Program – Biotech CEO Summit

2026 Agenda

Subject to Change

Monday, July 13

2:00 pm

REGISTRATION OPENS: Commons Lobby Bar

3:30 pm

WELCOME NETWORKING EVENT: Village Lawn

5:00 pm

OPENING REMARKS: Village Lawn

Sara Jane Demy, Founder & CEO, Demy-Colton

5:15 pm

CEO SUMMIT PARTICIPANT INTRODUCTIONS

Self introductions by all participants

6:15 pm

FIRESIDE CHAT SERIES: THE PURPOSEFUL CEO – FULFILLING THE PROMISE

7:00 pm

NETWORKING DINNER: Vintner’s Room

Tuesday, July 14

7:15 am

PRIVATE NETWORKING BREAKFAST: Oakville Terrace

8:20 am

SUMMIT OVERVIEW & RULES OF ENGAGEMENT: Carneros Salons

Sara Jane Demy, Founder & CEO, Demy-Colton

8:30 am

MIDYEAR FINANCIAL PULSE: BIOPHARMA SECTOR OUTLOOK

As we reach the midpoint of the year, this conversation will provide a strategic, data-driven review of the biopharma sector’s financial outlook. This summary will examine capital markets activity, venture financing trends, M&A dynamics, partnership deal flow, and shifts in public and private valuations.

9:00 am

ADAPTING TO THE RESET: REGULATORY AND FINANCIAL EVOLUTION

Biotech CEOs continue to face shifts in regulatory and policy landscapes. With the FDA changing processes, and broader healthcare policies reshaping access, companies must become agile. This discussion will explore the effects on the financial landscape shaping strategic decisions, and how leaders navigate regulatory change while sustaining innovation and advancing programs to patients.

9:45 am

WHEN CAPITAL IS TIGHT: CREATIVE PATHS TO RAISE MONEY

Raising capital isn’t what it used to be, so biotech CEOs need to look at traditional funding routes as well as creative ones. From alternative deal structures, non-dilutive funding, milestone-based financing, asset backed deals to strategic partnerships & collaborations. This conversation will dig into what’s actually working, what’s not, and how to partner without compromising strategic control.

10:30 am

NETWORKING BREAK: Carneros Pre-Function

11:00 am

TRANSFORMING THE PATH FROM DISCOVERY TO PATIENTS

Biotech companies are driving breakthrough innovation while navigating increasingly complex regulatory pathways. This discussion will explore how companies can design efficient development strategies, align with evolving FDA expectations, and accelerate innovative therapies to patients in need.

11:45 am

CUTTING THROUGH THE NOISE: GETTING FUNDED

Investors are raising the bar—and funding is following conviction. This discussion cuts straight to what gets deals done: differentiated IP, proven leadership, compelling data, and a credible path to market. Investors will discuss how they assess runway, partnerships, and true commercial potential. Learn what it takes to stand out, get funded, and stay competitive in a tighter market.

12:30 pm

NETWORKING LUNCH: Oakville Terrace

1:30 pm

HOW BIOTECH IS VALUED: ENTERPRISE AND ASSET PERSPECTIVES

How do investors and partners really underwrite biotech value? This conversation delves into how enterprise and asset-level valuations are formed across development stages. How clinical risk, market potential, comparables, structure, and timing shape outcomes—and how data and execution can meaningfully shift value in funding and partnering decisions.

2:15 pm

PUBLIC OR PRIVATE: WHAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU

For biotech companies, the decision to go public or remain private is a pivotal funding and strategy choice. High R&D costs and long development timelines make large capital raises essential, but IPOs can introduce pressure from public markets that may not align with extended timelines to value creation. Private capital, particularly venture funding, offers flexibility but with its own constraints on scale and exit expectations. This CEO-led discussion explores the trade-offs between public and private pathways.

3:00 pm

THE 10% PROBLEM: MAKING BIOTECH DECISIONS COUNT

Fewer than 10% of drugs entering Phase I reach approval—and even successful ones often leave value on the table due to early decisions. Big pharma can absorb these misses; biotech CEOs cannot. While biology and translation risks are real, much value loss is decisional, concentrated in a handful of critical choices that shape capital use, risk, and evidence quality. Advances in AI, biomarkers, and real-world data are also raising the bar for smarter, earlier decisions. This discussion will address getting those decisions right across five key inflection points: indication and population, target product profile and pivotal commitments, trial design and evidence strategy, market preparation and access, and commercial readiness.

3:45 pm

TBA

4:30 pm

AI IN BIOTECH: FROM HYPE TO IMPACT

Technology is no longer just a support function, it’s redefining how biotech gets discovered, developed, and delivered. This conversation will cover how AI platforms are accelerating discovery, optimizing trial design, and streamlining development timelines.

5:15 pm

DAY 1 WRAP-UP & INSTRUCTIONS FOR CEO SUMMIT GAMES

5:20 pm

BIOTECH CEO SUMMIT GAMES: Vineyard Deck

7:15 pm

BREAK

7:45 pm

NETWORKING RECEPTION: Estate Wine Cave

8:30 pm

BIOTECH CEO SUMMIT GALA AWARDS & DINNER: Estate Wine Cave

Wednesday July 15

7:30 am

PRIVATE NETWORKING BREAKFAST: Oakville Terrace

8:45 am

WELCOME BACK & DAY 2 COMMENCES: Carneros Salons

9:00 am

THE CEO PLAYBOOK: LEADING THROUGH PRESSURE AND PEOPLE

Running a biotech company isn’t just about science and strategy, it’s about people, pressure, and perception. This talk will explore the soft skills that make-or-break leadership: managing stress, navigating high-stakes negotiations, handling co-founder or C-suite transitions, and maintaining strong investor relationships.

9:45 am

COMMAND THE NARRATIVE: STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION

How you communicate can make or break your strategy. Discussants will share real-world approaches for keeping investors, regulators, employees, and patients aligned—without overpromising or losing credibility. From building a clear messaging platform to adjusting your story when markets or policy shift, this is a practical conversation on using communication as a leadership tool.

10:30 am

NETWORKING BREAK: Carneros Pre-Function

11:00 am

AT THE TABLE: GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR BOARD

Boards can be your greatest asset—or your biggest obstacle. This dialogue will share how to engage your board as a true strategic partner, manage expectations, and keep alignment during financing crunches, FDA milestones, and pipeline pivots. Make your board work for you—not the other way around.

11:45 am

BUILDING HIGH-PERFORMANCE TEAMS ON A TIGHT BUDGET

In today’s biotech environment, doing more with less isn’t just a challenge, it’s the new normal. In this candid conversation, CEOs will share how they’re building and sustaining high-performing teams, keeping culture strong, and retaining mission-critical talent—even when hiring slows and budgets tighten.

12:30 pm

NETWORKING LUNCH: Oakville Terrace

1:30 pm

BEING A VISIONARY BIOTECH LEADER

Join a candid conversation with fellow CEOs on how to spot opportunities, tell a compelling story, and build coalitions that advance the company—even when risks are high and timelines are tight. Practical lessons, hard-won strategies, and peer insights for leading at the frontier of science.

2:15 pm

AN UNGUARDED CONVERSATION AMONG FRIENDS

For the last discussion of the summit, we’re going unﬁltered and giving participants space to share what’s really on their minds: the emotional, strategic and cultural weight of biotech leadership.