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The hashtag for the 2026 event is #CVFORUM26. 
Request an invite if you are interested in joining us for the 2026 conference.

The 2026 speakers and Agenda information will be posted once available. the 2025 agenda is below.

2025 Agenda
WEDNESDAY, MAY 7th

5 PM - 11 PM | Outer Bar
Informal meet-up for Convergence attendees
Patrons may purchase drinks and light fare from the Outer Bar menu

THURSDAY, MAY 8th

8:00 AM - 4:00 PM | Pavilion Reception
Registration and Information Desk Open

8:30 AM - 9:45 AM | Private Dining Room
Meet the Fellows Breakfast

8:30 AM - 9:45AM | Garden Terrace
Networking Breakfast

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Mainstage Room (Pavilion Ballroom)
Welcome and Introductions

10:30 AM - 11:15 AM | Mainstage Room (Pavilion Ballroom)
Mainstage Session: The View from DC
Speakers:
Richard Burr, former Senator North Carolina; Chair, Health Policy Strategic Consulting practice, DLA Piper
Tom DiLenge, Senior Partner, Flagship Pioneering
Moderator:
John Stanford, Executive Director, Incubate Coalition

11:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Networking Break

11:45 AM - 12:45 PM | Breakouts, Round 1
A. Obesity and Cardiometabolic Treatments Beyond GLPs
Location: 28 Atlantic: Private Dining Room
Speakers:
Dawn Bell, PharmD, CEO, Board Director, Antlia Bioscience
Rahul Dhanda, Co-Founder, President & CEO, Syntis Bio
Uli Stilz, PhD, Head, Bio Innovation Hub, Novo Nordisk
Moderator:
Steve Dickman, CEO, CBT Advisors

B. Hot Button Issues in China, the UK, and the EU
Location: 28 Atlantic: Main Dining Room
Speakers:
Irene Hong, Founding Partner, CEC Capital Group
Karin Kleinhans, PhD, Partner, MRL Ventures Fund
Justine Levin-Allerhand, PhD, Executive Partner, Origination and Corporate Development, Flagship Pioneering
Moderator:
Marian Nakada, PhD, VP of Venture Investments, Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC

C. Venture Dynamics
Location: Mainstage Room (Pavilion Ballroom)
Speakers:
Julia Moore, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Breakout Ventures
Kiran Reddy, MD, Managing Director, Blackstone Life Sciences
Dave Reshef, MD, PhD, Venture Partner, GV
Jason Rhodes, Partner, Atlas Venture
Moderator:
Andrew Gilbert, Partner, DLA Piper

12:45 PM - 2:00 PM | Garden Terrace
Lunch

12:45 PM - 2:00 PM | Harbor Room
Lunch Discussion: Women’s Health Investment – Why Now?
Speakers:
Elizabeth Bailey, Managing Partner, Foreground Capital
Marissa Fayer, CEO, DeepLook Medical; CEO, HERhealthEQ
Pita Navarro, PhD, Co-Founder & Chief Scientific Officer, Evvy
Liz Powell, Esq., MPH, Founder, Women’s Health Advocates; former Legislative Director in U.S. Congress
Moderator:
Ryan Brady, Head of Global Discovery Business Development, Evotec

2:15 PM - 3:15 PM | Breakouts, Round 2
A. Running a Successful Clinical Trial in 2025
Location: 28 Atlantic: Private Dining Room
Speakers:
Amit Khera, MD, Vice President, Genomic Medicine, Verve Therapeutics
Alison Schecter, MD, SVP, Clinical Development, Mineralys Therapeutics
Moderator:
Juliane Mills, Executive Director, Therapeutic Strategy for Rare Disease & RWE, Worldwide Clinical Trials

B. DC Funding & Policy Shifts with the New Administration
Location: 28 Atlantic: Main Dining Room
Speakers:
Pat Gallagher, Managing Partner, Laidlaw Partners; CEO, Voltron Therapeutics
Nada Hanafi, MPH, MSc, Co-Founder, MedTech Color and Medtech Strategy Advisors; former FDA Senior Science Health Advisor
Liz Powell, Esq., MPH, Founder & CEO, G2G Consulting; former Legislative Director in U.S. Congress
Reginald Swift, Founder & CEO, Rubix LS
Moderator:
Ashlyn Roberts, Vice President of Government Affairs, National Venture Capital Association

C. "Breaking the Brain": Navigating the Breakthroughs, Setbacks, and Opportunities in Neurodegeneration, Neuropsycholology, and Mental Health
Location: Mainstage Room (Pavilion Ballroom)
Speakers:
Michael Chen, PhD, Co-Founder and CSO, Seaport Therapeutics
Fiona Elwood, PhD, VP, Disease Area Stronghold Lead, Neurodegeneration, Johnson & Johnson
Ben Neale, PhD, Core Institute Member; Co-director, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute
Stacie Weninger, PhD, President, FBRI and Venture Partner at F-Prime
Moderator:
Delia Silva, PhD, Managing Director, L.E.K. Consulting

3:15 PM - 3:45 PM
Networking Break

3:45 PM - 4:30 PM | Mainstage Room (Pavilion Ballroom)
Mainstage Session: Academic Research and R&D: New Directions
Speakers:
Paul Biondi, Managing Partner, Flagship Pioneering
Grant Murphy, PhD, PRO Chair, Protein Therapeutics, Arena BioWorks
Sarah Sheikh, BM BCh, Head, Global Development; Senior Vice President, Neuroscience, Takeda
Moderator:
Michael Gilman, PhD, CEO, Arrakis Therapeutics

4:45 PM - 5:45 PM | Wequassett Dock
Harbor Cruise
Sign-up at Convergence registration desk.

4:45 PM - 6:15 PM | Tennis Courts
Pickleball on the courts
Sign-up at Convergence registration desk.

4:45 PM - 6:15 PM | 28 Atlantic: Private Dining Room
Sushi Rolling
Sign-up at Convergence registration desk.

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM | Outer Bar
Wine Tasting Reception
Sponsored by Worldwide Clinical Trials
Sign-up at Convergence registration desk.
Introduction:
Juliane Mills, Executive Director, Therapeutic Strategy for Rare Disease & RWE, Worldwide Clinical Trials

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM | Cape Cod National Golf Club
Golf Workshop
Sign-up at Convergence registration desk.

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM | Garden Terrace
Dinner

9:00 PM - 11:00 PM | Garden Terrace Bar & Promenade Firepits
Post Dinner informal meet-up. Cash Bar will be available.

FRIDAY, MAY 9th

7:30 AM - 3:00 PM | Pavilion Reception
Registration and Information Desk Open

7:30 AM - 8:45 AM | Private Dining Room (Breakfast Discussion)
Off the Record Discussion: What Does Biopharma Industry Leadership Look Like Under the Current Administration?
Speakers:
Jen Asher, PhD, Founder & CEO, 1910 Genetics
Mark Leuchtenberger, Chief Executive Officer, SpyBiotech Ltd.
Ashlyn Roberts, Vice President of Government Affairs, National Venture Capital Association
Moderator:
Michal Preminger, PhD, Board of Directors, MassBio

7:30 AM - 8:45AM | Garden Terrace
Networking Breakfast

9:00 AM - 9:45 AM | Mainstage Room (Pavilion Ballroom)
Mainstage Session: Getting Breakthrough Science into the Market
Speakers:
Sangeeta Bhatia, MD, PhD, Professor, Director Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine, MIT
Sam Kulkarni, PhD, CEO, CRISPR Therapeutics
Paula Ragan, PhD, CEO, X4 Pharmaceuticals
Moderator:
Ann DeWitt, PhD, General Partner, Engine Ventures

9:45 AM - 10:15 AM | Fireplace Room
Networking Break

10:15 AM - 11:15 AM | Breakouts, Round 3
A. Partnering in 2025
Location: 28 Atlantic: Private Dining Room
Speakers:
Liz Leveille, VP, Business Dev. & Licensing, Head, Boston & European Innovation Hubs & Discovery Transactions, Merck
Phil McGurk, PhD, SVP, Head of Corporate Development, Takeda
Lesley Stolz, PhD, Head West North America External Scientific Innovation, Johnson & Johnson Innovation
Moderator:
Rosemary Reilly, Partner, WilmerHale

B. C-Suite Only: Let's Discuss Your Issues
Location: Harbor Room
Speakers:
Jen Asher, PhD, Founder & CEO, 1910 Genetics
Rosana Kapeller, MD, PhD, CEO, President, Co-Founder, ROME Therapeutics
Vanessa King, PhD, CEO, King Bioventures
Moderator:
Jodie Morrison, Venture Partner, Atlas Venture

C. In the Lab: Micro and Nano Technologies to Address Major Challenges in Medicine
Location: Mainstage Room (Pavilion Ballroom)
Speaker:
Sangeeta Bhatia, MD, PhD, Professor, Director Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine, MIT
Moderator:
Sheila Gwidzak, Vice President, Head of Consulting, Halloran Consulting Group

11:15 AM - 11:30 AM | Fireplace Room
Networking Break

11:30 AM - 12:15 PM | Mainstage Room (Pavilion Ballroom)
Mainstage Session: From Stealth to $1.4B M&A: Aliada’s Acquisition and the Future of CNS Drug Delivery
Speakers:
Josh Resnick, MD, Partner, RA Capital Management
Steve Sweeney, former President and COO, Aliada Therapeutics; EIR, Atlas Venture
Moderator:
Marian Nakada, PhD, VP of Venture Investments, Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC

12:15 PM - 1:30 PM | Garden Terrace
Lunch

12:15 PM - 1:30 PM | Harbor Room
Lunch Discussion: The Future of Aging: Executing on Biopharma's Vision for Extended Lifespan and Healthspan
Speakers:
David Barzilai, MD, PhD, Founder & CEO, Longevity Physician
Jens Eckstein, PhD, Investment Partner, Hevolution
Kristen Fortney, PhD, CEO, BioAge
Joan Mannick, MD, Co-Founder and CEO, Tornado Therapeutics
Moderator:
Ramani Varanasi, Managing Director, ReVive Advisors

1:45 PM - 2:30 PM | Mainstage Room (Pavilion Ballroom)
Mainstage Session: View from the Healthcare C-Suite
Speaker:
Kevin Churchwell, MD, President/CEO, Boston Children’s Hospital
Moderator:
Alison Taunton-Rigby OBE, PhD, Independent Director, CEO, and Entrepreneur, Life Science & Healthcare Organizations

2:45 PM - 3:15 PM | 28 Atlantic: Private Dining Room
Post-Event Conclave: Key Next Steps for the Ecosystem (and Feedback on Convergence)
Moderator:
Scott Kirsner, Advisory Board Member, Convergence Forum

3:15 PM - 4:15 PM | Thoreau’s Tavern
Meet-Up for Post Conference Conversations

*Agenda subject to change