Surbhi Sarna
In 2018, at the age of 32, Surbhi Sarna sold her company to Boston Scientific for $275M. Her entrepreneurial journey started nearly two decades before that moment. Surbhi was only thirteen years old, writing an essay for her English class, when all of a sudden she felt such a sharp pain her side that she blacked out. She didn't know it then, but that would be one of the most defining moments of her life. After six months, she finally got her diagnosis - she was suffering from complex ovarian cysts, but there was no way to know whether or not those cysts were cancerous. From the unnecessarily long diagnostic time to the lack of therapeutic options, she knew she wanted to work on innovation in the healthcare space. Her talk will be about her entrepreneurial journey, what it takes to raise money and hire a season team, break down barriers around you and finally get to an exit.
Alisa Miller
Sateria Venable
Sateria Venable is the Founder & CEO of The Fibroid Foundation (www.fibroidfoundation.org), a global, patient-founded advocacy organization.
The Fibroid Foundation develops programming to support its community of over 25,000 women. Sateria began her advocacy efforts in 2007. Since that time, the organization has developed a substantial network within the medical community.
Venable, who holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University, has co-authored several scientific papers on fibroid research. She is the inventor of an undergarment inspired by her journey, that she hopes will transform intimate apparel for all women. A sought-after speaker, she has been featured in print and radio media, and has presented at gynecologic conferences worldwide.
Dominique Malacarne Pape, MD
Claudia Reuter
Claudia Reuter is an experienced entrepreneur, executive and board director, and a published author. Recognized by the Boston Business Journal as a 2016 Women to Watch in Science and Technology, and as a Changemaker by HUBWeek, she currently serves as GM Americas East for Techstars. She is also a member of the board of directors of Lessonly, and a member of the editorial advisory board for Innovation Leader. Prior to joining Techstars, she served as the SVP of Digital Services & Labs for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and was the co-founder and CEO of SchoolChapters. A graduate of the University of Vermont, she is also a lifelong learner and has completed additional coursework at institutions including RISD, MIT Sloan, and Trinity College. She is also a graduate of Lead Boston, an experiential program focused on inclusive leadership. Passionate about sharing more stories about what's possible for women she is also the creator and host of the podcast, "The 43 Percent." which was featured on Apple's New & Noteworthy list, and selected as an editors choice by Stitcher and Himalaya App. Her book, "Yes, You Can Do This! How Women Start Up, Scale Up, and Build the Life They Want.' (Wiley 2020) is available now.
Becca Shmukler
Becca Shmukler is a Principal at the Laerdal Million Lives Fund, a $100M venture fund investing in companies helping to save lives, where she focuses in part on investing in companies improving maternal and neonatal healthcare outcomes across the world.
Becca has worked in the healthcare industry for nearly a decade. She started her career as a strategy consultant for hospital and health system CEOs at the Advisory Board Company, before working in business development + partnerships roles at Castlight Health, a healthcare technology company, and Rock Health, a digital health investment fund. While at Rock Health, Becca grew strategic partnerships nearly 6x, and partnered closely with organizations like Google, CVS Health, Intermountain Healthcare, Optum and dozens of others on their healthcare innovation priorities. Becca hails from Washington, DC, but currently lives in San Francisco with her husband and her very spoiled dog.
Annie Theriault
Annie Theriault, Ph.D., CFA, ICD.D
Annie is the Chief Investment Officer of Grand Challenges Canada and the Managing Director of the EWEC Innovation Marketplace, an initiative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, NORAD, and USAID. Annie is also the Managing Partner of Cross-Border Impact Ventures, a new impact investment firm partnered with Grand Challenges Canada to launch a health technology venture capital fund focused on women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health investing with a gender lens. She is a Founding Member of The Big Push, an accelerator for women-led tech companies, and an advisor to Silver Maple Ventures, a Toronto-Based fintech company offering a full suite of solutions for private placements in early and growth stage companies. Prior to these roles, Annie spent most of her career investing in private companies as a venture capitalist and lender across multiple sectors and stages, including several impact investments.
Annie obtained her PhD in Management from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, is a CFA Charterholder and holds the ICD.D designation.
