Frederic Pla

Founded in 1987, BioForward is a member-driven state association and venture capital investor located in Madison, Wisconsin. The firm serves as the voice of Wisconsin's bioscience industry. They advocate on their members behalf to create investment and partnership opportunities, attract and retain the best people and support public policy that fosters their continued growth. BioForward also provides member-support services including networking opportunities through a variety of conferences and events, online resources and group purchasing programs. Their members include bioscience companies, universities, non-profit organizations, service providers, as well as state, regional and local government representatives. BioForward was previously known as the Wisconsin Biotechnology & Medical Device Association.

Genomic Health, Inc. engages in the provision of genomic-based diagnostic tests. Its tests analyze the underlying biology of cancers, allowing physicians and patients to make individualized treatment decisions. The firm uses a platform which translates a massive amount of clinical and genomic data into clinically actionable results for treatment planning. The company was founded by Patrick F. Terry, Joffre B. Baker, Randal W. Scott, and Steven Shak in August 2000 and is headquartered in Redwood City, CA.

Life Technologies Corp. provides products in the areas of scientific research, genetic analysis and applied sciences. Its brands include Invitrogen, Applied Biosystems, Gibco, Molecular Probes, Noves, Ambion and Ion Torrent. The firm’s portfolio includes the most cited products and technologies in qPCR, capillary electrophoresis sequencing, nextgeneration sequencing, molecular diagnostics, forensics, cell culture and analysis, and agriculture research. The company was founded on November 21, 2008 and is headquartered in Carlsbad, CA.

GE Healthcare, Inc. manufactures and distributes diagnostic imaging agents and radiopharmaceuticals for imaging modalities that are used in medical imaging procedures. It offers dyes that are used in magnetic-resonance-imaging procedures. The firm also manufactures medical diagnostic equipment including CT image machines. It develops healthcare technological solutions for medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, disease research, drug discovery and biopharmaceutical manufacturing. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Princeton, NJ.

The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy is a research organization that aims to accelerate the development of breakthrough immune therapies to turn all cancers into curable diseases. The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy is based in San Francisco, CA. The private company conducts clinical trials to tackle the toughest cancers and answer the hardest questions in immunotherapy. The institute coordinates cancer research efforts between the best scientists, clinicians, and partners in the industry. The company has legal experts who help their researchers navigate the intellectual property process and turn their cancer immunotherapy discoveries into treatments. It was founded by Sean N. Parker, Adam Kolom, Michael Polansky.