SOSV

Invited Speakers

Chris Reyes

CTO & Co-Founder · Material Hybrid Manufacturing

Dr. Christopher  Reyes PhD, is the CTO of MATERIAL Hybrid Manufacturing, which he cofounded in 2023. Born and raised in South Texas, he is a first-generation university graduate. Dr. Reyes created the first, completely 3D lithium-ion batteries at Duke University in 2016, doing so using low-cost off the shelf printers & materials. He then joined the Additive Lab in Rice University where he developed advanced hybrid manufacturing process for industrial partners. In his professional career as a senior device scientist in the e semiconductor industry, he designed and built advanced MEMS and photonic device prototypes utilizing cutting edge technologies.  He has spent the past 7 years developing this technology for commercializing the next generation of 3D-printed lithium ion batteries, culminating with the founding of MATERIAL.

Doug Friedman

CEO · BioMADE

Doug Friedman serves as the CEO of BioMADE, an organization focused on advancing bioindustrial manufacturing and innovation in the United States. With a background in biotechnology, he leads efforts to support the development of sustainable manufacturing practices in the bioeconomy. His role involves fostering collaborations between industry, academia, and government to accelerate bio-based technologies.

Jon Vardner

CTO & Cofounder Still Bright · Still Bright

Jon completed his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Columbia University where he was an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. He continued his postdoctoral studies at Columbia to develop and co-invent Still Bright’s copper production process. In 2022, Jon was awarded an Activate fellowship to spin out the company and start building Still Bright.

Maximilian Von Poelnitz

Managing Director · Ajinomoto CVC

Maximilian Von Poelnitz serves as the Managing Director at Ajinomoto CVC, where he oversees venture capital investments, likely focusing on innovative technologies in the life sciences sector. His participation in events such as Biomanufacturing in the US highlights his expertise in biomanufacturing and related fields. Through his role, he contributes to advancing biotechnology initiatives aligned with Ajinomoto's strengths in biochemical and food-related innovations.

Miguel Modestino

Director · Sunthetics

Miguel A. Modestino is the Director of the Sustainable Engineering Initiative and the Donald F. Othmer Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at New York University (NYU). Miguel obtained his B.S in Chemical Engineering (2007) and M.S. in Chemical Engineering Practice (2008) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley (2013). From 2013-2016, he was a post-doctoral researcher at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). He is a winner of the Global Change Award from the H&M Foundation (2016), the MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 Award in Latin America (2017) and Globally (2020), the ACS Petroleum Research Fund Doctoral New Investigator Award (2018), the NSF CAREER Award (2019), the Inaugural NYU Tandon Junior Faculty Research Award (2020), and TED Idea Search Latin America (2021).

Po Bronson

Managing Director of IndieBio, GP at SOSV · IndieBio, SOSV

Po Bronson is a best-selling author and journalist known for books on science and personal development, who has transitioned into venture capital as the Managing Director of IndieBio and a General Partner at SOSV, focusing on early-stage biotech innovations.

Susan Schofer

Partner & Chief Science Officer · HAX

Susan Schofer is a Partner at SOSV global venture capital firm and serves as Chief Science Officer at HAX, the world’s premier venture program accelerating early stage hard tech startups. She works with new startups via early stage investment, defining key milestones and go-to-market strategies, and is responsible for scientific oversight and building capabilities to support portfolio companies. Prior to joining HAX, Susan served as SVP Business Development for Modern Meadow and a member of the executive leadership team for over 7 years, developing new sustainable materials inspired by leather without any animals, where she led product, partnership, and go-to-market strategy and execution from early ideation through to commercialization. Before that, Susan spent 10 years in Silicon Valley working in roles spanning R&D, product development, product management, and business development for Amyris, a pioneer in synthetic biology, and Symyx Technologies, utilizing proprietary high-throughput robotic workflows to accelerate polymer and material discovery and development. Susan also worked as an analyst for management consulting company Mitchell Madison Group. Her passion is working closely with scientific and technical innovation to craft product and business strategy and partnering with founders and the broader ecosystem to implement and commercialize solutions to make a positive impact on people and planet. Susan was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at Stockholm and Uppsala Universities, where she worked to develop catalyst systems for artificial photosynthesis. She holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Caltech and an Sc.B. in chemistry from Brown.

Will Purvis

Co-founder & CEO · Kaio Labs

Will Purvis is Co-Founder & CEO of Kaio Labs, combining his research in chemistry and machine learning to accelerate catalyst discovery for sustainable chemical production. With machine learning training from Cambridge and research experience in materials discovery at the University of Toronto, Will leads Kaio Labs in bridging the gap between chemistry and AI—driving innovation in electrocatalysis for a more sustainable future.