBox Solutions)

Hosted in partnership with KPMG and moderated by Nancy Guida, Audit Managing Director, KPMG.

Note: Each ticket includes hors d'oeuvres and two drink tickets.

Program

5:30 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.  Registration & Networking
5:45 p.m. – 5:50 p.m.  Welcome & Opening Remarks
5:50 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.  Panel 1: Science to Commercialization
6:15 p.m. – 6:40 p.m.  Panel 2: Fundraising & Founder Insights
6:40 p.m. – 7:05 p.m.  Panel 3: Founder Perspectives (with Q&A)
7:05 p.m. – 8:20 p.m.  Networking & Refreshments
8:20 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.  Closing Remarks & Wrap-Up

Speaker Bios

Sheila Corcoran, Co-Founder of Evizia

Sheila is the co-founder of Evizia and oversees business infrastructure and partnerships to commercialize the PRECYSE technology. Her career in institutional finance includes leadership roles at a $2.5 billion hedge fund, VP at Goldman Sachs, and corporate banking at SunTrust (Truist). She holds a BS and an MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill and serves as a Trustee for the Medical College of Virginia Foundation.

Donna Edmonds, CEO of BRAINBox Solutions

With over 35 years in healthcare, Donna has experience as a critical care nurse, hospital administrator, global executive at Baxter International, and senior-level management role for ten diagnostics companies focused on commercialization. She is a founder of Virginia Life Sciences Investments, Inc., and led the Series A investment in ImmunArray, which was spun into BRAINBox Solutions, where she is a founder and CEO. BRAINBox Solutions is a company focused on neurological disease diagnostics. Donna is a recognized leader in cardiovascular diagnostics, she has been appointed by the Governor of Virginia to the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park Authority and a member of the Board of the Intellectual Property Foundation of Virginia Commonwealth University. She is an elected member of the Board of Directors of Bio Health Innovations, the founding member of the BioHealth Capital Region, the Board of Directors of SouthEast Life Sciences, and an active member of Va Bio. She is also an Advisor to Optivio Inc a Digital Health Platform as well as Back Bay Life Science Advisors. She also serves on the investment committee and chairs the advancement committee for Chesapeake Academy, an independent school in the Northern Neck of Virginia.

Aurora Griffin, Managing Partner and Head of Investor Relations at LongeVC 

Aurora is a managing partner and head of investor relations at LongeVC, a firm focused on longevity and age-related diseases. Over the course of her career, Aurora has been involved in securing and managing capital across venture capital, private equity, real estate, and wealth management. Aurora was a professor of entrepreneurship at The Catholic University of America’s Busch School of Business, where she helped hundreds of student founders start their first businesses. She is a published author, holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, an MPhil in theology from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, and an AB in Classics from Harvard College.

Nancy Guida, Managing Director at KPMG, Moderator

Nancy is a managing director at KPMG’s Tysons Corner office, with a particular focus on life sciences companies. Nancy has provided audit services to several multi-national corporations in life sciences in accordance with PCAOB requirements and U.S. GAAP at various stages of their life cycle. Nancy is the Managing Director on multiple SEC registrants within the life science space, including leading the audits of registration statement filings related to IPOs of start-up entities. Nancy has extensive experience in public and private debt and equity offerings, as well as significant experience with business combinations, secondary offerings, revenue recognition, and complex R&D arrangements. She serves as a Quality Control Reviewing Partner Assistant for SEC registrants for life sciences engagements nationally. Nancy also recently served as a panelist at KPMG’s IPO Bootcamp. She is a licensed CPA and holds a certificate in Pharmacology from Harvard Medical School.

Sadiye A. Rieder, PhD, Director of Research at Amgen 

Dr. Rieder is an immunologist and strategic leader specializing in inflammation and autoimmunity. With over a decade of experience across academia, government, and industry, she currently leads preclinical innovation for Amgen's inflammation pipeline. Previously, she held scientific leadership positions at MedImmune, Viela Bio, and Horizon Therapeutics, progressing multiple programs and fostering academic collaborations. Dr. Rieder earned her PhD in biomedical science from the University of South Carolina and her postdoctoral training at the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, focusing on T cell and regulatory T cell biology.

 Katherine Hill Ritchie, Senior Director of Venture Funds at TEDCO

Katherine is the Senior Director of Venture Funds at TEDCO, Advisor to Nottingham Spirk Family Office, Investment Committee for University Impact, Climate Tech Founder's Fund Oversight Committee, and CEO of her own firm, Private Capital Investments, LLC. With 20+ years of global finance experience, she is an expert in venture capital, private equity, and family offices, with over $5 billion in transactions. She is an early-stage angel investor and board member of Citrine Angels. She also serves on a number of private boards, including Chair of the ACG New York Family Office Committee, Philanthropy/Education Committees, 100 Women in Finance, and the Fordham MBA Overseers Board.

Martha Sklavos, PhD, Founder & CEO at Aloe Therapeutics

Dr. Sklavos is a veteran biotech executive with over two decades of experience who has driven advancements in biologics, cell, and gene therapies. Her career includes pivotal leadership roles at AstraZeneca, MedImmune, and Arcellx, where she led teams through discovery, clinical trials, and product launches. A PhD immunologist from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, she founded Aloe Therapeutics, inspired by a friend's cancer journey, to develop innovative cancer treatments. Dr. Sklavos completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the National Cancer Institute and was awarded the NIH Fellow Award for Research Excellence.
 

Pricing Information

• Members: Free
• Non-members*: $20

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

Maximum Capacity

80

Parking Information

A public parking garage is available at 8350 Broad Street, the bottom of the KPMG Tysons building (the Boro Tower). Parking is free after 5:00 p.m. Limited metered street parking is also available.

Public Transit Information

KPMG Tysons is located steps from the Greensboro Metro Station on the Silver Line.