Nucleate Boston Presents, The Forum 2025
Nucleate Boston Presents, The Forum 2025 (formerly known as Demo Day), our 7th Annual Ecosystem Celebration on May 22nd, 2025 from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm ET at Portal Innovations, with an optional pitch session from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm.
This flagship event brings together innovators, builders, and thinkers from across the ecosystem for a day of insight, connection, and momentum. Whether you're launching your first company, fundraising, advising startups, investing in breakthrough science, translating research at the bench, or building the infrastructure and communities that make innovation possible, the Forum is where biotech’s future takes shape. Space is limited so RSVP now!
📅 AGENDA
[1:00 - 2:00 pm] Portal Pioneer Award Pitch Competition, presented by Portal Innovations
Learn about the 19 Venture Teams in Nucleate Boston's Activator 2025 Program!
[2:30 pm] Main Event Registration Opens
[3:00 - 3:45 pm] Featured Fireside Chat
Presented by Morrison Foerster: Introduction by Matt Karlyn
George Church, PhD.
Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School
Wyss Institute Core Faculty
Co-Founder of 40+ startups
Professor at Harvard & MIT, co-author of 716 papers, 164 patent publications & a book "Regenesis"; developed methods used for the first genome sequence (1994) & million-fold cost reductions since (via fluor-NGS & nanopores), plus barcoding, DNA assembly from chips, genome editing, writing & recoding; co-initiated BRAIN Initiative (2011) & Genome Projects (GP-Read-1984, GP-Write-2016, PGP-2005:world's open-access personal precision medicine datasets); machine learning for protein engineering, tissue reprogramming, organoids, gene therapy, aging reversal, xeno-transplantation, in situ 3D DNA/RNA/protein imaging.
[3:45 - 4:00 pm] State of Nucleate Presentation
[4:00 - 4:30 pm] Innovation Talks: Solutions to Big Problems
Gleb Kuznetsov, PhD., CEO & Co-Founder, Manifold Bio (Activator 19’)
Jonathan Rittichier, PhD., CSO & Co-Founder, EnPlusOne Biosciences (Activator 20’)
Pierre Colombe Dromel, PhD., CSO & Co-Founder, InGel Therapeutics (Activator 22’)
Chelsea Trengrove, PhD., CEO & Co-Founder, Nucleoase (Activator 24’)
Sayo Eweje, PhD., Scientific Lead, Procure Bio (Activator 25’)
[4:30 - 5:00 pm] Break
[5:00 - 5:45 pm] Panel Discussion
Doubling Down on Science and Innovation: From Bench to Patient
Jason Cordeiro, CBO, MassBio [Moderator]
Angelika Fretzen, PhD., MBA., COO and Technology Translation Director, Wyss Institute
Alice Lin Pomponio, Managing Director, American Cancer Society Bright Edge
Magdalene Pederson, VP Global Commercial Lead, Cell Therapy, Bristol Myers Squibb.
[5:45 - 6:30 pm] Drinks & Breakout Rooms
Intimate breakout discussions with innovators and leaders
[6:30 - 8:00 pm] Open Networking and Scientific Poster Sessions
🎙️ WHY ATTEND!
Insightful Sessions
Hear from top industry leaders about what’s next in the rapidly evolving world of biotech – where discovery meets design. What will research, entrepreneurship and collaboration look like in a future shaped by AI labs, robotic research, and gym-distributed longevity products?
Discover Cutting-Edge Innovation
Meet Nucleate’s emerging founders as they showcase state-of-the-art innovations. Dive into one-on-one conversations and explore the breakthroughs shaping the future of biotech in NYC and beyond.
Build Deep Connections
Nucleate New York brings together founders, researchers, investors, and ecosystem builders to strengthen the greater biotech network. If you’re building, fundraising, operating, researching, or investing in biotech or eco, come share your ideas and thesis with the community!
Exclusive Networking Opportunities
Engage directly with founders, VCs, industry leaders, and government representatives
💛 SPONSORS!
The Forum is powered by Portal Innovations and sponsored by Morrison Foerster
Boston's Activator program is supported by New England Biolabs, Johnson & Johnson, WuXi, and Pliancy.
We want to thank our HQ supporters for championing our open-access mission and empowering the next generation of biotech entrepreneurs!
Platinum: Eli Lilly and Company, Genentech, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, MilliporeSigma
Philanthropic Support: Lyda Hill Philanthropies
Preferred Partners: Pillar VC, Amino Collective, Excedr, Mercury, Brex, Fedsprout
In-Kind Support: AcademicLabs, Lens.org, SynBioBeta
🧬 ABOUT NUCLEATE
Nucleate is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the next generation of biotech leaders. With chapters spanning 41 geographic regions and participation from over 280 academic institutions, Nucleate sparks new intellectual communities and embeds emerging talent within a global biotech community. Through open-access educational programming, Nucleate helps democratize biotech innovation — removing barriers and helping founders concentrate on building transformational technologies. Visit www.nucleate.xyz for more information, and visit https://nucleate.xyz/privacy-policy/ to read our privacy policy.
📈ABOUT THE ACTIVATOR
Our Activator Program enables academic researchers to translate their discoveries into impactful biotech ventures. The Activator is an equity-free, fee-free program upstream of traditional accelerators and incubators, which lowers the activation energy of life sciences company formation from academic labs. We aim to (1) reduce inefficiencies and remove barriers faced by life sciences innovators, (2) increase the quality and quantity of new life science ventures emerging from life sciences ecosystems, and (3) connect emerging innovators to our vast industry network.
The Activator strategically follows a structured eight-phase framework for company formation, specifically tailored for life sciences innovators solving unmet problems in human and planetary health. Nucleate facilitates: (1) Systematic sourcing of innovators developing research and technologies with proof of concept data generated in an academic lab, (2) interdisciplinary team formation at the intersection of science, business, and the clinic, (3) multifactorial mentor matching, (4) expert-guided workshops iterating on core components of a life sciences venture thesis, (5) world-class networking, innovator support opportunities, and service provider resources, (6) regional community demo-day showcases, (7) invitation to the Global Summit, and (8) sustained alumni support.
To accomplish this extensive programming, Nucleate collaborates with the world’s top VC firms, pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, and service providers. Throughout the program, Nucleate leverages a global expert and mentor network of over 4000+ experienced industry professionals. To date, Nucleate has facilitated the formation of >75 companies, raising over $400M in seed and Series A financing, that have collectively created >200 new jobs.
Please reach out about sponsoring Nucleate Boston or The Activator program!