About The Summit
The Association for Women in Science (AWIS), in partnership with the University of California and the California Life Sciences Association, is pleased to host a national dialogue on gender at the nexus of innovation and entrepreneurship with experts from industry, academia, and government. Building upon our inaugural Summit which was held in partnership with The Ohio State University, this meeting will focus
on how we, as a society, can develop inclusive, fiscally-responsive systems to drive research excellence, feed long-term economic growth, and fuel innovative solutions to global challenges facing all our citizens. Janet Napolitano, President of the University of California, will serve as the keynote speaker.
Audience
The National Summit is a great opportunity to connect with experienced innovation professionals who represent the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) community from corporate, academic, and government agencies. It provides a forum for the exchange of advanced knowledge on gender at the nexus of innovation and entrepreneurship while engaging panelists and participants in evidence-based and thought-provoking discussions. The National Summit is geared toward practicing senior-level innovation professionals and entrepreneurs in STEM who are responsible for:
- Innovation
- Technology
- Strategy
- Workforce development
- Research
Research
AWIS focuses on increasing the representation, advancement, and impact of women in STEM through evidence-based research, strategies, policies, and solutions that eliminate barriers and bias from the workplace. By understanding and embracing an expanded model of entrepreneurship that takes into account the experiences, motivations, and developmental needs of both genders, we enhance innovation across multiple work platforms. Program content is focused on how we, as a society, can develop inclusive, fiscally-responsive systems to drive research excellence, feed long-term economic growth, and fuel innovative solutions to global challenges facing all our citizens.
Speakers
Experts in workforce development, companies that have successfully engaged STEM women in entrepreneurship, and women innovators themselves will contribute their viewpoints. Together, all parties are crucial if we are to identify multiple strategies to engage women STEM professionals in the innovation agenda.
Keynote Speaker
Janet Napolitano, President, University of California
Janet Napolitano was named the 20th president of the University of California on July 18, 2013, and took office on Sept. 30, 2013. She has launched initiatives to enhance community college transfers; achieve carbon neutrality across the UC system by 2025; speed translation of UC research into products and services; focus UC resources on local and global food issues; improve services for student veterans; strengthen engagement with Mexico and provide financial support for undocumented students to put them on equal financial-aid footing with other students.
She leads a university system with 10 campuses, five medical centers, three affiliated national laboratories, and a statewide agriculture and natural resources program. The UC system has more than 234,000 students, about 208,000 faculty and staff, more than 1.6 million living alumni and an annual operating budget of more than $25 billion.
President Napolitano served as Secretary of Homeland Security from 2009-13, as Governor of Arizona from 2003-09, as Attorney General of Arizona from 1998-2003, and as U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona from 1993-97.

Janet Bandows Koster, MBA
Association for Women in Science
Closing Remarks

Mary Croughan, PhD
Research Grants Program Office
Office of Research and Graduate Studies
Office of the President, University of California
Moderator

Ann Lee-Karlon, PhD
Senior Vice President, Genentech
Speaker

Mary Rozenman, PhD
Moderator
10:00 am – 10:30 am
Registration and Networking
10:30 am – 10:40 am
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Speaker:
Ann Lee-Karlon, PhD
President, Association for Women in Science
Senior Vice President, Genentech
Speaker:
The Honorable Libby Schaaf
Mayor of the City of Oakland
10:40 am – 11:00 am
Dialogue and Discussion: The Ideal Ecosystem – Where Does Innovation Happen and How Does it Spread?
Innovation can happen anywhere, but the locus remains at universities and in industry. We examine how ideas spread across sectors, and how men and women contribute to the innovation agenda in STEM.
Speaker:
Laura Furstenthal, PhD
Partner
McKinsey & Company
Speaker:
Brian Frank, JD
Vice President, Global Sales Operations
LinkedIn
11:00 am – 11:15 am
Remarks: UC Davis Study of California Women Business Leaders
Speaker:
Amanda Kimball
Research Specialist
University of California, Davis
11:15 am – 11:40 am
2:1 Interview: Creating Environments that Foster Innovation: A Roadmap for Inclusion
Inclusion is critical for future innovation. We explore how companies can create STEM environments that allow everyone’s innovative ideas to flourish.
Moderator:
Vasudev Bailey, PhD
Principal
Quid
Speaker:
Christie Smith, PhD
Managing Principal
Deloitte, LLP
Speaker:
Justin Siegel, PhD
Interim Faculty Director
Innovation Institute for Food and Health
11:40 am – 12:00 pm
Break
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Lunch with Keynote Address
Moderator:
Sara Radcliffe, MA, MPH
President and CEO
California Life Sciences Association
1:00 pm – 1:20 pm
2:1 Interview: Stimulating Creative Partnerships to Support Entrepreneurial Scientists
Fostering innovation must start early on; university-industrial partnerships are crucial to the process. We will discuss best practices that are in existence to support entrepreneurial scientists.
Moderator:
Mary Croughan, PhD
Executive Director
Research Grants Program Office
Office of Research and Graduate Studies
Office of the President, University of California
Speaker:
Regis Kelly, PhD
Director, QB3
Speaker:
Kevin Sin
Vice President, Oncology
Genentech Partnering
1:20 pm – 1:50 pm
Panel: Show Me the Money: Funding Future Innovators
Taking an idea from the bench to the marketplace is a long and expensive process, which often overwhelms early-stage inventors. Finding new ways to finance the entire arc of innovation is important for inclusivity, and we highlight innovative funding models.
Moderator:
Mary Rozenman, PhD
Senior Vice President
Corporate and Commercial Development
Aimmune Therapeutics
Speaker:
Nat Goldhaber, PhD
Managing Director and Co-Founder
Claremont Creek Ventures
Speaker:
Christopher Haskell, PhD
Head, US Science Hub
Bayer HealthCare
Speaker:
Pamela Marrone, PhD
CEO and Founder
Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc.
Speaker:
Adriana Tajonar, PhD
Associate
The Column Group
1:50 pm – 2:00 pm
Closing Remarks
Speaker:
Janet Bandows Koster, MBA
Executive Director and CEO
Association for Women in Science
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Informal Networking Reception
2015 NATIONAL SUMMIT ON INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP Register Today!
Location
Oakland Marriott City Center
1001 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 451-4000