8:30 a.m. Opening General Session 

Hospitals as Investors 

Moderated by Jason Jardine, Partner, Knobbe Martens

At Knobbe Martens, Jason’s clients include fast-growth and emerging companies seeking to acquire their first patent as well as middle market and major corporations with thousands of IP assets and multiple families of patents. Jason’s clients are international in scope, with special attention to California and Arizona businesses. His patent law experience spans the full range of life science disciplines, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, neutraceuticals and medical devices, and also chemistry, clean technology and hydrogen fuel cells, semiconductors, metal works/mining, action sports and fashion. He is also skilled in the area of computer science inventions related to hospital and emergency data management and the gamification of data.

Jamaine K. Aggrey, Director, Corporate Development, Mayo Clinic (Arizona)

Jamaine joined the Corporate Development team at Mayo Clinic Arizona (MCA) as a director in 2024. He is responsible for assisting MCA leadership in achieving their goals for growth and innovation. Prior to Mayo, Jamaine worked in corporate development and M&A roles with leading investment banking, financial service, and private equity companies. Jamaine has his BA in Economics from Brown University, and an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania.

Kiran Avancha, PhD, Chief Innovation Officer, HonorHealth

Dr Kiran Avancha, is the inaugural Chief Innovation Officer for HonorHealth. He has been with HonorHealth-system for the past 7+ years. Prior to that role he successfully ran strategy and operations for HonorHealth Research Institute as their Chief Operations Officer. Under his direction HRI underwent a growth trajectory of 3-fold revenues and grew the team from 70 FTE to 200+ FTEs. He is also a healthcare & biotech entrepreneur, investor, mentor, and advisor for several medical, health-tech and device startups. As a PhD trained scientist and a licensed clinical pharmacist (RPh), he has over 16+ years of strategic, clinical, research and business leadership experience in biotech, healthcare innovation, business development, corporate strategy, M&A, and clinical development in industry, healthcare, and academia. Dr Avancha had successfully fundraised over $50M from VCs, PEs, HNIs and health-systems to build programs for both non-profit as well as for-profit sectors.

9:15  Innovator Breakout Tracks

Presentations featuring the top companies from across the Rocky Mountain Southwest Region. (Click their logo to visit their website.)

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10:15 a.m. General Session - Family Office Discussion

 Moderated by Jamie P. Constantine, Partner at Middle March Partners

Jamie P Constantine spent 35 years as a financial and family wealth advisor with Morgan Stanley and its predecessor firms. Since leaving Morgan Stanley, Mr. Constantine has leveraged his experiences and abilities into advisory roles as an investment banker and business consultant at Middle March Partners. He focuses on health care, high-tech, and energy-related companies, including green energy. Passionate about helping young businesses on their growth path, he works with clients from startup to Series B round capital investment, supporting both debt and equity capital raises.

Dan Tolbert, Chief Investment Officer,  Seals Family Office

Dan Tolbert is an experienced investment professional with over 40 years’ experience managing investments for ultra-high net worth families, private corporations, banks, foundations, and leading capital market transactions. Strong track record of providing exceptional investment performance and analytics involving complex investments, with an emphasis on tax efficiency. Skilled at building and maintaining long term relationships with clients and collaborating with colleagues, with a strong emphasis in securities, commercial transactions and tax/financial planning.

11:00  Innovator Breakout Tracks

Presentations featuring the top companies from across the Rocky Mountain Southwest Region. (Click their logo to visit their website.)

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NOON     Lunch General Session

The Life Science Investment Landscape

Featured Speaker: Michael Gietl
Managing Director, Industry Executive – Life Sciences
JP Morgan

Mike is a Managing Director and Industry Executive with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, based in Minneapolis, MN.  Mike leads the Life Sciences commercial banking team across the Midwest, Intermountain, and Canada regions.  The focus of the team is to provide innovative financial products and networking to start-up through small cap companies in the space.  Mike’s team specifically focuses on companies in the medical device, pharmaceutical, biotech, tools and diagnostic, specialty contract manufacturing and contract research spaces. With over 20 years of experience, Mike’s career at J.P. Morgan includes structuring and implementing wide-ranging credit transactions and managing relationships with a range of life science, healthcare, manufacturing and industrial corporations, large research universities and private colleges.  He has worked with taxable and tax-exempt financing structures, syndications and participations for these entities.  He also brings expertise in treasury management for companies looking for efficient ways to manage their operations. 

Mike received a B.B.A. in Finance, Investments, and Banking from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Mike is currently on the Board of Directors of University Enterprise Labs in St. Paul, Minnesota.  He is an advisor to the University of Minnesota’s Discovery Capital group, a member of the University of Minnesota’s Business Advisory Group, and a mentor for Creative Destruction Lab at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

Interviewed by Joan Koerber-Walker, President & CEO, AZBio

As President and CEO of AZBio and a member of the AZBio Board of Directors, Joan Koerber-Walker works on behalf of the Arizona Bioscience and Medical Technology Industry to support the growth of the industry, its members and our community on the local and national level. Ms. Koerber-Walker is also a life science investor and has served on the boards of numerous for-profit and non-profit organizations.

1:15 p.m. Innovator Breakout Tracks

Presentations featuring the top companies from across the Rocky Mountain Southwest Region. (Click their logo to visit their website.)

Room 161:

Room 163:

2:15 p.m.  General Session - Venture Capital Discussion

Moderated by Mara G. Aspinall, Partner, Illumina Ventures

Mara Aspinall is a healthcare industry pioneer with a commitment to civic involvement and deep experience in leading genetics, genomics and diagnostics companies. Prior to joining Illumina Ventures, she co-founded BlueStone Venture Partners with a strong portfolio of diagnostic, medical device and digital health companies in the US Southwest. She has served as President and CEO of Ventana Medical Systems, a billion-dollar division of The Roche Group, (now Roche Tissue Diagnostics), and as President of Genzyme Genetics and Genzyme Pharmaceuticals.

Nick Shipley, Founder, Cronus Consulting

Nick Shipley, based in Washington, DC, is currently a Founder at Cronus Consulting. 

3:00 p.m. Innovator Breakout Tracks

Presentations featuring the top companies from across the Rocky Mountain Southwest Region (Click their logo to visit their website.)

Room 161:

Room 163:

4:00 PM  Closing Session

Health Innovation

Steven T. Rosen, M.D., F.A.C.P, FASCO, FAIME
Executive Vice President
Director Emeritus of Beckman Research Institute & City of Hope
Professor,  Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Schwartz Endowed Professorship
City of Hope Duarte, CA

Steven T. Rosen, MD, FACP, FASCO, FAIME, is the Executive Vice President, Director Emeritus of Beckman Research Institute & City of Hope, Professor, Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Schwartz Endowed Professorship in Duarte, California. Following his graduation with distinction from Northwestern University Medical School’s Six-Year Honors Program in Chicago, Illinois, Dr. Rosen completed his residency in internal medicine at Northwestern and a fellowship in medical oncology at the National Cancer Institute in Maryland. He served as the Director of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine from 1989-2014.

Dr. Rosen’s laboratory research focuses on experimental therapeutics and hematologic malignancies. He has received funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), American Cancer Society, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, Department of Defense and Rising Tide Foundation. Dr Rosen has received numerous grant awards and contracts and has published more than 500 scientific papers. He is editor-in-chief of Cancer Treatment and Research. Dr Rosen was the chair of the Medical Science Committee of the LLS and served on its Board. He also serves on the Board of American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Conquer Cancer Foundation. Dr. Rosen has been an advisor to more than two dozen NCI Comprehensive Cancer Centers.

He was the recipient of Northwestern University Medical School’s Alumni Achievement Award (1994), the Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award from Northwestern Memorial Hospital (1995), the Marv Samuel Award from the Chicago Baseball Cancer Charities (1996), recognition from the Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital for Compassionate Care (1996), and Israel Cancer Research Fund, Man of Distinction Award (2011), and Lifetime Achievement Award (2015).  Best Doctors in Chicago and Los Angeles.  American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE’s) College of Fellows (2017).  Association of American Physicians (AAP) (2019).  The Giants of Cancer Care award for 2021.  America’s Best Doctors – Top Hematologist & Oncologist – Findatopdoc.com.  The Excellence in Scientific Service Award -The Leukemia Lymphoma Society, Blood Cancer Community (2023).  Fellow, Royal College of Physicians (2023).  City of Hope Scientific Research Portrait Gallery of Honor (2024).

Interviewed by Joan Koerber-Walker, President & CEO, AZBio

As President and CEO of AZBio and a member of the AZBio Board of Directors, Joan Koerber-Walker works on behalf of the Arizona Bioscience and Medical Technology Industry to support the growth of the industry, its members and our community on the local and national level. Ms. Koerber-Walker is also a life science investor and has served on the boards of numerous for-profit and non-profit organizations.