Innovation, Sustainability and Entrepreneurship in Chemistry

Co-founder of GENEWIZ and Couragene

Amy will share her story of personal and professional growth, and some of the work they did at GENEWIZ and Couragene in advancing healthcare innovations. As a serial entrepreneur, Amy has decades of experience in building companies to address unmet needs. Amy will share the core elements of cultivating an effective company culture and her approach to leadership.  

Dr. Amy Liao is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Couragene since its inception in 2022. Prior to starting Couragene, Amy was a co-founder and CEO of GENEWIZ, and then President of Brooks Life Sciences Services after GENEWIZ was acquired by Brooks Automation (now Azenta Life Sciences).

Dr. Liao has had a long and distinguished career in genomics services and sciences, with many academic and business achievements to date.  In 2020, in honoring an individual for a lifetime commitment and important contributions to patient healthcare, Dr. Liao received the coveted Biomedical Engineering Society's Wallace A. Coulter award for innovation in healthcare.  In 2010, Dr. Liao along with Dr. Steve Sun, co-founder of GENEWIZ, received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2010 Award in the Services category for New Jersey.   

Dr. Liao graduated with a bachelor's degree from Nankai University, a master's degree from Tsinghua University, and a PhD in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from SUNY at Stony Brook. Dr. Liao carried out her postdoctoral studies at Columbia University before she co-founded GENEWIZ with her business partner in 1999.

CEO, Fosun Pharma USA and Senior Vice President, Fosun Pharma 

In this presentation, Rong Yang offers a comprehensive analysis of the current trends and dynamics within the biotechnology industry from an investor's perspective. The session delves into the dynamic shifts that are influencing investor decisions and strategic funding within the sector. Participants will gain a thorough understanding of key investment flows, groundbreaking technological advancements, and the impact of global economic and regulatory environments on biotech investments. This abstract sets the stage for industry stakeholders—including investors, entrepreneurs, and policymakers—to explore the financial and technological trends driving the biotech industry forward.

Overall, the presentation aims to offer a strategic outlook that helps stakeholders navigate the complexities of investing in biotechnology amid changing market conditions.

Rong Yang is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Fosun Pharma USA and the SVP and Partner
of Fosun Pharma. He is responsible for expanding Fosun Pharma’s presence in the US, driving
overall business and organizational growth, and representing the company in front of external
stakeholders.
Prior to Fosun Pharma, Rong was with Bayer Group for nearly 20 years in a variety of senior
positions across the United States and Europe. As Vice President he headed Bayer’s US
Specialty and Hematology sales and marketing team; he also served as Head of Business Insight
and Analytics and was a member of Bayer’s Executive Committee in the United States; as VP of
Strategy and Finance, he oversaw Bayer pharmaceuticals Americas P&L across US, Canada and
Latin America with more than 5 billion USD revenue and more than 30 legal entities across the
continent. Before moving to the US he was Bayer Pharma’s Country Group General Manager for
Czech Republic and Slovakia based in Prague, Czech Republic. Earlier in his career, he took
various portfolio and commercial roles in Germany and Austria. Rong has lived and worked in five different countries across three continents. Currently, he also serves as a Director on the Board of Nature’s Sunshine, a NASDAQ-listed company.
Rong holds a Bachelor’s degree in Art from Beijing Foreign Studies University and a Master of
Business Administration from Harvard University.
Outside of work, Rong likes family time with wife Vesna and daughter Zarja (9 years old). He
enjoys hiking, reading, and watching soccer games. 

Founder of EASIIO

Welcome to a forward-looking exploration of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to reshape our professional landscapes and daily lives in the coming decade. This session will delve into groundbreaking advancements from leading innovators such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, GPT-4, Dalle 3, Sora, Gemini by Google, Meta AI, Nvidia's AI initiatives, SoftBank's all in AI ventures, and the anticipated emergence of General Intelligence (AGI) and human-like AI robotics. We'll examine the multifaceted influence of AI technologies and discuss strategic approaches for individuals and businesses to harness the burgeoning opportunities of this AI revolution. Also, we will discuss how AI impact Chemistry, Biology, Biotech and Pharma industry in general, Join us as we navigate through this era of technological evolution, aiming to leverage AI advancements for enhanced productivity and an enriched life.

Dr. Lin earned their Ph.D. in Chemistry from Caltech in Pasadena, followed by a prestigious postdoctoral stint at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the Biological Chemistry department, supported by grants from both the NIH and the American Cancer Society.

Transitioning seamlessly into the realm of technology, Dr. Lin has amassed over 27 years of experience in software development and IT.  His journey began with roles at renowned institutions such as FirstUSA Bank and Lockheed Martin Prices Systems, LLC.

Venturing into the pharmaceutical domain, Dr. Lin contributed significantly to research IT at Rhone-Poulenc Rorer (RPR) before delving into chemo informatics at Aventis.

Hi career trajectory took a pivotal turn with leadership roles at WebEx, later acquired by Cisco, where he managed Web meeting server teams, showcasing exceptional managerial and architectural skills.

Subsequently, Dr. Lin served as Senior Director of Engineering at RingCentral, a publicly traded company, before founding Easiio Systems, Inc. Driven by a passion for innovation, Dr. Lin currently spearheads Easiio Systems as Founder and CEO, focusing on software development and AI SaaS platform solutions.

Carbon Credit Technologies Portfolio Manager

ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company

Global economic growth, underpinned by the world’s growing population and increasing standards of living, is driving increasing demand for scalable and sustainable energy. Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with energy production and use is a key element of sustainability.  Using data from ExxonMobil’s Energy Outlook, I’ll discuss trends in in energy supply and demand while highlighting the science and technology challenges and opportunities in front of us.

Adam is progressing a portfolio to identify, validate, and develop sustainable solutions that leverage natural systems and technologies to enable carbon credits. Previously he served as Advisor to the Singapore Energy Centre and in various technical and managerial roles within ExxonMobil R&D including in upstream reservoir modeling, subsurface imaging and corporate strategic themes in biofuels, carbon capture & sequestration, climate science, and life cycle assessment.

Adam received his BS in Physics from Dartmouth College, MS in Materials Science from Hiroshima University, and PhD in Space Physics from Rice University. He also worked at Goldman Sachs supporting precious metals trading.

Technical Director, Venturing and Scouting, International Flavors & Fragrances Inc

Delivery systems are widely employed in consumer, agricultural, and pharmaceutical applications to deliver active ingredients, increase bioavailability, and enhance efficacy. There is a wide range of delivery systems including microencapsulation that are currently utilized in the fragrance and flavor industries. There has been increasing demand for more sustainable and biodegradable delivery systems to meet ECHA requirements for microplastic-free products. Due to their superb performance, synthetic polymers have been employed in delivering various active ingredients for scent, agricultural, and personal care applications. However, these systems suffer the drawbacks of being less biodegradable and may lead to the generation of microplastics. 

In this talk, we will discuss our efforts and recent progress in engineering more biodegradable delivery systems with a focus on scent delivery. We will discuss approaches in selecting the materials and chemistries, methods of biodegradation, as well as performance evaluations. We will review current efforts and results using more natural and bio-derived materials including various proteins, polysaccharides, and modified biopolymers. Our learnings can easily be adapted for other applications needing more benign delivery systems.

Yabin Lei received his BS degree in chemistry from Nankai University in China and Doctorate degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. He began his industrial career following a postdoctoral appointment at the California Institute of Technology.  His research has always focused on developing commercially viable delivery systems for a wide range of consumer and industrial applications.  He is the currently the Technical Director of Venturing and Technology Scouting at International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF). Prior to that, he was the Technical Director of Delivery Materials and Technology at IFF. He is responsible for the scouting, conceptualization, research, development and commercialization of novel delivery systems for fragrance and flavor applications. He has been with IFF for twenty years and had held various roles at Akzo and Air Products prior to join IFF. He has over thirty years of experience in materials and delivery systems and over one hundred US and international patent applications and over forty granted US and international patents.

Co-founder of THC Lawyers

In this talk, we will explore the complex issue of high drug prices in the United States, understanding it within a global context and seeking viable solutions. Despite technological advancements and a robust pharmaceutical industry, the U.S. faces significantly higher drug prices compared to other developed nations. This presentation delves into the reasons behind these discrepancies, such as stringent patent laws, limited pricing negotiations, and substantial marketing costs that uniquely impact the U.S. market. By comparing these factors with systems in place in countries like Canada and Europe, we can identify effective strategies for managing drug costs. The talk will propose actionable solutions ranging from policy reforms allowing price negotiations to enhancing generic drug competition, aimed at making healthcare more affordable without stifling innovation. We will also discuss the inherent challenges and potential resistance from various stakeholders, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach to reform. This session is designed to inform and mobilize policymakers, healthcare professionals, and the public towards a more equitable healthcare system.

Dr. Ran He is a lawyer licensed in the United States (NY and CA) and Canada (ON and BC). With a comprehensive litigation experience in both Canada and the United States in complex cases, Dr. He brings a wealth of expertise to his practice areas, particularly in commercial litigation and IP litigation.  Dr. He acted for world leading pharmaceuticals, NASDAQ listed corporations, Chinese SOEs and many significant clients in major litigations in North America.

​In additional to his legal practice, Dr. He provides strategic consultation to consulting firms, venture capital funds and start-ups in the U.S. and China, with a special focus on biotechnology and healthcare industry.  Benefited from a multi-discipline and multi-country background, Dr. He provides clients with strategic advice that combines innovation, prudence and global perspective.

Before becoming a lawyer, Dr. He received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Nankai University, followed by a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a post-doctoral fellowship in Johns Hopkins Hospital.  Dr. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Osgoode Hall Law School, when he was admitted as the only full LSAT score in Canada in that year and graduated with the top scholarship in litigation stream.  Dr. He teaches at law school in Canada, and business schools in Asia.

Managing Director, MSQ Ventures

• 20+ years of Global Pharma industry experience: 10+ years Hands-on Research from Roche; 10+ years of Pharma Business Development: former US BD head of Hengrui Pharma.
• Proven Track Record of BD deals, Peer-reviewed publications & Patents.
• MBA, and Master’s Degrees in Medicinal Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Healthcare Policies & Economics.

General Manager at Viwit Pharmaceuticals 

Jasmine Lu is currently a General Manager at Viwit Pharmaceuticals. Before joining Viwit in 2022, she was the Director of Alliance Management at Atomwise, a preclinical pharma company revolutionizing how drugs are discovered with AI. In addition, she worked for the US Innovation Center of Shimadzu, a top-five global instrumentation company, and AcceleDev, a US-Sino CDMO company, as the Director of Project Management. Her earlier careers include Senior Medicinal Chemist in Morphochem and Pharmacopeia Drug Discovery, focusing on drug discovery for oncology and immunosuppressant projects.

Jasmine is a life member of the Chinese American Chemical Society (CACS). She has served on the Board of its East Chapter since 2012 and was the Chair of 2019. She joined the American Chemical Society (ACS) in 1994 and has served as an Alternate-Councilor in ACS North Jersey Chapter. She has also served on the Board of NJACS Mass Spectrometry Discussion Group and was the Chair of 2017.

Dr. Lu holds a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Dartmouth College, an MS from Southern Methodist University, and a BS degree in Chemistry from Peking University.