SynBioBeta Speaker

Jessica Owens

Managing Partner

Initiate Ventures

Jessica Owens is a general partner at Initiate Ventures, leading investments in early-stage Tech Bio companies. A seasoned investor, entrepreneur, and scientist, she’s been a founding team member of seven companies, including GRAIL, and was previously an

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Beyond Static Predictions — AI for Protein Dynamics and Multi-Cell Models

AIxBIO

Draft Session

Beyond Static Predictions — AI for Protein Dynamics and Multi-Cell Models

AIxBIO

Draft Session

Beyond Static Predictions — AI for Protein Dynamics and Multi-Cell Models

AIxBIO

Draft Session

May 2026

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Purchase Pass

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SynBioBeta Conference

Tickets

May 2026

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We are back! SynBioBeta 2026 Early Bird Ticket Sales are Live

SynBioBeta Conference

Tickets

May 2026

Purchase Pass

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We are back! SynBioBeta 2026 Early Bird Ticket Sales are Live

SynBioBeta Conference

Tickets

SynBioBeta 2026 Tickets are Live

Confirmed Speakers

Pardis Sabeti

Sherlock Biosciences

Institute Member

Pardis Sabeti

Sherlock Biosciences

Institute Member

Bruce Friedrich

The Good Food Institute

Founder/President

Bruce Friedrich

The Good Food Institute

Founder/President

Sue Siegel

Align Technology Inc

Board Director & Trustee

Sue Siegel

Align Technology Inc

Board Director & Trustee

Jonathan Anomaly

Herasight

Scientist, Senior Professor and Editor

Jonathan Anomaly

Herasight

Scientist, Senior Professor and Editor

Paul Burton

Amgen

CMO

Paul Burton

Amgen

CMO

Jean Hebert

Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health

Program Manager, Health Science Futures

Jean Hebert

Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health

Program Manager, Health Science Futures

Michael Koeris

DARPA

Director

Michael Koeris

DARPA

Director

Kim Branson

GlaxoSmithKline

SVP, Global Head

Kim Branson

GlaxoSmithKline

SVP, Global Head

Relly Brandman

A-Life

A-Life Moonshot Lead

Relly Brandman

A-Life

A-Life Moonshot Lead

Gabriele Corso

Boltz Bio

Gabriele Corso

Boltz Bio

John Robson

BioOra

Managing Director

John Robson

BioOra

Managing Director

Bill Tai

ACTAI Global

Chairman

Bill Tai

ACTAI Global

Chairman

Jessica Owens

Initiate Ventures

Managing Partner

Jessica Owens

Initiate Ventures

Managing Partner

Douglas Crawford

Mission Bay Capital

Managing Director

Douglas Crawford

Mission Bay Capital

Managing Director

Alex Kyabarongo

Makerere University

Graduate Student

Alex Kyabarongo

Makerere University

Graduate Student

Krish Ramadurai

AIX Ventures

Partner

Krish Ramadurai

AIX Ventures

Partner

Oliver Dodd

Nucleate

Co-Founder & Exec. Director

Oliver Dodd

Nucleate

Co-Founder & Exec. Director

Liliana Nordbakk

NEVA SGR

Partner Life Science

Liliana Nordbakk

NEVA SGR

Partner Life Science

Isabelle Decitre

ID Capital Pte Ltd

Founder

Isabelle Decitre

ID Capital Pte Ltd

Founder

Amy Trejo

Procter & Gamble Company

Director, Hair Care Sustainability

Amy Trejo

Procter & Gamble Company

Director, Hair Care Sustainability

John Cumbers

SynBioBeta

Founder

John Cumbers

SynBioBeta

Founder

Max Unfried

Thalion

Scientific Director

Max Unfried

Thalion

Scientific Director

Avantika Lal

Genentech

Principal ML Scientist

Avantika Lal

Genentech

Principal ML Scientist

Colby Adolph

Evonik

Sales Director

Colby Adolph

Evonik

Sales Director

Jens Nielsen

BioInnovation Institute

CEO

Jens Nielsen

BioInnovation Institute

CEO

Ling Li

ADM

Director of Market Development, Precision Fermentation

Ling Li

ADM

Director of Market Development, Precision Fermentation

Sharroll Bachas

Onava AI

Co-Founder

Sharroll Bachas

Onava AI

Co-Founder

Niko McCarty

Asimov

Founding Editor

Niko McCarty

Asimov

Founding Editor

Tanja Kortemme

University of California, San Francisco

Vice Dean of Research, Professor, Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences

Tanja Kortemme

University of California, San Francisco

Vice Dean of Research, Professor, Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences

Yue Webster

Lilly

VP Research IT

Yue Webster

Lilly

VP Research IT

Ivan Jaubert

SynBioBeta

Director of Entrepreneurship

Ivan Jaubert

SynBioBeta

Director of Entrepreneurship

Vanderlei Casagrande Bellettini

ADM

VP Precision Fermentation Operations Lead

Vanderlei Casagrande Bellettini

ADM

VP Precision Fermentation Operations Lead

Peter Clark

Novo Nordisk

VP, Computational Drug Design

Peter Clark

Novo Nordisk

VP, Computational Drug Design

Neil Parry

Unilever

Head of Biotechnology

Neil Parry

Unilever

Head of Biotechnology

Ashoka Madduri

Sanofi

Head of Scientific Strategy, mRNA CoE

Ashoka Madduri

Sanofi

Head of Scientific Strategy, mRNA CoE

Laurence Ion

VitaDAO

Co-creator

Laurence Ion

VitaDAO

Co-creator

Elliot Hershberg

Amplify Partners

Partner

Elliot Hershberg

Amplify Partners

Partner

Jonathan Good

Scentian Bio

CEO

Jonathan Good

Scentian Bio

CEO

Kit McDonnell

Independent

Strategy Consultant

Kit McDonnell

Independent

Strategy Consultant

Shrikrishnan Sankaran

Leibniz Institute for New Materials

Academic coordinator

Shrikrishnan Sankaran

Leibniz Institute for New Materials

Academic coordinator

Richard Kenny

Hawkwood Biotech Partners

Managing Partner

Richard Kenny

Hawkwood Biotech Partners

Managing Partner

Le Cong

Broad Institute

Assistant Professor

Le Cong

Broad Institute

Assistant Professor

Andrew Hessel

Genome Project-write

Chairman

Andrew Hessel

Genome Project-write

Chairman

Stephanie Wisner

Centivax

Co-founder

Stephanie Wisner

Centivax

Co-founder

John Chodera

Achira Labs

Co-Founder, CEO, and President

John Chodera

Achira Labs

Co-Founder, CEO, and President

Georgia Lu

Magnet Ventures

Managing Partner

Georgia Lu

Magnet Ventures

Managing Partner

Dawn Musil

McKinsey & Company

GenAI Product Manager

Dawn Musil

McKinsey & Company

GenAI Product Manager

Nicole Richards

Allonnia

CEO

Nicole Richards

Allonnia

CEO

Max Jamilly

Hoxton Farms

CEO & Co-founder

Max Jamilly

Hoxton Farms

CEO & Co-founder

Juliette Humer

MuseBio

Founder & CEO

Juliette Humer

MuseBio

Founder & CEO

Michael Weiner

Abbratech

CEO & Founder

Michael Weiner

Abbratech

CEO & Founder

Ewa Lis

Koliber Biosciences

Founder

Ewa Lis

Koliber Biosciences

Founder

Jamie Bacher

Huxley Project

Principal

Jamie Bacher

Huxley Project

Principal

Samuel Jayakanthan

Vandstrom

Principal Scientist

Samuel Jayakanthan

Vandstrom

Principal Scientist

Birgit Cameron

Prism Bio, Inc.

CEO, Co-Founder

Birgit Cameron

Prism Bio, Inc.

CEO, Co-Founder

Per Falholt

21st.BIO

CSO

Per Falholt

21st.BIO

CSO

Megan Thomas

Ladder 17 LLC

Founder & CEO

Megan Thomas

Ladder 17 LLC

Founder & CEO

Arthur Gardner Smith

Reformation Hair

CEO & Founder

Arthur Gardner Smith

Reformation Hair

CEO & Founder

Laura Luebbert

Google

Laura Luebbert

Google

Victoria Mascetti

University of Bristol

Assistant Professor

Victoria Mascetti

University of Bristol

Assistant Professor

Eileen Spindler

Alta Resource Technologies Inc.

VP of R&D

Eileen Spindler

Alta Resource Technologies Inc.

VP of R&D

Fan Yang

Capital O

General Partner

Fan Yang

Capital O

General Partner

Kiana Aran

Cardea Bio

Chief Scientific Officer and Professor

Kiana Aran

Cardea Bio

Chief Scientific Officer and Professor

Chase Denecke

Bootstrap Bio

CEO

Chase Denecke

Bootstrap Bio

CEO

Chris Kantrowitz

Quorum Earth

Founder and CEO

Chris Kantrowitz

Quorum Earth

Founder and CEO

Luis Valencia

AlkaLi Labs

Luis Valencia

AlkaLi Labs

Jake Miller

Marvel Labs

CEO

Jake Miller

Marvel Labs

CEO

Nima Alidoust

Tahoe Therapeutics

CEO & Cofounder

Nima Alidoust

Tahoe Therapeutics

CEO & Cofounder

Roya Amini-Naieni

Trilobio

CEO & Co-founder

Roya Amini-Naieni

Trilobio

CEO & Co-founder

Omri Amirav Drory

NFX

General Partner

Omri Amirav Drory

NFX

General Partner

Eric Bennett

Frontier Bio

CEO

Eric Bennett

Frontier Bio

CEO

Aaron Blotnick

Saku Biosciences

Chief of Staff

Aaron Blotnick

Saku Biosciences

Chief of Staff

Alexandra Boelrijk

Kerry

Global Senior R&D Director ProActive Health

Alexandra Boelrijk

Kerry

Global Senior R&D Director ProActive Health

Vanessa Braunstein

Lilly

Vanessa Braunstein

Lilly

Ellen Chang

CapZone

Managing Director

Ellen Chang

CapZone

Managing Director

Wendy Devine

Wilson Sonsini

Partner

Wendy Devine

Wilson Sonsini

Partner

Nick Edwards

Potato

CEO

Nick Edwards

Potato

CEO

Michael Ferrari

Moby

Vice President & Head of Research

Michael Ferrari

Moby

Vice President & Head of Research

Jayme Feyhl-Buska

Homeworld Collective

Program Lead - Geobiotechnology

Jayme Feyhl-Buska

Homeworld Collective

Program Lead - Geobiotechnology

Gordon Freedman

MitoWorld

Publisher

Gordon Freedman

MitoWorld

Publisher

Hector Garcia Martin

Advanced Biofuel Process Demonstration Unit

Staff Scientist

Hector Garcia Martin

Advanced Biofuel Process Demonstration Unit

Staff Scientist

Jacob Glanville

Centivax

CEO

Jacob Glanville

Centivax

CEO

Karl Handelsman

Codon Capital

Managing Partner

Karl Handelsman

Codon Capital

Managing Partner

Bijan Harandi

Stealth mode health tech startup

Founder

Bijan Harandi

Stealth mode health tech startup

Founder

Colwyn Headley

Stanford University

Instructor

Colwyn Headley

Stanford University

Instructor

Vayu Hill-Maini

Stanford University

Assistant Professor of Bioengineering

Vayu Hill-Maini

Stanford University

Assistant Professor of Bioengineering

Eriona Hysolli

Manhattan Genomics

Co-founder

Eriona Hysolli

Manhattan Genomics

Co-founder

Samuel King

Stanford University

Bioengineering Phd Candidate

Samuel King

Stanford University

Bioengineering Phd Candidate

Laura Kliman

Impossible Foods

Senior R&D Director, New Product Development

Laura Kliman

Impossible Foods

Senior R&D Director, New Product Development

Rajesh Krishnamurthy

Laurus Bio

CEO

Rajesh Krishnamurthy

Laurus Bio

CEO

Sierra Lore

Buck Institute

Doctoral Student

Sierra Lore

Buck Institute

Doctoral Student

Jeanne Loring

Scripps Research, Aspen Neuroscience

Professor, Founder and Science Advisor

Jeanne Loring

Scripps Research, Aspen Neuroscience

Professor, Founder and Science Advisor

Julie O'Shaughnessy

Vivodyne

Chief Operating Officer

Julie O'Shaughnessy

Vivodyne

Chief Operating Officer

Matthew Osman

Polyphron

Co-Founder & CEO

Matthew Osman

Polyphron

Co-Founder & CEO

Kid Parchariyanon

SeaX Ventures.

Managing Partner

Kid Parchariyanon

SeaX Ventures.

Managing Partner

Vineet Rajgarhia

Erg Bio

Co-Founder & CEO

Vineet Rajgarhia

Erg Bio

Co-Founder & CEO

Ebihara Takashi

GeneFrontier

COO

Ebihara Takashi

GeneFrontier

COO

Mariëlle van Kooten

Powerhouse Biology | Stanford University

CEO

Mariëlle van Kooten

Powerhouse Biology | Stanford University

CEO

Bryan Walsh

Vox Media

Senior Editorial Director

Bryan Walsh

Vox Media

Senior Editorial Director

Kaihang Wang

California Institute of Technology

Assistant Professor

Kaihang Wang

California Institute of Technology

Assistant Professor

Jim West III

BioTools Innovator

Associate Director

Jim West III

BioTools Innovator

Associate Director

Nathan Wolfe

Advanced Research and Invention Agency

Programme Director

Nathan Wolfe

Advanced Research and Invention Agency

Programme Director

Adrian Woolfson

Genyro

President and CEO

Adrian Woolfson

Genyro

President and CEO

Huafeng Xu

Atommap

Founder and CEO

Huafeng Xu

Atommap

Founder and CEO

Colby Adolph

Evonik

Sales Director

Nima Alidoust

Tahoe Therapeutics

CEO & Cofounder

Roya Amini-Naieni

Trilobio

CEO & Co-founder

Omri Amirav Drory

NFX

General Partner

Jonathan Anomaly

Herasight

Scientist, Senior Professor and Editor

Kiana Aran

Cardea Bio

Chief Scientific Officer and Professor

Sharroll Bachas

Onava AI

Co-Founder

Jamie Bacher

Huxley Project

Principal

Previous Speakers Include

Jennifer Doudna

UC Berkeley

Nobel Laureate in Chemistry

Jennifer Doudna

UC Berkeley

Nobel Laureate in Chemistry

Sam Altman

OpenAI

CEO

Sam Altman

OpenAI

CEO

Steve Wozniak

Fusion-io

Chief Scientist

Steve Wozniak

Fusion-io

Chief Scientist

Vinod Khosla

Khosla Ventures

Founder & Partner

Vinod Khosla

Khosla Ventures

Founder & Partner

Frances Arnold

Caltech

Nobel Laureate

Frances Arnold

Caltech

Nobel Laureate

Eric Schmidt

Schmidt Science

Chair & CEO

Eric Schmidt

Schmidt Science

Chair & CEO

Kate Rubins

NASA

Astronaut

Kate Rubins

NASA

Astronaut

Craig Venter

JCVI

Craig Venter

JCVI

Christina Smolke

Antheia

CEO and Co-Founder

Christina Smolke

Antheia

CEO and Co-Founder

George Church

Harvard & MIT

Professor

George Church

Harvard & MIT

Professor

Lisa Dyson

Air Protein

CEO

Lisa Dyson

Air Protein

CEO

Thomas Bostick

Global Strategies

Chairman

Thomas Bostick

Global Strategies

Chairman

Ro Khanna

U.S. Congress

Ro Khanna

U.S. Congress

Peter Diamandis

XPRIZE

Founder

Peter Diamandis

XPRIZE

Founder

Drew Endy

Stanford University

Professor

Drew Endy

Stanford University

Professor

Kevin Scott

Microsoft

CTO

Kevin Scott

Microsoft

CTO

Cathie Wood

Ark Invest

Founder & CEO

Cathie Wood

Ark Invest

Founder & CEO

Dean Kamen

ARMI

Executive Director

Dean Kamen

ARMI

Executive Director

Bryan Johnson

Don't Die

Founder & CEO

Bryan Johnson

Don't Die

Founder & CEO

Chris Voigt

MIT

Chris Voigt

MIT

D.A. Wallach

Time BioVentures

General Partner & Co-Founder

D.A. Wallach

Time BioVentures

General Partner & Co-Founder

Daphne Koller

insitro

Founder & CEO

Daphne Koller

insitro

Founder & CEO

Lord David Willetts

SynBioVen

Co-Chair

Lord David Willetts

SynBioVen

Co-Chair

Eben Bayer

Ecovative

CEO

Eben Bayer

Ecovative

CEO

Eleni Kounalakis

Lieutenant Governor of California

Eleni Kounalakis

Lieutenant Governor of California

Emily Leproust

Twist Bioscience

CEO

Emily Leproust

Twist Bioscience

CEO

Esther Dyson

Way to Wellville

Executive Founder

Esther Dyson

Way to Wellville

Executive Founder

Gaurab Chakrabarti

Solugen

Co-Founder & CEO

Gaurab Chakrabarti

Solugen

Co-Founder & CEO

Gavin Newsom

Governor of California

Gavin Newsom

Governor of California

George Whitesides

CA-27

Congressman

George Whitesides

CA-27

Congressman

Jason Kelly

Ginkgo Bioworks

Founder & CEO

Jason Kelly

Ginkgo Bioworks

Founder & CEO

Jay Keasling

UC Berkeley

Professor

Jay Keasling

UC Berkeley

Professor

Jennifer Holmgren

LanzaTech

CEO

Jennifer Holmgren

LanzaTech

CEO

Oliver Morton

The Economist

Senior Editor

Oliver Morton

The Economist

Senior Editor

Patrick Brown

Impossible Foods

Founder

Patrick Brown

Impossible Foods

Founder

RJ Kirk

Third Security

Chairman

RJ Kirk

Third Security

Chairman

Jeanne Loring

Scripps Research

Professor

Jeanne Loring

Scripps Research

Professor

Sean O'Sullivan

SOSV

Founder

Sean O'Sullivan

SOSV

Founder

Thomas Südhof

Stanford Medicine

Nobel Laureate

Thomas Südhof

Stanford Medicine

Nobel Laureate

Tim Kopra

Nanoracks

CEO

Tim Kopra

Nanoracks

CEO

Tim O'Reilly

Reilly Media

CEO

Tim O'Reilly

Reilly Media

CEO

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