By Garima Ghale & Christina Yeh

On June 20, 2023, the OBIO® Women in Health Initiative (WiHI) hosted “Connecting Women in Health in Hamilton”, sponsored by Resilience and in partnership with McMaster Industry Liaison Office (MILO), Innovation Factory, The Forge, The Clinic and Synapse Consortium. The event featured a morning panel discussion on “Workforce Development in Biomanufacturing,” a networking lunch for women at all stages of their career and a workshop on “Fundraising for Women-Led Health Science Companies.”

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Dr. Maura Campbell, President & CEO of OBIO®, opened the event by welcoming attendees, briefly introducing WiHI and sharing her own career journey in the health science industry. Dr. Campbell then introduced video remarks by the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. Minister Tassi cited the event as an amazing opportunity for attendees to network and hear like-minded innovators and leaders share stories and information about the health technology sector.

Resilience, a leading biomanufacturing innovation partner and proud sponsor of the event, was represented by Sara Homa, Manager, Business Development – Biologics & Vaccines. Sara highlighted the flexibility of the company’s business model and its successful collaborations across academia, government and the pharma industry in delivering biomanufacturing solutions for established and emerging modalities.

Prior to the panel discussion, representatives from Triumvira Immunologics, OmniaBio, Moderna Canada, and Fusion Pharmaceuticals provided an overview of their companies, including their roles and hiring outlook. They outlined their missions, visions, and plans for growth and innovation in the health sector over the next 6-12 months.

Workforce Development in Biomanufacturing Panel

Panelists Eleonore Attignon (Lead Scientist II at OmniaBio), Danielle Hayes (Associate Director of Bioprocess Engineering at Triumvira Immunologics), Kavisha Jayasundara (Director of Market Access and Innovative Partnerships at Moderna Canada) and Vicki Toner (Director of External Radiopharmaceuticals Manufacturing Operations at Fusion Pharmaceuticals) brought their expertise to the panel discussion on workforce development for R&D and manufacturing in the life sciences industry. Dr. Maura Campbell moderated the discussion, which shed light on important aspects of career transition, early engagement in STEM, and the need for standardized biosafety and training on good manufacturing practices.

During the discussion, panelists shared their personal stories of transitioning from academia to R&D to biomanufacturing, inspiring participants to explore diverse opportunities early in their careers, such as internships or part-time jobs. They emphasized the value of sparking girls' interest in STEM from an early age, starting at school. By nurturing their curiosity and providing supportive environments, we can cultivate a strong pipeline of talented women in the life sciences industry. One of the key takeaways from the discussion was the importance of standardizing biosafety and training for good manufacturing practices to access R&D and manufacturing roles. Establishing consistent entry-level training programs will not only enhance the skills of aspiring professionals, but also ensure the highest level of safety and quality within the industry.

Fundraising for Women-Led Health Science Companies Session

Following this insightful panel discussion, participants were invited to join our panelists, sponsor & partners for a networking lunch session prior to the workshop on “Fundraising for Women-Led Health Science Companies.” For this session, WiHI was pleased to welcome Althea Wishloff (Venture Partner at Archangel Network) and Claudia Hui (Vice President, Investment Banking at Bloom Burton & Co.) to speak to women entrepreneurs about the fundraising and financing journey for health science companies.

Althea’s presentation on “Raising Capital as a Healthtech Company” covered topics such as the structure of venture funds, cheque sizes & follow-on strategies for different types of investors (angels, VCs, family offices), investment vehicles, and the process of raising rounds & due diligence. Althea emphasized preparation, being intentional, understanding an investor’s investment thesis, and providing regular updates to both existing & prospective investors.

This segment led to Claudia’s presentation on “Fundraising for Later Stage Companies”, which began with overviews of the current biotech and medtech investment landscape, as well as the fundraising process. She emphasized the importance of strong documentation, data package, competitive differentiation, understanding your business risks and how to mitigate them, and knowing how much capital and time is required for your company to achieve a significant milestone/de-risking event. Claudia also offered tips to entrepreneurs on how to engage with investors and deliver a compelling pitch.

“Connecting Women in Health in Hamilton” brought together students, recent graduates, scientists and entrepreneurs, showcasing Hamilton’s vibrant health science ecosystem. We are thankful to Resilience, MILO, Innovation Factory, The Forge, The Clinic, Synapse Consortium and all the panelists and speakers who contributed to the success of this event.