BioForum – Biotech scandal to SaaS Success: Fireside chat with Theranos ’survivor’ Marissa Senzaki, Featuring special guest Ashwin Ramachandran, CEO & Founder, Sapyen
November 26 @ 4:00 pm - 6:30 pm AEDT
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For a more in-depth look at this topic, take a deep-dive into our Masterclass program – Vital Ventures: Scaling Healthtech with Sustainable Strategies. The program includes this BioForum along with a full-day workshop and one-on-one advisory session.
About the BioForum
Join us for an intimate fireside chat with Theranos ’survivor’ Marissa Senzaki, current Talent Director at MDMD, and global talent advisor and coach.
In 2011 Marissa was head hunted by infamous Theranos COO Sunny Balwani and engaged to scale their recruitment capacity with aggressive headcount targets. While working long hours directly alongside Sunny and Elizabeth Holmes, she quickly realised that the company had a problematic culture and planned her exit. Marissa’s tech career has seen the best and worst of Silicon Valley – she accurately foresaw Theranos’ downfall and recognised Slack’s potential for success, becoming Slack’s first HR hire. Flash forward Slack was acquired by Salesforce in 2021 for $27.7 billion USD and stands as the one of the fastest growing B2B SaaS companies in history,
In this candid session, we delve into the lessons learned from tech wrecks and the cycle of challenges that often troubles the industry, and Marissa’s countervailing wisdom. Gain unique insights and experiences, highlighting key strategies for building ventures that scale, and afford the future without repeating the sins of the past.
Special guest announcement: Ashwin Ramachandran, CEO and founder of Sapyen, and 2024’s winner of the prestigious Australian Financial Review BOSS Most Innovative Companies Award will join the discussion, sharing how focusing on his talent strategy was critical to his success as he took his Melbourne-based start-up global in just three years.
Since founding Sapyen and revolutionising the field of male fertility testing by providing an accessible, at-home testing kit that eliminates clinic visits, Ashwin has overcome the challenges of attracting capital and securing key partnerships with international IVF clinics.
Key discussion points will include:
- Explore the role of culture and values at early stages.
- Understanding the predictive power of character when it comes to investing in leaders and founders.
- Tech wrecks: Understanding the pattern of exploitation and how to avoid the pitfalls that have led to the downfall of many tech companies.
- Scalable ventures: Strategies for creating more ventures that can scale effectively and sustain long-term growth.
- Systemic pitfalls: Insights on not repeating the systemic errors that have hindered past ventures.
Who should attend?
- Biotech and healthtech professionals seeking to enhance their knowledge, skills, and expertise in scaling ventures
- Companies transitioning from early development to growth and expansion phases
- Founders, CEOs, CSOs, CTOs, commercial heads, BD managers, researchers, and scientists interested in building successful, future-proof companies.
- Early-stage companies (pre-commercialisation to growth stage) with ambitions to scale sustainably in local or global markets
BioForum details:
Date: Tuesday 26 November 2024
Time (AEDT):
3:45 pm: Guest arrival and registration
4:00 pm: Fireside chat with Q&A
5:30 pm: Networking
6:30 pm: Close
Format: Hybrid – In person and online
Venue: Science Gallery Melbourne Theatre, 114 Grattan St, Carlton VIC 3053
Host: Karen Parr, CEO, BioMelbourne Network
BioForum registration
The BioForum is a stand-alone event as well as Part A of the Masterclass program. Masterclass participants are not required to register separately to attend.
Registration (BioForum only):
In-person: Members $95; Non Members $195
Online: Members $25; Non Members $45
Unsure if your organisation is a member? Check our member directory.
Cancellation policy (BioForum only):
In person registration:
Full refund given up to 7 days prior to the event
No refunds within 7 days of the event
Online registration:
Full refund given up to 3 days prior to the event
No refunds within 3 days of the event
This high-value, heavily subsidised program is made possible with support from the State Government of Victoria
Networking sponsored by Radium Capital
Marissa Senzaki, Talent Director, MDMD
Marissa Senzaki is a seasoned Talent Acquisition and People Operations leader with global experience spanning four continents. With a career of over 17 years, she has worked with renowned technology companies such as Google, Facebook, and Slack. As Slack’s inaugural HR hire, she rapidly scaled the company from under 50 employees to 850 worldwide in less than three years, during its ascent as the fastest-growing B2B SaaS company. Notably, while working alongside Elizabeth Holmes at Theranos, she astutely predicted the company’s downfall. Marissa’s intuitive knack for assessing a company’s potential is unparalleled.
As a startup consultant and angel investor, Marissa is passionate about advocating for a humanistic approach to building companies. She partners with hiring managers and founders to emphasize the importance of building people-first organizations that prioritize values alignment and create inclusive and psychologically safe work environments.
During her time in Australia, Marissa significantly contributed to the HR and tech landscape by actively engaging as a speaker and participant in recruiter meetups, HR/Tech publications, conferences, and accelerators. Her influence extends beyond borders as she continues to nurture these networks from her base in San Francisco.
Marissa holds a Bachelor of Arts with a major in psychology from San Francisco State University.
As a startup consultant and angel investor, Marissa is passionate about advocating for a humanistic approach to building companies. She partners with hiring managers and founders to emphasize the importance of building people-first organizations that prioritize values alignment and create inclusive and psychologically safe work environments.
During her time in Australia, Marissa significantly contributed to the HR and tech landscape by actively engaging as a speaker and participant in recruiter meetups, HR/Tech publications, conferences, and accelerators. Her influence extends beyond borders as she continues to nurture these networks from her base in San Francisco.
Marissa holds a Bachelor of Arts with a major in psychology from San Francisco State University.
Ashwin Ramachandran, CEO and founder of Sapyen, and 2024’s winner of the prestigious Australian Financial Review BOSS Most Innovative Companies Award
Since founding Sapyen and revolutionising the field of male fertility testing by providing an accessible, at-home testing kit that eliminates clinic visits, Ashwin has overcome the challenges of attracting capital and securing key partnerships with international IVF clinics, taking his Melbourne-based start-up global in just three years.
Ashwin brings unparalleled experience in tech commercialisation and scaling healthtech innovations globally. With a career that includes launching diagnostics and therapeutics across four international markets, being an investor in over 50 startups – including seven unicorns - and supporting venture funds through over $100 million in capital raises, he’s uniquely positioned to guide founders toward sustainable growth and international success.
His consulting experience with global brands like Estée Lauder, Nike, and Walgreens gives him a rare perspective on product development and global expansion.
Ashwin brings unparalleled experience in tech commercialisation and scaling healthtech innovations globally. With a career that includes launching diagnostics and therapeutics across four international markets, being an investor in over 50 startups – including seven unicorns - and supporting venture funds through over $100 million in capital raises, he’s uniquely positioned to guide founders toward sustainable growth and international success.
His consulting experience with global brands like Estée Lauder, Nike, and Walgreens gives him a rare perspective on product development and global expansion.
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