Virginia Bio Celebrates Women In Bio At Inaugural Conference

Regional Industry Leaders to Foster Innovation, Collaboration and Learning

RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Virginia Bio, the premier statewide non-profit association representing the life science industry in the Commonwealth of Virginia, today announced it will host a conference dedicated to celebrating women in the bioscience industry. The inaugural conference, Women Building Bio: The XX Factor, will be held on September 29 at the Inova Center for Personalized Health.

“We are appreciative of the incredible support from our sponsors and committee members, and look forward to celebrating women in bioscience while discussing ways to accelerate their success in this region.”

Women Building Bio: The XX Factors’ mission is to connect thought leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists, academics, students and other women and men involved in bioscience to share their strategies for success around collaboration in research and commercialization; leadership development; and accelerating the contributions of women in the field. The event is open to all members of the bioscience community.

“We are proud to host this inaugural event highlighting women who are building a new bioscience economy in our region,” said Jennifer Siciliano, Vice President, Government Affairs for Inova. “I’m excited to learn about some of their ground-breaking work in the bioscience field, and hear practical strategies for achieving success.”

“This conference is a perfect opportunity to reflect not only on what’s been done by women in the industry, but where we are going as a collective community,” said Peggy Agouris, Dean, College of Science, George Mason University.

The speakers and panelists for the event include distinguished leaders from the BioHealth Capital region. The growing list of speakers includes Barbara Newhouse, President and CEO, The ALS Association; Congresswoman Barbara Comstock, Chair, Subcommittee on Science, Space and Technology; Lili Powell, Assistant Professor of Business Administration, University of Virginia, Darden School of Business; and Martin N. Davidson, Johnson and Higgins Professor of Business Administration, University of Virginia, Darden School of Business.

“The Women Building Bio event is advancing the industry by promoting and celebrating women who are making an impact in the field of life sciences,” said Barbara Newhouse, president and CEO of the ALS Association. “It is my pleasure to keynote this event and be aligned with an organization that is driving important conversations for our community members.”

The inaugural event has already gained major traction in the industry with premier sponsors including Inova, George Mason University and Darden Executive Education.

“We are extremely pleased with how the community has responded to the Women Building Bio Conference,” said Jeffrey Gallagher, CEO of Virginia Bio. “We are appreciative of the incredible support from our sponsors and committee members, and look forward to celebrating women in bioscience while discussing ways to accelerate their success in this region.”

For more information regarding event details, registration and fees, click here.

About the Virginia Biotechnology Association

Virginia Bio is the premier statewide non-profit trade association for life sciences, promoting the considerable scientific and economic impact of the life sciences industry in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia Bio is an advocate for the biopharmaceutical and device industries among federal, state and local policy-makers. Virginia Bio is the official state affiliate of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), AdvaMed and the Medical Device Manufacturers Association (MDMA) and also collaborates closely with the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). To learn more, visit www.vabio.org.

Sponsors for this event include: Inova, George Mason University, Darden Executive Education, Greenberg Traurig, PhRMA, Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Squire Patton Boggs, Pfizer, Xenith, Prince William County, HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Cherry Bekaert, George Washington University, AstraZeneca/MedImmune, Silverline Communications, Loudoun Virginia Economic Development, Virginia Biotechnology Research Park, Euclid, Polymer Solutions and James Madison University.