KdT Ventures
KdT Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on investing in science-driven companies at the intersection of technology and the physical world. Based in Austin, Texas, and Research Triangle, NC, KdT partners with founders in biotechnology, healthcare, sustainability, and beyond, offering deep technical and strategic support to build transformative companies. For more information visit www.kdtvc.com . Follow @KdT_Ventures.
Patrick Malone is a Partner at KdT Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on the intersection of biology, chemistry, and technology. Founded in 2017, KdT has partnered with 70+ science-driven companies across the life science, healthcare, and chemical and materials industries. Prior to becoming a venture capitalist, Patrick completed his MD and PhD in computational neuroscience at Georgetown University, where his research focused on machine learning applications in medicine. Before medical school, Patrick was a research fellow at the NIH focused on biomarker development for neurodegenerative disease, and completed his BS in neuroscience and behavioral biology at Emory University. Speaker profile
BARDA -Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority
The Center for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) provides an integrated, systematic approach to the development of the necessary vaccines, drugs, therapies, and diagnostic tools for public health medical emergencies such as chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) accidents, incidents and attacks; pandemic influenza (PI), and emerging infectious diseases (EID). BARDA on LinkedIn.
Manbir Singh is the Program Manager for BARDA Ventures and the BARDA Accelerator Network at the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR). In his role, Manbir helps grow and foster the medical countermeasures startup ecosystem by accelerating the development and commercialization of next-generation health security solutions through entrepreneurial mentorship and non-dilutive funding programs via the BARDA Accelerator Network, along with equity investments through BARDA Ventures. Manbir’s background is in infectious disease research before transitioning to venture building, commercialization, and technical and business support for early-stage innovators and entrepreneurs transitioning their technology from the bench to market. Before joining BARDA, Manbir led and supported multiple federally funded deep tech startup studios and accelerator programs, managing partnerships, technology sourcing, and due diligence with labs across the DoD, DHS, DOE, NASA, NIST, HHS, the VA, and several universities.
Amazon Web Services – AWS
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s most comprehensive and widely adopted cloud platform, launched in 2006 to provide a foundational shift in how IT infrastructure is utilized. It offers over 240 fully featured services—spanning compute, storage, databases, networking, analytics, machine learning, and AI—trusted by millions of customers, including global enterprises, fast-growing startups, and government agencies. Built with security as a top priority, AWS’s mission is to be the most customer-centric company, empowering organizations across every industry to lower costs, become more agile, and innovate faster by accessing a broad and deep set of secure cloud capabilities. Company website
Maryclaire Abowd is a Senior Business Development Manager on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Worldwide Public Sector Global Education team, based in Washington, DC. She works with education and research customers around the world to help them harness the power of cloud technology to advance their missions. With over twelve years of experience in the IT and services industry, Maryclaire focuses on go-to-market strategy for the global education sector, with a particular emphasis on academic research, helping universities and research institutions unlock the full potential of cloud and artificial intelligence to drive meaningful outcomes. Her passion for global education was shaped in part by her time at the American University in Cairo Onsi Sawiris School of Business, where she worked prior to joining AWS, an experience that deepened her commitment to expanding access to transformative technology for learners and researchers worldwide. Maryclaire holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Middle East and Islamic Studies from Boston College and a graduate degree from the London School of Economics, and she was awarded a United States Fulbright Award to conduct independent research at Cairo University.
Blackbird Laboratories
Blackbird Laboratories is a Baltimore-based, nonprofit life sciences incubator that bridges the gap between academic research and commercial biotech. The organization provides strategic capital, specialized laboratory space, and operational expertise to help scientists from premier institutions—such as Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland—transform their breakthroughs into venture-ready startups.
By offering a combination of research grants, hands-on program management, and a new 35,000-square-foot “BioHub” facility, Blackbird Labs accelerates the development of novel therapies for patients with unmet medical needs while fostering a thriving local innovation ecosystem Company website
Esther Park, PhD, is the Associate Director of Ventures at Blackbird Laboratories, where she supports early drug discovery research programs and external partnership relationships. Blackbird Laboratories is an independent, nonprofit life sciences incubator dedicated to transforming research breakthroughs into scalable, venture-ready biotech companies. Blackbird collaborates with world-class institutions and scientific partners to propel our portfolio of innovative technologies toward startup formation through our science and business strategy, program management, and capital.
Prior to joining Blackbird, Dr. Park earned her PhD in Molecular Biophysics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Working in the laboratory of Dr. Rachel Green, PhD, her thesis research focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms of ribosome quality control and mRNA decay.
Servier
Launched by Servier Group, a unique global organization operating in more than 150 countries and governed by a non-profit foundation, Servier in the U.S. is a privately held oncology leader combining the resources and global network of an established pharmaceutical company with the agility and entrepreneurial spirit of a biotech. Guided by its foundation governance, Servier pursues innovation with a long-term vision, free from investor pressure and short-term financial expectations. Our global R&D organization brings together leading scientific, clinical, and regulatory experts dedicated to developing transformative therapies for patients in need. As part of this mission, Servier reinvests more than 20% of its total revenue into internal research and external partnerships to drive the next generation of innovation. Our research efforts are focused primarily on oncology and neurology, two therapeutic areas where patients urgently need new treatment options. Company website
Marine Dumont is a Search & Evaluation Analyst at Servier, based in Boston. In this role, she contributes to the scouting and evaluation of novel therapeutics to support Servier’s oncology pipeline and broader external innovation efforts. She works closely with academic institutions and early-stage biotechnology companies to identify promising scientific opportunities and explore potential collaborations. Prior to joining Servier, Marine worked at GSK and has built her career within the pharmaceutical industry. She completed her studies in France, where she trained as an engineer with a specialization in pharmacology and biotechnology. She also holds a master’s degree in Biomedical Business Management, providing her with a strong combination of scientific and business expertise that supports her work at the intersection of research, innovation, and strategic partnerships.
AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a global pharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development, and commercialization of prescription medicines across a number of therapeutic areas. Its Vaccines & Immune Therapies unit is focused on building a robust pipeline of viral and bacterial solutions through strategic commercial planning and technical innovation to address critical public health challenges.Company website
Nitin Goel is Head of Early Commercial for Vaccines & Immune Therapies (V&I) at AstraZeneca. In this role, he leads commercial strategy, planning, and valuation for emerging assets within AZ’s V&I portfolio. He partners with early-stage viral and bacterial product teams to guide development of internal assets – and evaluate external (BD) opportunities – to build a winning portfolio focused on unmet need, competitive positioning, and market access
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson’s external innovation group identifies and advances early-stage solutions by catalyzing promising ideas worldwide. The group combines deep scientific expertise with flexible tools—including company creation, incubation services, strategic investments, and customized deal structures—to support entrepreneurs and emerging companies. Johnson & Johnson’s goal is to help life science and health technology innovations thrive through collaboration and partnership with the global ecosystem, so that together we can change the trajectory of human health. Company website
Scott T. Shepherd is a Scientific Engagement Manager for East North America at for Johnson & Johnson. He leads strategies to identify, engage, and support pre-spinout and early-stage life science companies aligned with J&J’s innovation priorities. His work focuses on leveraging external programs and strategic partnerships to advance emerging solutions across oncology, immunology, neuroscience, cardiopulmonary disease, and other priority areas.