About Canada in the Valley Showcase

The CELS Canada in the Valley Showcase is the premier platform for connecting high-potential Canadian life science startups with top U.S. investors, industry leaders, and commercial partners.

For startups, the Showcase is a gateway to critical resources and industry connections needed for companies to succeed in the competitive U.S. healthcare and biotech ecosystem.

For investors and industry leaders, it presents an exclusive opportunity to discover cutting-edge innovations and gain early access to Canada’s most promising emerging companies in biotech, medical devices, diagnostics, and healthtech.

Highlights include:

1 day of programming and networking in Silicon Valley

80 alumni and other promising life science startups invited to join
Presentations from Canada’s most promising early-stage life sciences companies
Engaging Keynote Speakers
Executive roundtables, curated investor and strategic partner meetings
High value networking between promising Canadian Early-Stage Life Science Companies, Investors and Industry Executives and the CELS Community of Charter Members, Advisors, and Partners.

Program Agenda

🎙️ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm - Speakers & Panels

🍽️ 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm - Lunch Roundtables

📆 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm - Investor & Industry Mentor

🍷 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm Evening Networking Reception

Location:

San Francisco Bay Area

2025 Participating Speakers

Nikhil Wagle

Senior Vice President, Global Head of Translational Medicine
Genentech and Roche

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Jana Mitchell

Director, Pooled Genomic Screening
Insitro

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Noura Daadaa

Biotech Vertical Lead - Strategic Startups
Google

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Mike Carusi

Managing Partner
Lightstone Ventures

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Eve Blossom

Founder & CEO
Material Change Institute

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Ruby Gadelrab

CEO & Co-Founder
MDisrupt

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Julia Moore

Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Breakout Ventures

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Douglas Crawford

General Manager
MBC BioLabs

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Matthew Donne

Managing Director, Life Science and Healthcare VC relations
SVB

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2025 Participating Investors & Mentors

Ali Samiian

VP regulatory affairs and reimbursement
Stoparkinson

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Noura Daadaa

Biotech Vertical Lead - Strategic Startups
Google

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Mike Henry

Member
Berkeley Angel Network

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Ameena El-Bibany

Venture Partner
Page One Ventures

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Bassam El-Fahmawi

Founder & CEO
Mawi DNA Technologies

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Mike Carusi

Managing Partner
Lightstone Ventures

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Alicia Chung

Venture advisor
Magnet Ventures

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Nicolas Saint-Arnaud

Partner
IASV Seed Ventures

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Vince Kohli

Global Tech Impact Capitalist
Trillion Ventures Global Capital Fund

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Ashwin Lalendran

Investor
Moxxie Ventures

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Ella Li

Founding Partner
H7 BioCapital

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Randy Dugay

CEO & Founder
Health Gauge Inc.

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Michael Sun

Analyst
Teralys Capital

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Eddie Eltoukhy

Partner
Pear VC

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Jerry Lovatt

CFO
Silicon Valley Finance Group

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Jana Mike

MD,PhD/Investor
UCSF, CDL

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Matthew Donne

Managing Director, Life Science and Healthcare VC relations
SVB

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Vera Ares

AD Business Development
Merck

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Wenwen He

Vice-President, Health
Cathay Capital

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Ravi Rao

Venture Partner, Head of Company Creation
Samsara Biocapital

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Marlene Grenon

Investor
IA Seed Ventures

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Gregory Noce

Senior Associate
Fragomen

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Sunil Maulik

Managing Partner
SunilM1

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Mike Zhao

Director of Business Development
ArriVent Biopharma

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Ken Salsman

Chief Scientific Advisor
Silicon Valley Advantage

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Edwin Haghnazari

Senior Medical Advisor
Silicon Valley Advantage

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Gloria Maceiko

CEO & Founder
Silicon Valley Advantage

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Linda Yu

VP, Business Development and Strategic Partnerships
Earli, Inc.

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Brian Appel

Partner
Wilson Sonsini

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Caleb O'Hara

Digital Health/AI
Silicon Valley Advantage

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Adam Cole

Senior Associate
WSGR

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Kristina Serafim

General Partner
Untethered Ventures

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Elton Satusky

Partner
Wilson Sonsini

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Matthew Meyer

Chief Business Officer, Life Sciences
Wilson Sonsini

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Grant Blouse

Chief Scientific Officer
TheraPain

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Vivek Balasubramanyam

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Ruby Cheema

Independent Consultant, Strategic Advisor

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Testimonials

"Just wanted to thank you again for the CELS experience and valley showcase. Feedback submitted. Overall, we made some fantastic connections and it was a wonderful program to expand our geographical scope to the US. "

Christopher Ahuja @ Inteligex
"We’re 100% committed in our round and oversubscribing with a strategic multinational. Really think that this CELS experience and in person event was a catalyst for us."

Eric Zimmerman @ EMN
"I’ve participated in several similar programs and CELS was by far the best. I now believe that the best way forward is to raise a Series B with a SF lead. AmacaThera secured $1m as a direct result of our program."

Mike Cooke, CEO & Co-Founder @ AmacaThera

Past Topics & Speakers

Trends in Life Science Investing and Dealmaking

with Chris Dokomajilar @ DealForma

AI in Health

with Kiersten Stead @ DCVC, Brad Genereaux @ Nvidia, Bruce Meadows @ Takeda Digital Ventures, Angele Maki @ Hummingbird Bioscience

Investment Strategy & Future Outlook

with Rami Hannoush @ Versant Ventures, Nate Chang @ Playground VC, Cedric Bisson @ Teralys Capital, Jennifer Friel Goldstein @ SVB

Strategic Dynamics in Biopharmaceuticals Today

with Michael Kingston @ Lazard

Policy Impact on Healthcare Market Access

with Darya Rose @ Gilead, Matt Wetzel @ Goodwin, Richard Ramco @ EY

Generative AI in Healthcare

with Gilmer Valdes @ UCSF

Past Participating Speakers & Mentors

Brad Genereaux

Global Lead, Healthcare Alliances @ NVIDIA

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Nate Chang

Operating Partner @ Playground Global

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Kiersten Stead

Managing Partner @ DCVC Bio

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Rami Hannoush

Venture Partner @ Versant Ventures

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Veronica Cai

Board Member @ CELS

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Glenn Reicin

CFO @ Alladapt Immunotherapeutics

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Cedric Bisson

Partner @ Teralys Capital

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Mark Ginestro

Principal @ EY-Parthenon

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Angele Maki

Chief Business Officer @ Hummingbird Bioscience

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Matt Wetzel

Partner Life Sciences Regulatory & Compliance @ Goodwin

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Ali Samiian

VP regulatory affairs and reimbursement @ Stoparkinson

LinkedIn
Jennifer Friel Goldstein

Head of Startup Banking, Technology & Life Sciences @ Silicon Valley Bank

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Darya Rose

Director, Global Value & Access Strategy @ Gilead Sciences

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Richard Ramko

Partner, US Life Sciences Assurance Leader @ EY

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Scott St. Germain

Vice President, Oncology, Business General Manager @ Genentech

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Ron Weissman

Chair, Board of Directors @ Angel Capital Association

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Michael Kingston

Managing Director @ Lazard

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Gilmer Valdes

Associate Professor @ UCSF

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Neil Aubuchon

Chief Commercial Officer @ AbCellera

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Jessica Holmes

Founder @ Regency Market Access Consulting

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Partha Ray

Faculty @ Stanford Biodesign

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Don Vaughn

CEO @ Ampa

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Rachel Lane

Principal @ Versant Ventures

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Surbhi Sama

Partner @ Y Combinator

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Mike Regan

Chief Innovation Officer @ Fogarty Innovation

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Amr Salahieh

Co-Founder and CEO @ Shifamed

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Rui Jing Jiang

Founder and CEO @ Avisi Technologies

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Shiva Amiri

VP, Data and AI @ Pivotal Life Sciences

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Suresh Pai

Principal @ LamaMed Solutions

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Chris Dokomajilar

Founder & CEO @ DealForma

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Bruce Meadows

Managing Partner @ Takeda Digital Ventures

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