WEEK OF NOVEMBER 11, 2024
Building a Transpacific Healthcare Ecosystem
Japan Healthcare Week, featuring Conference Events in Tokyo (Nov. 12) & Kumamoto (Nov. 14)
Japan Week Event on November 14, 2024
北カリフォルニアジャパンソサエティと熊本県は、米国大使館商務部とのコラボレーションにより、ヘルスケアカンファレンスを熊本城ホールにて開催いたします。アメリカから11社のスタートアップも来日し、熊本でのプレゼンテーションとみなさまにお会いできるのを楽しみにしています。関係者の方いらっしゃいましたら、ぜひご案内の転送をお願いいたします。同時通訳付き
後援
米国大使館 商務部
独立行政法人 日本貿易振興機構
11th Annual US-Japan HealthTech and Lifesciences Conferences and Trade Mission
The Creation of Early-Stage Healthtech Companies in Japan, lessons learned from the Silicon Valley Experience
Organized by: US-Japan Healthcare Connection of the Japan Society of Northern California & Kumamoto Prefecture
Please see details on how to be a sponsor below
8:30 A.M. – 9:00 A.M.
REGISTRATION
9:00 A.M. – 9:20 A.M.
WELCOME AND OVERVIEW OF THE FORUM
Steve Pollock leads Japan Society of Northern California (JSNC) and is actively involved with a number of JSNC’s signature initiatives, including its annual Japan Healthcare Conference. Steve is also an avid consumer of JSNC’s diverse programming on topics ranging from Japanese arts and culture, to business and innovation, healthcare, and policy and economics.
9:20 A.M. – 10:00 A.M.
KEYNOTE SPEECH 1: SUPERCHARGING INNOVATION IN SILICON VALLEY, THE ROLE OF VENTURE CAPITAL
William Dai is the Founding Managing Partner of ShangBay Capital, a leading early stage Medtech-focused VC based in Palo Alto, California. Since the inception of ShangBay Capital in 2015, William has led ShangBay to become a successful VC with over 70 portfolio companies to date alongside multiple successful exits. Currently, William serves on the boards of directors for Luminopia, Aqua Medical, Meditrina, FemDx, Laplace Interventional, and YorLabs. He has also previously served on the boards of NeuroVasc (acq in 2019) and Arrinex (acq by Stryker in 2019).
Williamʼs prior work experiences span more than 25 years in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and capital markets in both Asia and the U.S. Before founding ShangBay Capital, he was the CFO of ShangPharma (NYSE: SHP), Nepstar Corporation (NYSE: NPD), Microport Scientific Corporation (HKZ00853), and Boston Scientific China. William Dai holds an MBA with an emphasis on finance from Michigan State University.
10:00 A.M. – 10:15 A.M.
BREAK
10:15 A.M. – 11:00 A.M.
SESSION 1: VENTURE INVESTING PANEL
Elton Satusky is a partner in the Palo Alto office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Elton represents both public and private enterprises as their outside general counsel and serves as a key strategic advisor from their inception throughout their life cycle. He advises on complex venture capital and corporate finance transactions, corporate law and governance, mergers and acquisitions, and public offerings.
William Dai is the Founding Managing Partner of ShangBay Capital, a leading early stage Medtech-focused VC based in Palo Alto, California. Since the inception of ShangBay Capital in 2015, William has led ShangBay to become a successful VC with over 70 portfolio companies to date alongside multiple successful exits. Currently, William serves on the boards of directors for Luminopia, Aqua Medical, Meditrina, FemDx, Laplace Interventional, and YorLabs. He has also previously served on the boards of NeuroVasc (acq in 2019) and Arrinex (acq by Stryker in 2019).
Williamʼs prior work experiences span more than 25 years in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and capital markets in both Asia and the U.S. Before founding ShangBay Capital, he was the CFO of ShangPharma (NYSE: SHP), Nepstar Corporation (NYSE: NPD), Microport Scientific Corporation (HKZ00853), and Boston Scientific China. William Dai holds an MBA with an emphasis on finance from Michigan State University.
Mika is a commercialization executive with extensive leadership experience in conceiving, planning, and launching disruptive medical technologies in 50 markets across North America, EMEA, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. She has an exceptional track record of leading businesses from inception to across different clinical segments, including cardiovascular, fertility, and oncology.
Mika is an independent director of SI Bone (NASDAQ – SIBN), an orthopedic/spine implant company,
Accuray (NASDAQ – ARAY), a radiation oncology equipment manufacturer, and HOYA (Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime: 7741), a diversified manufacturer of life science and IT products leveraging advanced optics technologies. In addition, she is also a board advisor to Tristel, plc, a UK public company, and a leader in high-level disinfection and decontamination technology.
David J. Whelan has devoted his career to building successful businesses, from strategic, operational, financial, and human capital standpoints. Based in Los Angeles for nearly 25 years, Dave works with organizations and entrepreneurs across the country and around the world, through his consultancy Bespoke Strategy (bespokestrategy.com). He is currently leading an international development strategy for Wavemaker Three-Sixty Health (wavemaker360.com), a leading healthcare venture capital firm based in Los Angeles. Working across multiple industries, Dave has a passion for the intersection of technology, health, and wellness, with an emphasis on business and organizational strategy. Most recently, he served as the first permanent Chief Executive Officer of BioscienceLA, the non-profit innovation catalyst for life sciences in the greater Los Angeles region. He was an integral part of the creation of New York Genome Center, where he served as Chief Strategy Officer. He launched one of the first fitness tracking wearables with 24 Hour Fitness. Dave holds an MBA with Honors from the UCLA Anderson School and a BS in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University, and he remains very involved in alumni activities with both schools. He also studied at London Business School and Carnegie Mellon University. He has held a Top Secret Security Clearance.
Born in Yamaguchi Prefecture and raised in the US and Japan, Anna Nakayasu started her career as a physician and pivoted into venture capital after pursuing her MBA. She led healthcare investments at Sozo Ventures in Silicon Valley and worked as Lead Partner on Portfolia’s Active Aging and Longevity Fund before joining GLOBIS Capital Partners in June 2023. Currently, she also leads the nonprofit Japan Healthcare Innovation Hub, creating an ecosystem to accelerate innovation in the industry.
She holds an MD from the University of Tokyo and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
11:00 A.M. – 12:15 P.M.
SESSION 2: NEW CONCEPTS FOR RAPID PROTOTYPING AND SMALL VOLUME PRODUCTION OF MEDICAL DEVICES
Dr. Burnett is a veteran in the medical device industry having founded many successful companies at various stages. During his undergraduate career at the University of Pennsylvania, he focused on bioengineering and spent a year at the Food and Drug Administration both testing devices and writing congressional reports on the current state-of-the-art devices. He then went on to Duke University where he completed his MD and his MBA. A licensed physician in the state of California, he finished his one-year internship at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida and matched for a residency in Ophthalmology at Stanford University which he deferred while he worked on starting his first venture, BAROnova.
Ryan has spent 35 years in the Life Sciences and Medical Device industries focusing on innovation and adding value to the companies that drive it. He has worked with numerous companies that have invented novel technologies for a range of markets, including cell and gene therapies, biotherapeutics, biotech instrumentation, in vitro diagnostics, and medical devices. At Triple Ring Technologies, Ryan leads teams of world class scientists and engineers who work at the intersection of patient needs and cutting-edge technology development.
Jeffrey J Christian (Jeff) is founder and CEO of Phoenix DeVentures Inc. (PDV) With over 40 years experience in the medical devices industry, Jeff is dedicated to working with creative medical professionals, entrepreneurs, and established medical device companies to invent and develop solutions for the evolving medical device market. Collaborating with clients, Jeff is experienced in creating new concepts, tackling regulatory hurdles, developing products for emerging device markets and manufacturing for small to medium size markets.
With over 60 employees, PDV is a vertically integrated company with considerable capabilities in-house including engineering, design, manufacturing and full ISO 13485 certified quality systems and services.
Representative medical products that Jeff has invented/developed include heart valve implants, bone implants, implant delivery systems, dental devices, cardiac catheters, urinary catheters, blood analyzers, fatigue cycle testers, and disposable ophthalmic devices as well as many others.
Prior to founding Phoenix DeVentures Inc., Mr. Christian had been with several startup companies, growing them from the garage through IPO and acquisition. With over 60 patents (inventor and co-inventor) to his credit, Mr. Christian is experienced in the process of generating and developing new products for improving healthcare.
Jeff earned a BS in engineering from Brigham Young University and completed the Stanford Executive Program in the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
At the time of the 2024 U.S.-Japan Healthcare Connection Event Jeff has appointed a new CEO, Bryant Grigsby, and has assumed the role of Executive Chairman and Chief Inventor at Phoenix DeVentures.
Scott Huter is the CEO of Rev.1 Engineering, a firm specializing in the design and development of advanced, complex and first-of-kind medical devices. With over 25 years of experience in the medical device industry, Scott has held various leadership roles, including Chief Operations Officer (COO) and Vice President of Operations at Rev.1, before stepping into his current position as CEO in 2023.
His expertise spans medical device product development, program management, and operational oversight. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Kettering University and an MBA from California State University San Marcos. Under his leadership, Rev.1 continues to push the boundaries of medical device innovation while maintaining a strong focus on quality and regulatory compliance.
Dr. Makiko Kobayashi is a professor at Kumamoto University’s Department of Medical and Welfare Engineering.
After obtaining her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Chiba University, she earned her Ph.D. from McGill University.
She then spent 12 years in Canada as a researcher at the National Research Council of Canada.
Dr. Kobayashi’s research focuses on advanced piezoelectric technologies, making significant contributions to both medical and industrial fields.
Her team “Ectelson” was awarded for their innovative project on a “Flexible and Wearable High-Performance Microphone. at the 9th Kumamoto Tech Planter Grand Prix in 2024.
Seiichi Ishida has been Professor of Division of Applied Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Sojo University, and Guest Researcher of Biological Safety Research Centre at National Institute of Health Sciences since 2020. He received his PhD in Pharmaceutical Science from the University of Tokyo, Japan in 1993, and conducted postdoctoral studies at The Cancer Institute (Tokyo) and at Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Duke University Medical Centre. He used to be Senior Researcher (2000-2007) and Section Chief (2007-2020) of Division of Pharmacology at National Institute of Health Sciences.
12:15 P.M. – 1:30 P.M.
LUNCH BREAK
1:30 P.M. – 1:55 P.M.
KEYNOTE: BRIDGING THE GAP FROM AN IDEA TO COMMERCIALIZATION
Marga is the Chief Commercial Strategy Officer at Fogarty Innovation where she coaches medtech startups on their go-to-market strategies and also directs educational programming. She is a seasoned executive with 35 years of experience in medical technology and digital health companies at various stages of growth, including iRhythm Technologies (IRTC), Omnicell Inc (OMCL) and Guidant (now Abbott Vascular). She also was a senior executive at two companies focused on women’s health, ProDuct Health (now part of Hologic) and Xoft (now part of Elekta). While focused on commercial execution and strategy, she has also led multiple functions and departments with international and domestic market responsibility, including engineering, clinical and reimbursement. She has board of directors experience with companies at different stages of maturity, such as Itamar Medical (ITMR) (now Zoll), Heartbeam (BEAT) and Total Flow Medical. Marga has served in mentoring functions for small companies through her roles at Fogarty and as an advisory board member at Launchpad Digital Health and HealthTech Capital. She also is a board member at Bay Area Cancer Connections which supports underserved breast and ovarian cancer patients.
1:55 P.M. – 2:20 P.M.
KEYNOTE: THE POWER OF A PITCH
Kathryn Zavala, PhD, is Chief Operating Officer of MedTech Innovator, the largest accelerator of medical devices in the world. In 2016, she helped spin the nonprofit entity out of the venture capital firm where it was founded and has been instrumental in expanding the organization. To date, MedTech Innovator has supported 612 alumni that have gone on to raise over $7.8 billion in follow-on equity funding and achieved 45 exits. In 2021, Kathryn launched and now serves as Managing Director of BioTools Innovator, a new program powered by MedTech Innovator to support life science tools.
Kathryn previously held positions at the UCLA Technology Development Group, where she assisted with the commercialization of university technologies, and at Campbell Alliance (now Syneos Health), where she developed launch strategies for biopharma clients. Kathryn received a Bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Cell Biology and Rhetoric from UC Berkeley and a PhD in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology from UCLA.
2:20 P.M. – 2:40 P.M.
BREAK
2:40 P.M. – 3:15 P.M.
KEYNOTE: THE SUCCESS STORY OF JAPAN/US COLLABORATIONS: ZOLL/ASAHI KASEI
Mr. Nakano has led the development and implementation of growth strategies for the Healthcare Business Unit since 2012, when ZOLL Medical joined Asahi Kasei, and has led several cross-border business platform acquisition projects. Establishing and improving Asahi Kasei’s best practices in post-acquisition integration is one of his life works.
After graduating from Jichi Medical University, he began practicing general medicine in the rural areas of Japan. Fumiaki joined the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Stanford University in 2001, and was closely involved with the R&D, animal studies, and clinical studies of many medical device startups. He is also actively involved in projects with the US and Japanese regulatory agencies working to create an effective cross-border medical device eco-system. Fumiaki has also been an advisory faculty for the Stanford Biodesign Program since 2014. He is deeply involved with the development of the Japan Biodesign Program and is working diligently to establish a Silicon Valley-like medical device eco-system in Japan.
3:15 P.M. – 3:30 P.M.
BREAK
3:30 P.M. – 4:50 P.M.
STARTUP SHOWCASE
Glenn Snyder is a Principal with Deloitte Consulting, LLP. He leads Deloitte’s Medical Technology practice. Glenn has been serving the life sciences and healthcare industry as a consultant since 1989 and has been with Deloitte since 1995, tackling issues and opportunities across the healthcare value chain over the course of his career, including the payor and provider sectors.
Glenn holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance and Strategic Management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Science in Engineering from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
Po is the founder and CEO of CancerFree Biotech. His journey with CancerFree began when his father’s oncologist, who invented the technology, introduced him to the platform. After witnessing its remarkable impact on his father’s cancer treatment, Po recognized its potential to revolutionize cancer treatment. Driven by this vision, he decided to leave his decade-long career in big data and establish CancerFree Biotech. Po holds a master’s degree in information technology from Carnegie Mellon University, bringing his expertise in big data and innovation to the forefront of cancer treatment.
Ana Cachau-Hansgardh is the Co-founder and Product Manager of Emblem, an AI-powered health monitoring mobile app that quantifies menstrual blood loss. She has supported Emblem from its early development through to its clinical validation process. Backed by NIH funding and patent-protected, she believes Emblem has strong potential for commercialization and strategic partnerships, particularly in the Japanese market.
Emblem is a product developed by Theranova LLC, a San Francisco-based incubator focused on equitable medical devices, where Ana works as an R&D engineer on various devices ranging from neuromodulation to breastfeeding. She holds a BSc and MSc from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH).
Rajan Patel is a distinguished medical device executive with over 30 years of experience in driving innovation and commercialization within the healthcare sector. His extensive expertise spans diagnostics, critical care, patient monitoring, and imaging technologies. Rajan has a proven track record of founding and leading successful early-stage startups, collaborating with global R&D teams to bring industry-first medical technologies to market. He has overseen the rapid development of numerous medical devices from concept to widespread commercialization, significantly contributing to therapeutic advancements.
As the CEO of Kallisio, a pioneering healthcare technology company, Rajan is leading breakthrough innovations in 3D printing for medical devices, with a focus on radiation oncology and personalized medicine. Kallisio introduces a revolutionary solution in Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) therapy with its 3D-printed, patient-specific immobilization device, designed to protect healthy tissue during cancer treatment. Developed in collaboration with MD Anderson, this scalable, reimbursable, and custom-fit solution offers unparalleled protection for Organs at Risk (OARs) while enabling oncologists to administer the highest effective doses. The patented, FDA-cleared device is transforming patient care and is now available for use.
Under Rajan’s leadership, Kallisio is advancing the future of medical device development by commercializing next-generation healthcare technologies and fostering strategic collaborations with global partners. His deep expertise in research and development, manufacturing, and strategic investment positions him as a key figure in shaping the future of healthcare and 3D printing technology.
Scott Xiao is the Co-Founder and CEO of Luminopia, a therapeutics company developing software-based interventions at the intersection of ophthalmology and neuroscience. Their lead product is a novel, FDA-approved treatment for amblyopia, the leading cause of vision loss in children. Instead of having to wear an eye-patch, patients get to watch their favorite TV shows as therapy with Luminopia within a kid-friendly VR headset. The technology was developed in collaboration with leading researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital and MIT, and the company has partnered with beloved media companies including Nickelodeon, PBS Kids, and Sesame Workshop to provide an engaging experience for kids. Luminopia was the first VR based therapeutic to receive FDA approval for any medical condition, and the product is now being prescribed by numerous top children’s hospitals and eye institutes across the country. For Scott’s work in pioneering healthcare innovation, he was named to the MIT Tech Review’s Innovators Under 35 and the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for healthcare. Luminopia was also recognized as one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2023.
Peymon is the co-founder and CEO of Malcova, where he has guided the company from the early development of three radiological health technologies to successful proof-of-concept and clinical trial phase. Under his leadership, Malcova is focused on commercializing innovative and safe imaging solutions, with a primary emphasis on breast cancer screening and diagnostics. Prior to founding Malcova, Peymon held key roles as a Scientist, R&D Engineer, and Project Manager in the radiological device industry. He earned his PhD in Biomedical Engineering and a Fellowship in Business Development from the School of Business, both at the University of California, Davis, where he currently serves on the advisory board.
Hemant Thapar, Ph.D, is the Co-founder and CEO of OmniTier Inc., a company focused on advancing access to Precision Medicine using AI and proprietary accelerated computing. Its flagship CompStor® platform automates the end-to-end bioinformatic analyses and interpretation of Whole Genome Sequencing samples, to enable faster, cheaper, more accurate and secure patient report preparation from raw data. Several leading genomic centers in Japan, Singapore, and US have adopted OmniTier’s platform for clinical research. Hemant previously founded and led two successful startups, DataPath Systems and Link-A-Media Devices. He spent his early career in research at Bell Telephone Laboratories and IBM Corporation. Hemant is an elected member of the US National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and a Fellow of IEEE. He is recipient of three Distinguished Alumni awards and co-recipient of three best paper awards for his work on high-speed data transmission and high-density data storage. Hemant serves on the Board of Directors of Assia Corporation and the Advisory Board of the School of Engineering, Santa Clara University, USA.
Dr. Derek Banyard is the Founder and CEO of Sayenza Biosciences, a pioneering medical technology company transforming fat harvesting, processing, and delivery for aesthetic and regenerative medicine. Frustrated by outdated tools in fat grafting, Dr. Banyard left his plastic surgery residency in 2020 to establish Sayenza. As a surgeon-scientist with extensive research in tissue immunology, biology, and engineering, he has received numerous grants, including from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the Plastic Surgery Foundation. An internationally recognized expert in adipose tissue biology, he holds several patents and has over 100 abstracts and publications.
As a serial entrepreneur for over 24 years James has been founder and/or CEO of emerging companies such as Solenic Medical, Shape Memory Medical, TotalChart, Ecolyse, seventhVIEW. Also an angel investor and founder of Innovate Angel Funds investing in over 40 companies, James has led teams raising over $40 million in funds, grants and awards.
Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, he worked for Deloitte Consulting with Fortune 500 clients such as Alcatel, Allied Signal, Ericsson, Bridgestone/Firestone, Haliburton, Herman Miller, Honeywell, NEC and Sonoco.
He holds a BBA from Texas A&M and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.
Vik Kashyap is the Founder & CEO of San Francisco-based Toi Labs, whose AI-powered toilet seat, TrueLoo, transforms ordinary toilets into a source of valuable data. Funded by top global bathroom brands and the National Institutes of Health, Toi Labs is pushing the boundaries of science to deliver healthcare at home. Vik developed a new treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), co-authored a paper in Science Translational Medicine (250+ citations), and his journey has been written about in two books (An Epidemic of Absence and Pipe Dreams). He worked in Japan for one of the largest domestic enterprise software companies, holds multiple issued patents, and is a graduate of Harvard University.
Stephen’s career spans influential roles at Verily (Google Life Sciences), Apple, Amazon Web Services, and Samsung Research, where he developed deep expertise in technology and innovation. A former college athlete and two-time national swimming champion, his path shifted after a car accident severely injured his shoulder. Following surgery and a challenging rehabilitation process, he founded ViFive to create a digital health platform powered by vision AI, offering comprehensive, data-driven treatment for musculoskeletal disorders. With Japan’s aging population and increasing demand for musculoskeletal care, Stephen is excited to explore strategic partnerships in the region. He sees Japan’s growing adoption of telemedicine and focus on corporate wellness as perfectly aligned with ViFive’s vision for preventive care and rehabilitation, and is eager to integrate into Japan’s healthcare system to deliver impactful results.
4:50 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.
5:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M.
RECEPTION + SOCIAL NETWORKING