Alison Hess serves as Vice President, Finance at NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, where she brings a passion for pairing strong financial leadership with improving patient care.  With extensive experience in corporate finance, Alison oversees financial reporting, budgeting, capital allocation, investor relations and risk management, ensuring the company is well positioned for sustainable growth.  Alison joined NorthStar after spending 15+ years in the automotive manufacturing and distribution industries, holding various leadership positions covering finance, product management, corporate tax, operations, IT and capital management.  

Alison received a Master of Business Administration degree with an Accounting emphasis from Davenport University, and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

David Katzmann, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Fellow in Biology and Director at Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, where he brings decades of expertise in cellular trafficking mechanisms to his leadership roles. As Director of Mechanistic Pharmacology, David leads a team dedicated to understanding and overcoming cellular constraints that limit pharmaceutical efficacy, using cutting-edge biochemical, genetic, imaging, and molecular biology tools to create safer, more effective therapies. He also serves as Director of Protein Bioassay Reagents, overseeing the development of custom protein reagents and assays that support both discovery and clinical research efforts.

Before joining Arrowhead, David spent nearly two decades at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, where he led a discovery cell biology laboratory and achieved the institution’s highest faculty appointment of “Consultant,” equivalent to Professor. During his tenure, David was instrumental in advancing departmental and educational goals, serving in roles such as Graduate Program Director and Chair of the Appointment & Promotions Committee. He mentored 10 Ph.D. students to completion, hosted 19 interns, and contributed to the professional growth of countless researchers through his service on numerous thesis advisory committees.

David earned his B.A. in Biology, cum laude, from Lawrence University and his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Iowa College of Medicine. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute/University of California, San Diego, focusing on molecular mechanisms that inform his work to this day.

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Jenny Fong is a highly accomplished and passionate Quality Leader with over 16 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, delivering exceptional results in management roles across diverse international settings. She has a proven track record of driving consistent operational excellence, fostering organizational development, and prioritizing customer satisfaction. Jenny is committed to making significant contributions to patients' health and safety through unwavering dedication and a strong commitment to excellence.Jenny has demonstrated exceptional knowledge in pharmaceuticals, API, and drug product intermediate manufacturing, quality assurance and quality control management, and risk assessments and management. Jenny holds a B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology, Biochemistry and Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley.

Lisa Johnson is a seasoned leader in Wisconsin’s biohealth sector, currently serving as the CEO of BioForward Wisconsin. With a background in finance and a degree from UW-Madison, Lisa’s journey in the industry began in 1989 when she co-founded the life science reagents company, Novagen. Her extensive experience includes global roles at Merck KGaA/EMD, where she worked closely with brilliant scientists, providing her with invaluable insights into the life sciences field. In her current role as CEO of BioForward Wisconsin, Lisa is dedicated to the growth and development of Wisconsin’s biohealth ecosystem. She is a strong advocate for action-oriented individuals who exhibit positive energy in driving the state’s economy.

Mara Lord, PhD, MBA, is Chief Strategy and Growth Officer for the Medical College of Wisconsin, a leading national health sciences university and academic health system. She also holds a faculty position as Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Global Engagement.

While with MCW, Mara has led planning and implementation of two regional medical school campuses, design of a joint biomedical engineering program across two universities, a philanthropic campaign raising $400 million, a five-year strategy to expand MCW, and a joint strategic plan with Wisconsin-based Froedtert Health. She also led the Milwaukee County COVID vaccination program for underserved communities.

She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington, MBA from University of Wisconsin Lubar School, and PhD in public and community health from the Medical College of Wisconsin. She has a diverse professional background from television producer and music festival leader to art gallery manager in Costa Rica and director of a birth center in Seattle.

Mara currently serves on the MKE Tech Hub Board and the Wisconsin BioForward Board. She also is the Medical College of Wisconsin liaison to the Wisconsin BioHealth Tech Hub and project director of CAREScan, a novel mobile solution to bring healthcare into communities where resources are scarce.

Nicolas Paris is a marketing data scientist, an expert in the sustainable development of businesses in the lab instrumentation industry, and a creative mind dedicated to innovation who believes in the values of openness, achievement, and trust. Paris is CEO of Gilson, Inc. He received his master’s degree in marketing and finance and master’s degree in direct marketing and data management from a European program at the University of Lille, France, and Wolfgang Goëthe University of Frankfurt, Germany. From his early professional years spent in the automotive industry in international marketing management and product management to executive positions at Gilson, he has held most of the key responsibilities in business. Paris has delivered numerous awarded innovative products and services, in the biotech industry with Gilson and also in the high-tech industry with Eyeneo, where he pioneered wearable technologies such as the first multimedia eyewear. Paris is a significant change agent and has been instrumental in adapting companies to the evolving global technical and scientific markets. Growing up in France and having spent most of his life traveling and working in different countries, Paris has finally made Madison, WI his home, where he is married and raising a happy bi-cultural family.

Pam Gabris provides global senior-level leadership for Alliance Management, Early Phase Development Solutions (EPDS), and Study Management Team. She is an experienced leader responsible for implementing and delivering a successful strategy to enable the growth of a portfolio of innovative and profitable programs. Collaborating with other global and regional Scientific and Operational leaders, she shares responsibility for the overall scientific and financial performance of Early Development.Pam has more than 30 years of experience in toxicology, drug development strategy, process improvement, alliance, and program management and has led the development of processes and key metrics for global teams. She spent more than 4 years in a rotational role as the Site Lead for the Madison Labcorp campus, consisting of Early Development, Bioanalytical and Clinical Development teams.