Catalyst Capital Symposia

Festival of Biologics: Investing in Women's Health Showcase

Date:
4/24/2025 10:30 AM
-
1:00 pm
Location:
San Diego Convention Center

Unveil the next wave of innovation in women's health! This event is more than a showcase—it's a platform for presenting your transformative solutions to a captivated audience of investors, industry leaders, and decision-makers. Share your vision and expertise through a dynamic presentation and engage in an insightful panel discussion with thought leaders dedicated to advancing healthcare. Join us as we explore ideas, foster collaboration, and create meaningful conversations to shape the future of women's health

Register

Pitch Deck Help?

Are you a California startup developing a device, therapy, or diagnostic?

You may be eligible for 16 hours of complimentary Pitch Deck Consulting.

Agenda

10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

2025 Doubling Down on Women and Health

  • Moderator:
    • Leah Villegas, PhD, MBA
  • Panelists:
    • Armine Galstyan
    • Anne Lynch
    • Rachael Kim
    • Allison Ramiller
    • Anabel de la Garza

11:40 AM - 12:40 PM

Startup Showcase

  1. DelNova, Inc.
  2. Examplify Therapeutics
  3. Lidavex Inc.
  4. Maipl Therapeutics, Inc.
  5. MeyeVU Interactive Inc.
  6. Uterys Therapeutics

Prizes

1st place winners will receive the following prizes:
  • $20k in office/lab space
  • Digital Marketing and Branding Services (worth $5,000)
  • $25k custom UX design package from the largest femtech incubator in the US
  • Exploratory biostatistics package: 3 reports
  • Membership to Mayo Clinic Innovation Exchange
  • Regulatory kit and Regulatory strategy consulting (Medical Device only)
  • $5,000 Legal fees
  • Two months campaign on startup program
  • 3-day ticket to the upcoming 2025 RESI Conference
  • Contingent Permanent Placement ($5,000 off); Retained Search services ($5,000 off)
  • $5,000 of tax services

Learn from Subject Matter Experts

Armine Galstyan

Principal and Head of North American Operations at SmartGateVC

Armine is a tech ecosystem builder and VC investor with eight years of experience in operational strategy and tech community development. As Principal at SmartGateVC, she leads North American operations, managing a portfolio of 32 pre-seed investments valued at over $1 billion. Since joining the firm in 2017, she has driven key strategic initiatives, including launching Hero House in Los Angeles, a tech hub that has hosted 300+ events, fostering collaborations among investors, founders, and C-suite leaders. Her work supports early-stage founders and deep tech professionals, and she has been recognized by the LA Business Journal’s LA500, Hive Ventures’ 30 Under 30 Armenians in Tech, and the San Fernando Valley Business Journal’s Women’s Leadership Awards.

Rachael Kim

CEO & Founder, My Comma

Rachael Kim is a trailblazer in the femtech ecosystem, known for her dynamic leadership of the national Femtech Salon series in LA, NYC, ATL, AUS, and NASH. In two years, she has produced over 20 events and built a robust platform for femtech founders, driving equity and innovation across digital health, diagnostics, CPG, wellness, and beauty. Her efforts have garnered support from esteemed sponsors and partners such as Techstars, Orrick, JPMC, BCGX, Dutch Consulate and iHeartMedia Ventures.

Based in Los Angeles, Rachael seeks to broaden her initial investment thesis with other impact investors to support femtech and diverse founders within the next 18 month. Her mission is to introduce alternative investment models that benefit both startups and investors. Rachael's journey into VC is inspired by her personal health challenges and extensive expertise in strategy advisory, international program mobilization, and ecosystem building. Before becoming a femtech founder, she solo backpacked across four continents and 18 countries, showcasing her adventurous spirit and dedication to making a difference.

Anne Lynch

Research Associate, Hologic, Inc.

Anne Lynch is a dedicated and results-driven Research Associate at Hologic, with a passion for advancing the field of biologics. With a strong background in molecular biology and biotechnology, Anne brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role. She has a proven track record of conducting innovative research and collaborating with cross-functional teams to develop cutting-edge biologic products.

Anne is skilled in experimental design and data analysis allowing her to effectively contribute to the development of one of Hologic's Panther Fusion assays. Her attention to detail and commitment to excellence ensures that the current project she's working on, a GI-virus assay, becomes a success.

With a strong work ethic and a collaborative mindset, Anne contributes to her community in her free time by volunteering as the Student Affairs Chair for the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) and serving as the Membership Director for the Triathlon Club of San Diego (TCSD). Her passion for the sport of triathlon led her to a successful 2024 season ending with competing at the 2024 Ironman 70.3 World Championships. She's had a phenomenal 2025 season so far with some podium finishes and hopes to qualify again for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships.

Allison Ramiller

Prize Designer, XPRIZE Foundation

Allison Ramiller designs incentive competitions at XPRIZE Foundation. XPRIZE competitions catalyze innovation and technology breakthroughs across several domains, including health. She is currently focused on approaches to promote health in women across the lifespan.

Prior to joining XPRIZE, Allison was a Director of Research Programs at Solve M.E., a research and advocacy non-profit focused on ME/CFS and long COVID. In this role, she led research programs with an emphasis on generating and utilizing data to accelerate research into causes and treatments of chronic post-infectious illnesses. She previously served as Special Assistant in the Washington, DC office of the Brennan Center for Justice, a think tank and advocacy organization focused on strengthening systems of democracy and justice.

Allison holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of California, Berkeley. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, with minors in Neuroscience and Sociology, from the University of California, Davis.  

Anabel de la Garza

Medical Director, BrainXell Therapeutics Inc.

Anabel de la Garza, MD, PhD, has 20+ years of experience in stem cell biology, cell transplantation and regenerative medicine, with expertise in the musculoskeletal system, wound healing, angiogenesis, and CNS. Dr. de la Garza Rodea received her MD from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM, Mexico), her PhD from Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC, Netherlands), and was a clinical fellow at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (Oakland, CA) under the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) training program.

In 2015 Dr. de la Garza joined industry, working in translational research & clinical development for regenerative medicine at Genea Biocells and HepaTX, in skeletal muscle and liver systems, respectively. In her subsequent position at Biosplice Therapeutics, she led and oversaw crucial preclinical studies of a compound in Phase 3 for osteoarthritis before shifting to the Medical Affairs department where she created, managed, and executed the strategic medical communication plan and served on the scientific review committee. Currently, at BrainXell Therapeutics she leads the clinical development program for iPSC-derived dopamine neurons for Parkinson’ s disease. She developed and fostered relationships with patient advocacy organizations.

MC/MODERATOR

Leah Villegas

Managing Partner, Aquillius Ventures

As the Managing Partner at Aquillius Ventures, I oversee the investment strategy, portfolio management, and deal sourcing of a leading VC firm that focuses on early-stage startups in the biotech, medtech and agtech sectors. I also serve as the Vice President at the Aquillius Innovation Hub, where I manage the operations, financial planning, and business development of the firm. Additionally, I am a board member of Microtek, Inc., a microelectronic manufacturing company that provides innovative solutions for the medtech industry. I hold an MBA in Finance from the University of Colorado Denver and a certificate from VC University, where I learned the latest trends and best practices in the VC field. I am proficient in investment analysis, data analysis, and SWOT analysis, and I have a passion for finding and supporting disruptive and scalable businesses that can make a positive impact on the world. I value collaboration, diversity, innovation, and social responsibility, and I seek to work with like-minded entrepreneurs, investors, and partners.

STARTUP SHOWCASE

Mary Gardner
CEO and Founder
DelNova is resolving complications arising from botulinum toxin therapies (eg. Botox®). Focused on unmet medical needs, our first product under development, ReViVox® will be a first-in-class product to reverse muscle paralysis and manage undesirable side effects resulting from neurotoxin injections in both medical and cosmetic applications.
Surya Srivastava
CEO
Our novel migraine gene therapy will be a “once and done” cure for effectively mitigating the debilitating symptoms of recurring migraine pain. This innovative approach has the potential to rescue patients from years of disability and significantly reduce the risk of opioid overuse associated with chronic migraine management. We will further apply this pipeline as platform to develop gene therapy towards other trigeminal root associated conditions like trigeminal neuralgia, cluster headache etc.
Kamola Mirjalilova
CEO, Founder
Lidavex is revolutionizing childbirth care with safe and accurate diagnostic tools. We empower OBGYN providers and mothers to have all the necessary information for appropriate decision-making and the best outcomes. Our tool provides the most accurate database for EHR systems, AI companies, along with the OTC labor-monitoring kits as a new "baby shower list" standard.
Yong Yue
President & CEO
Maipl has the world only known FP antagonist platform, with exceptionally potent compounds licensed from Ferring Pharmaceuticals. We are developing a novel oral therapeutic to treat endometriosis, but future indications may include idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, pre-term birth, and other diseases where treatment option is limited or non-existent.
Lisa McCarthy
CEO
Our innovative interactive Affirmations Mirror provides personalized messages recorded by the user. The product is a handheld mirror with integrated Bluetooth and direct recording abilities. This is the launch product. Second iterations and third iterations will incorporate motion sensors, to activate playback and artificial intelligence to integrate mental health best practices.
Dr. Greg Ferguson
CEO
Uterys Therapeutics (Uterys) is a preseed-stage biotech startup based in San Diego that aims to provide therapeutic solutions for women's reproductive health. Uterys will focus initially on a personalized, targeted, non-hormonal, and fertility-restoring small molecule treatment for endometriosis-associated infertility. Uterys will be led by Dr. Greg Ferguson (founder, CEO, biology, ex-Ferring, ex-Celgene, UCLA) a leader and subject matter expert with endometriosis/ infertility drug discovery experience, and Dr. Yoshi Satoh (CTO, chemistry, ex-Celgene, ex-Novartis, Hokkaido), a seasoned chemist and drug hunter with a wealth of experience in small molecule drug discovery. In addition, Uterys will be supported by an expert Scientific Advisory Board with research, clinical, and startup expertise from both U.S.A. and Europe. Together, these leaders bring complementary expertise and experiences that will be crucial for success. Our long-term vision is to gain regulatory approval for the lead drug discovery program, expand the portfolio of projects, and establish ourselves as an agile innovator in the women's reproductive health therapeutic area.

JUDGES

Krishna P. Allamneni DVM, MS/PhD, DABT

EVP, Chief Development Officer, Concarlo Therapeutics

Krishna P. Allamneni, DVM, MS/PhD, DABT, is a biopharmaceutical executive with over two decades of experience, contributing to 25+ IND programs and seven marketed products. She has led drug discovery through commercialization across diverse therapeutic areas and modalities, with expertise in integrating science and portfolio strategy. Currently EVP, CDO at Concarlo Therapeutics, she has held leadership roles at Turning Point Therapeutics/BMS, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Genentech, and Celera Genomics. A former board member of the American College of Toxicology, she co-chairs the Chief Development Officer Forum and graduated from the 2023 Women in Bio Boardroom Ready Program. She advises startups through California Life Sciences FAST, HomeLab UCSD, Connect San Diego, CEO Connection, and Founders Corner VC, and has judged UCSD IGE deal flow.

Jason Bateman

VP, Community

Jason Bateman is the VP of Community at XPRIZE and leads our individual giving team to cultivate donors to expand the geographic footprint of our benefactor community. He strives to achieve a world-class experience for our Board of Directors, Vision Circle, Innovation Board, Spirit of XPRIZE, and other donor circles.

Jason arrives at XPRIZE with over 20 years of experience leading development and fundraising teams for complex organizations with noble missions. He led membership growth for Vistage, the world’s leading CEO peer advisory organization, taking them from 8,000 to over 21,000 members. At Gen Next (now Alder), he led the fundraising team to double their civic-minded CEO membership to grow their venture philanthropy model to fight for education reform, global security, and economic opportunity.

Anabel de la Garza

Medical Director, BrainXell Therapeutics Inc.

Anabel de la Garza, MD, PhD, has 20+ years of experience in stem cell biology, cell transplantation and regenerative medicine, with expertise in the musculoskeletal system, wound healing, angiogenesis, and CNS. Dr. de la Garza Rodea received her MD from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM, Mexico), her PhD from Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC, Netherlands), and was a clinical fellow at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (Oakland, CA) under the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) training program. In 2015 Dr. de la Garza joined industry, working in translational research & clinical development for regenerative medicine at Genea Biocells and HepaTX, in skeletal muscle and liver systems, respectively. In her subsequent position at Biosplice Therapeutics, she led and oversaw crucial preclinical studies of a compound in Phase 3 for osteoarthritis before shifting to the Medical Affairs department where she created, managed, and executed the strategic medical communication plan and served on the scientific review committee. Currently, at BrainXell Therapeutics she leads the clinical development program for iPSC-derived dopamine neurons for Parkinson’ s disease. She developed and fostered relationships with patient advocacy organizations.
In addition Dr de la Garza has a Medical Affairs Specialist certificate from the Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs (ACMA) and serves as Chair of the Emerging Executives program at the San Diego chapter of Women in Bio (WIB).  

Judges

Krishna P. Allamneni DVM, MS/PhD, DABT
EVP, Chief Development Officer, Concarlo Therapeutics
Jason Bateman
VP, Community
Anabel de la Garza
Medical Director, BrainXell Therapeutics Inc.

Sponsors

Startup Market

Innovative products from local founders

The Startup Market is a unique marketplace designed to promote local startups. The market provides founders with the opportunity to showcase their products and to sell directly to consumers.

Interested in a booth at the symposium?

Catalyst Capital Symposia

IMPACT

Activating Startups

Catalyst Capital Symposia is a platform connecting founders and funders to catalyze innovation.

This monthly forum provides a unique opportunity for participants to gain valuable insights into emerging sectors and disruptive technologies that have the potential to revolutionize human health, the environment, and society.

Through engaging discussions, informative panels, and interactive workshops, aspiring and seasoned entrepreneurs and investors can learn about essential concepts, strategies, and best practices directly from industry experts.

By engaging the venture and startup ecosystem, the symposia encourages investors to be activists and empower startups with cutting-edge technology.
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Be a Champion of Women's Health

Want to make an even bigger impact? Consider becoming a sponsor for Casino Night! As a sponsor, you'll receive prominent recognition at the event, on our marketing materials, and across our digital platforms. Sponsorship packages offer a unique opportunity to align your brand with a cause that resonates with so many.