Wednesday, March 20, 2024

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Pitch Decks for Life Sciences Startups

Join us for a Boston Talk featuring Jenny Rooke (Managing Director at Genoa Ventures) and Neil Exter (Partner at Third Rock Ventures) as they share their experience evaluating early-stage investment slide decks.
Learn what catches their eye - both positively and negatively - when reviewing slide decks, and what makes them flag a deck for further attention or discard it altogether.
Discover how to establish credibility and present your case persuasively while being succinct and to-the-point.
Gain a valuable understanding of what they look for when evaluating slide decks and what it takes to stand out in a crowded market.
Learn the key elements that suggest there may be something worth a closer look, and how to make the most of your opportunity to capture their attention.
Improve your chances of securing early-stage funding for your startup by learning from two seasoned investors.
Don't miss out on this unique opportunity!

GUEST: Jenny Rooke
Jenny Rooke is the Managing Director at Genoa Ventures, where she seamlessly integrates her genetics domain expertise, strategic business acumen, and venture investing finesse to catalyze the emergence of pioneering companies at the convergence of technology and biology. With over a decade of investment experience, Jenny's journey began at Fidelity Biosciences in 2006 as a Kauffman Fellow, followed by instrumental roles at the Gates Foundation, where she directed capital towards transformative ventures in genetic engineering, diagnostics, and synthetic biology. In 2014, she embarked on a new chapter with 5 Prime Ventures, leveraging AngelList to curate one of the most formidable life sciences syndicates and achieving remarkable successes with investments like Zymergen and Caribou.
Jenny's academic journey, rooted in physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology and culminating in a Ph.D. in genetics from Yale University, forms the bedrock of her multifaceted approach to funding and building companies that redefine the boundaries of scientific inquiry and drive transformative change in the landscape of life sciences.

GUEST: Neil Exter
Neil Exter is a seasoned Partner at Third Rock Ventures, where he spearheads the formation, development, and strategic initiatives of new companies. With over 30 years of comprehensive experience in operational management, business development, and strategy, Neil has left an indelible mark on both emerging startups and established giants in the biotechnology and technology sectors.
Embracing challenges is Neil's forte, and he finds resonance in Third Rock Ventures' multifaceted Rubik’s cube approach to problem-solving. His method involves scrutinizing issues from various angles, integrating diverse perspectives from medicine, business, and science to derive optimal solutions. Notably, Neil takes immense pride in his pivotal role at Foundation Medicine, where his tenure as interim CBO spanned nearly four years. Collaborating with the team, he contributed to building a successful business model that revolutionized patient care, leaving a profound impact on thousands of lives.

HOST: Samuel M. Shafner
Samuel Shafner is a veteran VC and deal-making lawyer and startup expert. For the past twenty years, Samuel has recruited and led venture capital panels at conferences all around the world, including for the Richi Entrepreneurs program, the annual Boston tech immersion event organized by the Richi Childhood Cancer Foundation.

Thanks to Richi Entrepreneurs for the listing and graphics for this virtual startup event.