Program – Biotech CEO Summit

2026 Preliminary 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

BIOTECH RESILIENCE: CAPITALIZING AMID CHANGE

Funding in biotech remains unpredictable, with intermittent opportunities, constrained capital, and heightened investor selectivity. This talk will assess optimizing runway strategies, reprioritizing development pipelines, and enhancing capital efficiency to navigate uncertainty and position for growth.

11:45 am

AGILE LEADERSHIP IN A CHALLENGING ERA

From shifting markets to evolving science and internal pressures, biotech CEOs are operating in an environment defined by complexity. These discussants’ will highlight how leaders are making decisions amid uncertainty, supporting and re-energizing their teams, and keeping their organizations aligned around long-term innovation and growth.

12:30 pm

NETWORKING LUNCH: Oakville Terrace

1:45 pm

A ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATION WITH A BIO LEADER

For leaders who believe biotechnology must remain both innovative and worthy of confidence, this conversation offers a framework—and an invitation—to shape what comes next.

2:15 pm

CHANGING PUBLIC POLICY: HOW DO BIOTECH CEOS MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD?

Key legislative and regulatory developments—including drug pricing, MFN policy, the IRA, coverage expansion, patent life, and funding for early innovation—are reshaping the biotech landscape. This talk will highlight how biotech CEOs can engage with policymakers and stakeholders to ensure the continuation of biotech innovation.

3:00 pm

GOING GLOBAL: CEOS NAVIGATING INTERNATIONAL DEALS

Raising capital and advancing programs in today’s market often means looking beyond the U.S.—and it’s not always straightforward. In this conversation, biotech CEOs will share how they’re approaching cross-border deals, navigating regulatory and reimbursement differences, executing clinical trials and sizing up the risks and rewards of new markets with real-world insights, lessons learned, and practical strategies.

3:45 pm

TBA

4:30 pm

TECH-DRIVEN BIOTECH: AI, QUANTUM, AND NEXT-GEN TOOLS

Technology is no longer just a support function, it’s redefining how biotech gets discovered, developed, and delivered. This talk will address how AI, quantum computing, and advanced digital 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.

3:00 pm

CLOSING RECEPTION: Carneros Pre-Function

Past programs

SUMMIT SPONSORS