Enterprise Tuesday: From bench to business: women entrepreneurs driving the future of healthcare
18 Feb 2025
18:30 -21:00
Times are shown in local time.
Open to: All
Cambridge Judge Business School
Trumpington St
Cambridge
CB2 1AG
United Kingdom
Join us for Enterprise Tuesday
In the fast-evolving fields of genomics and biotech, women founders are driving breakthroughs that are reshaping healthcare and medicine. From harnessing cutting-edge technologies to addressing complex challenges, these trailblazers are transforming the future of health innovation. But can biotech and precision medicine deliver both profitability and equitable healthcare?
This session celebrates women entrepreneurs who are not only leading the charge in these pivotal industries but are also redefining what it truly means to create impact through science and business. Are traditional models of innovation enough to solve global healthcare challenges, or is it time for a radical rethink? How can entrepreneurs in genomics balance the race for breakthroughs with ethical considerations and long-term impact? Join us for a discussion that delves into these questions, explores the journeys of these trailblazing women, and dives into the cutting-edge advancements – and provocations – they are championing.
If you’re inspired by these stories and eager to embark on your own entrepreneurial journey, discover EnterpriseWOMEN a programme designed to empower women researchers and early-stage founders with the knowledge, mentorship, and networks to turn bold ideas into impactful ventures. Applications are now open for our next cohort starting in April 2025.
Join us for a thought-provoking evening filled with inspiration, learning, and networking within Cambridge’s vibrant entrepreneurial community.
Speakers
Joanne M. Hackett
Vice President and Head of Health System Services, IQVIA
Dr Hackett is a clinical academic, entrepreneur, investor, and a strategic, creative visionair with global experience spanning successful start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.
Aside from her curious passion for life and positivity, Joanne is known for building innovation, driving personalised medicine and leading through fast paced, complex changing ecosystems and integrations.
Joanne’s goal is to contribute to bringing the world novel, cost effective and simple health care solutions, and she is particularly keen on building the case for prevention, open science and citizen genomics. She has extensive global experience across academic, business and clinical institutions, and enjoys sharing her experiences with the Boards she sits on as well as companies she provides strategic advice to.
Rakhi Rajani
Chief Digital and Strategy Officer Genomics England
Rakhi joined Genomics England as CDO in May 2020 to drive innovation in healthcare products and services that put the patient and society at the core. She started her career in one of the big tech research labs in Silicon Valley, working at the intersections to invent new technologies and apply them to different domains.
Rakhi was previously an Associate Partner at Quantum Black and McKinsey where she led global strategic foresight and human-centred AI projects.
She holds non-exec roles in the Arts, Emerging Tech and Strategic Innovation space. Rakhi has also held senior innovation positions at start-ups and large organisations spanning emerging tech, healthcare, space, aerospace and defence, and smart cities. She is a Chartered Psychologist and holds degrees in Psychology, Computer Science and Design.
Barbara Fleck
Partner, Appleyard Lees IP LLP, European and UK Patent Attorney
Barbara is an experienced patent attorney with over 20 years’ experience in Intellectual Property issues in the life sciences sector, Barbara works closely with many small biotech companies in the Cambridge ecosystem, helping them to build a robust IP strategy and get investment ready.
She has extensive experience in drafting and prosecuting patent applications and handling Opposition and Appeal proceedings at the European Patent Office, developing IP strategies, global IP portfolio management, validity and freedom to operate assessments.
Barbara handles IP matters in the bio/pharma sector, including antibody therapeutics, cell and gene therapy, CAR-T therapy, agriscience, RNAi, microbiome inventions and molecular diagnostics.
Barbara is passionate about helping women reach their full potential in the workplace and has co-founded the Women in IP initiative which is part of IP inclusive and a Forum that supports female IP professionals.
Dr Karolina Zapadka
Investor, Parkwalk
Karolina has nearly a decade of experience in investing and building life sciences and healthcare companies within the Cambridge Cluster.
Currently, she is an investor at Parkwalk Advisors (“Parkwalk”), one of the UK’s leading growth EIS fund managers, backing world-changing technologies emerging from UK universities and research institutions. Parkwalk invests in businesses creating solutions to real-world challenges, with IP-protected innovations, across a range of sectors including life sciences, AI, quantum computing, advanced materials, genomics, cleantech, future of mobility, medtech and big data.
Parkwalk has raised over £500m and invested in over 180 companies; Parkwalk is part of a FTSE 250 sector specialist group with £1.2bn in net assets.
Karolina sits on the boards of five life science companies in Cambridge, covering platform technologies, genomics, target discovery, and therapeutics.
