We're bringing together women from the venture capital and investment community for a conversation about women's growing role in shaping the future of life sciences, biotechnology, and innovation. Our panelists will share their experiences identifying promising companies and technologies, evaluating investment opportunities, supporting founders, and building careers in venture capital. They’ll also offer a behind-the-scenes look at what investors look for in founders and early-stage companies, how new technologies make the leap from innovation to commercialization, and the opportunities and challenges women face in the investment world. The evening will also provide dedicated networking time to connect with investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, and other professionals in our area.

Note: Ticket includes heavy appetizers and two drink vouchers.

Program 

5:30 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.  Check-in, Networking, Refreshments
6:45 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.  Welcome & Opening Remarks
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.  Panel Discussion
8:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.  Q&A

Speaker Bios

Jill Kaplan, Executive Committee at xElle Ventures, Moderator

Jill enjoyed a corporate career focused on technology engineering, sales, and marketing. She began her career as a semiconductor engineer at IBM and later moved to Cisco, where she led functions that drove revenue through highly scalable go-to-market channels and processes. She held several executive positions at Cisco Systems and Webex before retiring in 2017. Jill now focuses her efforts on developing and investing in the next generation of female entrepreneurs. She is on the executive committee of xElle Ventures, an early-stage fund for women founders, where she co-leads loan review. She also invests personally across direct, syndicate, and female-directed funds, and informally advises multiple founders. She is the Vice Chair of the University of Vermont Home Health and Hospice Board and serves on the Investment Committee of the University of Vermont Health Network. She formerly co-chaired the Alternative Investment Committee of the UVM Health Network. She invests and manages her own commercial and industrial real estate properties in NC. She holds a BS in electrical engineering from Tufts University and an MS in materials science from The University of Vermont. She divides her time between Burlington, VT and Pittsboro, N.C.

Elizabeth Kelly, Managing Director at Pappas Capital

Elizabeth is a Managing Director at Pappas Capital, where she leads investment activities for Pappas Ventures, focused on early-stage therapeutics companies, and spearheaded the launch of Asia Innovation Ventures (AIV), investing in biotech, AI/ML, and quantum computing companies across China and Singapore. Before rejoining Pappas Capital, Elizabeth invested in digital health and healthcare technology at Echo Health Ventures and its predecessor Mosaic Health Solutions, both subsidiaries of Blue Cross NC. Prior to Blue Cross NC, she held cross-functional roles in corporate development, finance, and investor relations at Chimerix (NASDAQ: CMRX), including playing a leadership role in the company’s IPO. Elizabeth began her career as an Analyst at Pappas Ventures. Beyond investing, Elizabeth is a passionate advocate for women in venture capital and entrepreneurship, serving on the board and executive committee of CED (Center for Entrepreneurial Development) and founding CED’s Strength in Numbers, a community connecting female founders, investors, operators and ecosystem partners across North Carolina. She also mentors emerging leaders through the Luther Hodges Scholars program at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Elizabeth holds an MBA from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and a BA in management and Spanish from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Fran Martin, RPh, Mentor in Residence with Duke New Ventures

Fran has over 30 years of international pharmaceutical biotech experience and the unique ability and track record to shape scientific data and customer insights into commercially viable product profiles that drive clinical development plans while providing value for the patient, payer, and client. In 2019, Fran was one of the founders of RainBIO, Inc an AAV gene therapy UNC start-up focusing on corneal blindness in lysosomal storage diseases. RainBIO was acquired in 2022. From 2013-2019, Fran served as an executive at PPD. In 2011, Fran founded a healthcare consulting company, VVI, LLC (Vision, Value, Impact). Prior to the above accomplishments, Fran enjoyed a 25-year career with positive growth at GSK, holding leadership positions leading global therapeutic franchises in metabolisms, urology, and infectious diseases and launching four successful products across HIV, neurosciences, respiratory, and overactive bladder therapeutic areas. Fran is an engaging leader with the judgment and savvy to create an environment that fosters trust and collaboration, with the ability to unite clinical, regulatory, and commercial experts to ensure product attributes and data consistently align with end-user expectations. Throughout her career, Fran has worked as a pharmacist in retail and hospital environments, allowing her to "keep in touch" with healthcare trends and practices and end-user expectations. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from the University of Pittsburgh, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. Fran lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband and extended family, where she continues to practice pharmacy and provide outreach to underserved communities as a volunteer at the Open Door Clinic.

Mireya McKee, PhD, Interim Director of Innovate Carolina’s New Ventures and Partnerships

Mireya serves as the Interim Director of Innovate Carolina’s New Ventures and Partnerships group, a strategic group that plays a vital role in advancing entrepreneurial activity and partnership development at Carolina. As interim director, McKee fosters deep engagement with venture partners, industry collaborators and investment coalitions to amplify the University’s leadership in venture creation by cultivating entrepreneurial intent among UNC-Chapel Hill faculty and graduate students. The New Ventures and Partnerships group includes KickStart Venture Services, the KickStart Accelerator and a growing ecosystem of innovation alliances across North Carolina. McKee brings more than 20 years of expertise in research, technology transfer and innovation management to the role. Since joining KickStart Venture Services in 2019, she has mentored and supported IP-based startups through business strategy development, investment readiness and network-building with experienced entrepreneurs & service providers. She began her career as a researcher, completing a BSc in chemistry from Monterrey Tech, Mexico, and a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin. Afterward, she carried out postdoctoral research in nanotechnology at Oxford University. She transitioned into business, completing a certification program on the commercialization of scientific research at Oxford’s Saïd Business School. She then became a consultant and later a senior consultant in technology transfer for Oxford University Innovation (OUI) in the UK. After that, Mireya started an innovation management consultancy company in the US, providing training and supporting the commercialization of innovative technologies from universities and start-up companies from around the globe, and led business development at Tekcapital Plc., a Miami-based venture capital firm. She has helped institutions design and implement seed funds, set up accelerator programs, and develop strategies that promote entrepreneurship and industry-academia collaboration. Mireya is also a regular mentor for startups based on university research, helping them improve their overall business strategy and pitch for investment. At UNC, she supports IP-based startups, helping them improve their overall business strategy, pitching for investment, and connecting them with entrepreneurs & service providers.

Christy Shaffer, PhD, Partner at Hatteras Venture Partners

Christy has over 30 years of experience in the life sciences industry. Following her experience as a clinical scientist and project leader at Burroughs Wellcome, Christy joined Inspire Pharmaceuticals, based in Research Triangle Park, NC, at the time of the Glaxo Wellcome merger. Under her leadership, Inspire went public and was named “Best Place to Work for Scientists” by The Scientist magazine and “Best Place to Work in North Carolina” prior to the acquisition by Merck. She has served on 12 non-profit boards, most of which include chronic disease foundations or those that support science and innovation. She joined Hatteras in 2011 as the Managing Director of Hatteras Discovery and became a General Partner in 2016. She has served on 10 corporate boards, including three public boards, as well as Research Triangle International, a global research institute based in RTP. She has worked across a variety of therapeutic areas as a scientist or investor, including ophthalmology, pulmonary, oncology, and immunology. She is currently serving on four corporate boards.

Kseniya Simpson, PhD, Partner at Hatteras Venture Partners

Kseniya is a Partner at Hatteras Venture Partners, an early-stage, healthcare-focused venture capital firm, where she focuses on investing in innovative biotech companies. She has more than 10 years of experience working with life sciences companies of all stages. Prior to Hatteras, Kseniya was with Triangle Insights Group, where she worked as a Strategy Consultant, advising biotech and pharma companies on a wide variety of topics including company and asset diligence, pipeline strategy, clinical development, and commercial preparedness. Kseniya is a scientist by training and has conducted research in the areas of RNA therapeutics, nucleic acid delivery, lipid monolayers, and tissue engineering. She has also worked at Yale Ventures and served as a teaching fellow and lecturer at Yale. Kseniya earned a PhD in cellular and molecular physiology from Yale University, where she worked on siRNA therapeutics under the mentorship of W. Mark Saltzman, PhD, and received the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award. She holds dual BS degrees in chemistry and biological chemistry from the University of Chicago.

Pricing Information

• Members: $25
• Non-members*: $40

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

Maximum Capacity

150

Parking Information

Free parking is available on-site at the NC Biotech Center.