Inequality of any kind, is a hindrance to the growth of any business or organization. The problem of gender inequality in corporate America, proverbially coined as the 'glass ceiling' continues to persist despite many attempts to address it. This inequality is opaquely evident in the American business statistics such as: an average woman had to work until April 10th, 2018 to earn pay equal to that an average man earned in 2017 (Equal Pay Day), only 14.6% women hold executive officer positions, only 17% of startups have women founders, and only 2% of the total VC funding goes to women founded startups.  

You are invited to a dynamic discussion about identifying and resolving such inequalities by prominent women leaders, corporate executives and startup founders. This panel of 'trailblazers' from our community will discuss their personal experiences with the 'glass ceiling', how they broke through it, and paved the way for others. They will raise everyone's (men & women) awareness to identify, solve, and prevent this culture of gender inequality in the workplace.  They will also offer practical suggestions and tools to create structural and cultural change in the corporate, startup world, and our society at large!

On the Panel:

• Kara Bortone, Head of JLABS in San Diego
• Liz Bui, J.D. Ph.D., Vice President and Intellectual Property Counsel, ViaCyte
• Sabrina Martucci Johnson, President and CEO, Dare` Biosciences Operations
• Judy Muller-Cohn, Ph.D, Chief Operating Officer, BioFluidica
• Holly Smithson, CEO, Athena (Moderator)

Agenda: Note the early dinner time!
5:30 pm - Networking and Indian Dinner
6:15 pm - Presentation Begins
7:45 pm - Q&A
8:00 pm - Event ends

Speaker Bios:

Kara Bortone, Head of JLABS in San Diego
Kara is responsible for external engagement, innovation sourcing, company onboarding, portfolio management, operational excellence, educational programming and P&L. She catalyzes and supports the translation of science and technology into valuable solutions for patients and consumers across the pharmaceutical, medical device and consumer healthcare sectors.

Kara joins Janssen R&D through Prescience International, where she was Director of Corporate Ventures, primarily focusing on the JLABS project. She has over 10 years experience in the European and the U.S. biotech sector. Prior to joining Prescience, Kara led the scientific communications and marketing for Belgian-based Galapagos NV at a period when the company grew from 60 to over 800 employees and completed its initial public offering on Euronext. She holds a BS in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Texas.

Liz Bui, J.D. Ph.D., Vice President and Intellectual Property Counsel, ViaCyte
Liz Bui, oversees all matters related to intellectual property and is instrumental in the execution of corporate partnerships, licensing contracts, and other key business alliances. Prior to joining ViaCyte, Dr. Bui was with the law firm of DLA Piper in the Global Life Science Sector, where she focused on IP asset management and protection strategies. She began her law career as a technology specialist at the firm of Oppenheimer, Wolff & Donnelly. Dr. Bui holds a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the University of California, Los Angeles and was a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Irvine where her research focused on the biochemistry of Alzheimer's disease. She received her J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law in Malibu, California.

Sabrina Martucci Johnson, President & CEO, Dare` Biosciences Operations
Ms. Johnson founded Daré Bioscience Operations, Inc. in 2015 and has served as President, CEO and a member of the Board of Directors since its inception and following its business combination with Cerulean Pharma Inc. on July 19, 2017, when the Company was renamed Daré Bioscience, Inc.  Ms. Johnson is a life sciences executive committed to advancing improvements in women's healthcare. 

Previously, Ms. Johnson served as President of WomanCare Global Trading, a specialty pharmaceutical company in female reproductive healthcare with commercial product distribution in over 100 countries, from October of 2014 to May of 2015, and Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer from July 2013 to October 2014. Ms. Johnson provided financial consulting services to the WomanCare Global family of companies, including the United Kingdom-based non-profit division, from November 2012 to July 2013. From 2002 until its sale in 2010, Ms. Johnson served as Chief Financial Officer of Cypress Bioscience, Inc., a publicly-traded pharmaceutical company, and in addition served as its Chief Operating Officer from 2008 until its sale in 2010

Judy Muller-Cohn, Ph.D Chief Operating Officer, BioFluidica 
Judy Muller-Cohn is a biotechnology leader moving scientific ideas to commercial products. She manages operations at BioFluidica overseeing commercial development of the company’s ground breaking technology to serve the growing need of the cancer diagnostic market. Previously, she founded, and for ten years was CEO, of a successful biotechnology company from idea to financing, product development, patenting, grant management, human resources, and business development. She also serves on the boards of for-profit and non-profit organizations. Judy earned a Ph.D. in microbial biochemistry from Universite Paris VI and conducted her research at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France. 

Holly Smithson, Chief Executive Officer, Athena
Athena is a professional association dedicated to empowering progress together by advancing women in STEM. Athena's 500+ member community accesses executive leadership forums, educational and mentoring programs, and targeted networking that empowers women to accelerate their professional ambitions and perform at their highest levels.

Smithson previously served as vice president, business strategy at the California Life Sciences Association, the nation’s largest statewide advocacy organization for the life sciences sector. Prior to that, she served as president and chief operating officer at Cleantech San Diego, one of the first cleantech industry associations launched to establish the region as a global hub. Smithson worked in public policy as a Presidential Appointee in several federal agencies and as a registered lobbyist for industry in Washington, D.C. Smithson began her career in broadcast journalism as a news director and anchor for several television and all-talk radio stations.

She is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Executive Leadership Program and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in broadcast communications from East Carolina University. She has been recognized by multiple organizations, including San Diego Daily Transcript (San Diego's Top 100 Influentials in 2014), Delegate on California Governor Brown’s Trade Mission to China in 2013 and the San Diego Metro (Women Who Rock in 2012).