DIA 2026 Global Annual Meeting: Full Schedule

10:15am EDT

#510: The Trials and Virtues of Founder Led Selling: Rapid Discovery and Validation of Product-Market Fit for ClinTech

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:15am - 11:30am EDT

Component Type: Session
Level: Intermediate

Many clinical research technology founders rush to build and fundraise before understanding how sponsors and sites make buying decisions. This session explores how to perform streamlined customer discovery to build a winning go to market strategy.

Learning Objectives

Design and execute a streamlined customer discovery process to validate unmet needs, buying triggers, and budget ownership before finalizing a go-to-market strategy; Translate insights into a sales learning roadmap that tests positioning, pricing, compliance, and objections to reduce commercial risk before raising capital; Align GTM and fundraising with validated demand to present a credible revenue story.

Chair

Dan Sndyer

Speaker

Panelist
Peter Schaeffer, MBA, PMP

Panelist
Laura Hilty

Panelist
Jeff B Lee, MBA

Speakers

Laura Hilty

Principal, HealthX Ventures, United States

Jeff Lee

Board Director, Medstar Health Research Institute, United States

Jeff Lee is a seasoned entrepreneur, angel investor, and venture partner with a strong background in business development and entrepreneurship. He successfully founded/exited mProve Health and held leadership roles in several other startups with successful exits. Jeff also serves... Read More →

Peter Schaeffer

Digital and Process Optimization Leader, GlaxoSmithKline, United States

Pete Schaeffer has worked in the Pharmaceutical industry for approximately 20 years in both the Pre-Clinical and Clinical areas. During this time, he has worked in roles to improve performance and decision making, led continuous improvement programs and collaborated with teams to... Read More →

Dan Sndyer

The Playbook, United States

Dan Sndyer

The Playbook, United States

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:15am - 11:30am EDT
103A The Pennsylvania Convention Center 1101 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 USA

02: ClinicalTrialOps-Innovation, Session | 03: Data-Tech-AI, Session | 18: Lift-Series, Session

Audience Intermediate
Area Biotech-ClinTech-Pathway, Digital Enablement and Modernization, Cross-Functional Collaboration
Level Intermediate
format csv
Interest Area Data Management & Data Standards,Biotechnology & Investors
Feature Topics Biotech-ClinTech-Pathway,Digital Enablement and Modernization,Cross-Functional Collaboration
Tags Session

1:45pm EDT

#534: The Best Pitch Advice I Ever Got: How to Nail Main Stage Talks, Pitch Decks, and Any Talk of a Lifetime

Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:45pm - 3:00pm EDT

103A

Component Type: Workshop
Level: Intermediate

In this interactive workshop, coach Jeff Smith shares essential building blocks – Prep as Empathy, the Impact Wave, Visuals on Purpose, and Dynamic Delivery – used to shape “talks of a lifetime,” from founding pitch decks to keynote and TED stages.

Learning Objectives

Use preparation as an empathy tool to align with enterprise/pharma stakeholders; Structure pitches using the “Impact Wave” to guide audiences from problem recognition to urgency to action; Design clear visuals that increase trust and decision velocity; Elevate delivery using the “Dynamism Checklist” to project confidence and persuasive presence.

Chair

Jeff Smith

Speakers

Jeff Smith

The Curator, Smith and Jones Innovation, United States

Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:45pm - 3:00pm EDT
103A The Pennsylvania Convention Center 1101 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 USA

03: Data-Tech-AI, Workshop | 06: ProfDevelop-Program-PortfolioMgmt, Workshop | 18: Lift-Series, Workshop

Audience Intermediate
Area Biotech-ClinTech-Pathway
Level Intermediate
format csv
Interest Area Biotechnology & Investors
Feature Topics Biotech-ClinTech-Pathway
Tags Workshop

4:15pm EDT

#554: Reverse Pitches: How Pharma Actually Buys

Tuesday June 16, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT

103A

Component Type: Session
Level: Advanced

Founders pitch to pharma expecting a straightforward evaluation, but pharma doesn't buy the way VCs do. Led by Whale Tank judges and biopharma thought leaders, this session flips the script—showing how pharma actually evaluates, negotiates, and commits to partnerships with innovative companies.

Learning Objectives

Identify the hidden criteria and decision-makers that determine whether a pharma deal moves forward; Understand MSAs, compliance requirements, and relationship dynamics that shape biopharma partnerships; Recognize common deal-stoppers and structure early conversations to align with how pharma actually evaluates and buys.

Chair

Ligia Kilinski Kilinski Cevasco

Speaker

Panelist
Mindy Gruba

Speakers

Ligia Kilinski Cevasco

BioPharma Consultant, Ligia Kilinski-Cevasco, Inc., United States

Mindy Gruba

Associate Director, Clinical Trial Digital Health, Moderna, United States

Tuesday June 16, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT
103A The Pennsylvania Convention Center 1101 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 USA

06: ProfDevelop-Program-PortfolioMgmt, Session | 08: RegPolicy-Strategy-GlobalCollaboration, Session | 18: Lift-Series, Session

Audience Advanced
Area Biotech-ClinTech-Pathway
Level Advanced
format csv
Interest Area Biotechnology & Investors
Feature Topics Biotech-ClinTech-Pathway
Tags Session

8:00am EDT

#600: From Breakthrough to Life: Engineered T-Cells, Patients, and the Future of Biotech

Wednesday June 17, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am EDT

114

Component Type: Session
Level: Intermediate

Following a keynote presentation by Bruce Levine on the future of genetically engineered T-cells for human therapeutics, sit down with Bruce and Brad Watts for a fireside chat. Through scientific, policy, and patient lenses, the session will examine what it takes to translate high-risk science into sustainable therapies, and what that implies for regulators, payers, sponsors, and technology partners.

Learning Objectives

Describe how advances in engineered T-cells, including CAR-T, are reshaping expectations for cancer treatment and the broader pipeline; Identify scientific, regulatory, and system conditions needed to translate high-risk engineered innovations into equitable, scalable patient benefit; Discuss how real patient and family experiences inform future strategies for regulators, payers, sponsors, researchers, and technology partners developing next-generation cell therapies.

Chair

Katie Truong

Speaker

Panelist
Bradley Watts

Plenary Presenter
Bruce Levine

Speakers

Bruce Levine

Barabara and Edward Netter Professor in Cancer Gene Therapy, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, United States

Katie Truong

SVP & Managing Director, DIA Americas and Global Head of Business Operations, DIA, United States

Katie Truong is the Senior Vice President & Managing Director of DIA Americas and the Global Head of Business Operations. In her role, Katie focuses on driving growth, optimizing operations, and enhancing business performance. With experience spanning various industries, including... Read More →

Bradley Watts

Patient/Industry Advocate and Vice President, Business Development Executive, Emily Whitehead Foundation and Conner Strong & Buckelew, United States

Brad Watts is a cancer survivor and CAR-T therapy recipient, Brad is an active advocate with The Emily Whitehead Foundation and Blood Cancer United, and is a member of Act for Hope, which is working to expand patient access by collaborating across the healthcare ecosystem. Drawing... Read More →

Wednesday June 17, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am EDT
114 The Pennsylvania Convention Center 1101 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 USA

05: PersonalizedMed-ComboProd-Diagnostics, Session | 08: RegPolicy-Strategy-GlobalCollaboration, Session | 00: Plenary, Session | 18: Lift-Series, Session

Audience Intermediate
Area Biotech-ClinTech-Pathway, Therapeutic Pathways, Student and Early Career Pathway
Level Intermediate
format csv
Interest Area Clinical Development & Operations,Rare Disease & Special Populations
Feature Topics Biotech-ClinTech-Pathway,Therapeutic Pathways,Student and Early Career Pathway
Tags Session

10:15am EDT

#601: Inside the Investor’s Mind: How Today’s Biotech Investors Choose Where to Place Their Bets

Wednesday June 17, 2026 10:15am - 11:30am EDT

103A

Component Type: Session
Level: Advanced

This session takes participants inside the investor’s mind in today’s complex funding environment. Investors and financial leaders will discuss how they evaluate pipelines, platforms, and partnerships, where they look for differentiated deal flow, how valuation frameworks are changing, and what ultimately convinces them to lean in—or pass.

Learning Objectives

Explain how current biotech investors evaluate pipelines, platforms, and partnerships in today’s funding climate; Describe how valuation frameworks, risk appetite, and evidence expectations are evolving across stages and modalities; Identify what ultimately convinces investors to engage, lean in, or pass and how companies can position themselves accordingly.

Chair

Raju Kucherlapati

Speaker

Panelist
Jay Roberts, MBA

Panelist
Sahirzeeshan Ali

Panelist
Mey Boukenna, MD, PHD

Speakers

Sahirzeeshan Ali

Founder and General Partner, Modi Ventures, United States

Sahir Ali is the founder of Modi Ventures, a venture capital firm at the forefront of investing in the convergence of biology and technology. With a focus on scientific superintelligence and the engineering of life, he has backed breakthrough companies advancing AI-driven drug discovery... Read More →

Mey Boukenna

Partner, Life Sciences & Healthcare Investments, PagsGroup, United States

Mey Boukenna, M.D., Ph.D., leads Biotechnology and Healthcare Investments at PagsGroup, Steve Pagliuca’s family office. She transitioned to investments after starting her career in medicine and research at the University of Bern, Switzerland. There, she conducted a few years of... Read More →

Raju Kucherlapati

Paul C. Cabot Professor of Genetics and Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, United States

Since 2001 Dr. Kucherlapati is the Paul C. Cabot Professor of Genetics and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and was the first Scientific Director of the Harvard Medical School-Partners HealthCare Center for Genetics and Genomics (HPCGG). He was a co-founder of several... Read More →

Jay Roberts

Partner, Ventac Partners, United States

Senior strategic executive in the biopharma industry for over 30 yrs. Serving as an Executive Advisor for Life365, a next generation AI platform connecting patients and providers. Also serves as a Partner with Ventac Partners, a global venture catalyst in life sciences and a Venture... Read More →

Wednesday June 17, 2026 10:15am - 11:30am EDT
103A The Pennsylvania Convention Center 1101 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 USA

05: PersonalizedMed-ComboProd-Diagnostics, Session | 06: ProfDevelop-Program-PortfolioMgmt, Session | 18: Lift-Series, Session

Audience Advanced
Area Biotech-ClinTech-Pathway
Level Advanced
format csv
Feature Topics Biotech-ClinTech-Pathway
Tags Session

1:45pm EDT

#629: Inside the Biotech Breakthroughs: How Investors and Founders Build Winning Companies

Wednesday June 17, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm EDT

103A

Component Type: Session
Level: Intermediate

This candid panel looks inside notable biotech breakthroughs to explore what “success” really takes beyond the headlines. Through case studies from leading venture groups and founders, speakers will unpack key decisions, near misses, pivots, and partnership strategies, translating them into practical lessons for emerging companies and their partners.

Learning Objectives

Describe the strategic and operational decisions that shape successful biotech trajectories from idea to inflection point; Analyze real-world case studies to identify patterns in pivots, near misses, financing, and partnership strategies; Translate investor and founder perspectives into practical lessons for emerging companies and their partners.

Chair

Robert Tepper

Speaker

Panelist
Abbie Celniker, PHD

Panelist
Gabriela Apiou, PHD

Speakers

Gabriela Apiou

Investigator, Assitant Professor (M), Massachusetts General Hospital, United States

Gabriela Apiou, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School, the inaugural Endowed MGH Research Institute Chair in Translational Sciences, and Director of the MGH Wellman Center for Photomedicine’s Translational... Read More →

Abbie Celniker

Partner, Third Rock Ventures, United States

Robert Tepper

Co-founder and Partner, Third Rock Ventures, United States

Bob Tepper is a co-founder and Partner of Third Rock Ventures and a distinguished physician-scientist with more than 30 years of experience building and operating leading research and development organizations in the biotech industry. Bob focuses on the formation, development, and... Read More →

Wednesday June 17, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm EDT
103A The Pennsylvania Convention Center 1101 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 USA

05: PersonalizedMed-ComboProd-Diagnostics, Session | 18: Lift-Series, Session

Audience Intermediate
Area Biotech-ClinTech-Pathway, Student and Early Career Pathway
Level Intermediate
format csv
Interest Area Biotechnology & Investors
Feature Topics Biotech-ClinTech-Pathway,Student and Early Career Pathway
Tags Session

4:00pm EDT

#657: Great Science Isn’t Enough: Building Value Early in Emerging Biotech

Wednesday June 17, 2026 4:00pm - 5:15pm EDT

103A

Component Type: Session
Level: Intermediate

As a closing session, this discussion brings together key themes from the day to examine how innovators can better connect science to market realities. It will highlight practical ways to optimize product value for investors, payers, and regulators

Learning Objectives

Understand the factors that shape product value; Identify critical early decisions (indication, endpoints, evidence) that influence downstream access and partnering outcomes; Define opportunities to better align development strategy with payer, provider, and investor expectations.

Chair

Mark Twyman

Speaker

Panelist
Michael Kuchenreuther

Speakers