The 2025 Wilson Sonsini E&I Summit Attracts Over 400 Participants
March 13, 2025
If you attended the 2025 Wilson Sonsini Entrepreneur & Investor Life Sciences Summit (E&I Summit), presented by BioUtah and the University of Utah Technology Licensing Office, you already know it was a home run. The E&I Summit, held March 13 at the Sheraton in Salt Lake City, provided a forum where Utah’s healthcare entrepreneurs, industry leaders, investors, and academic research centers come together to discuss the capital landscape and the innovation journey from ideation to successful commercialization.
This year’s more than 400 registrants heard from distinguished speakers, including keynote speaker Monica DiCenso with J.P. Morgan, who addressed current market conditions and the outlook ahead amid fast-changing headlines and economic variables. Also taking center stage was Earl “Eb” Bright, president of ExploraMed and director of intellectual property policy at the Stanford Mussallem Center for Biodesign. Eb did a deep dive into the perils and promises of being an entrepreneur.
“It was a very successful conference,” said Kelvyn Cullimore, president and CEO of BioUtah. “Summit-goers exchanged ideas, gained valuable insights, and enjoyed networking opportunities that connected Utah’s life sciences innovators with active investors.”
The popular CEO panel featured moderator David Politis, founder of Utah Money Watch; Tina Marriott, former president and COO at Recursion; Jay Muse, former CEO of Slipstream Medical; Kurt Workman, CEO and co-founder of Owlet; and Kevin Haehl, chief product officer of Nusano. The panel shared perspectives on building a life sciences company.
Targeted tracks featured an array of industry experts, mentors, and life sciences venture capitalists who covered topics such as funding resources in Utah, what it takes to win over investors, and the role of patent and intellectual property law in bringing new healthcare technologies to market.
Twelve Utah companies competed in the E&I Summit’s Shark Tank-style pitch competition. Presentations were categorized into several groups, including medical devices/diagnostics, pharmaceuticals/therapeutics, and biotechnology/digital health. The winner in each category received a cash award and prizes (see related article).
Attendees also had an opportunity to learn about non-dilutive funding options during one-on-one meetings with representatives from the Utah Apex Accelerator (DoD grants), Utah Innovation Center (SBIR grants), and G2G Consulting – a DC-based firm that tracks agency-wide federal grants.
The E&I Summit drew to a close with an epic day at Snowbird. Ski enthusiasts took to the slopes, while others joined us for a fabulous lunch on the mountain. It was a great way to continue conversations started at the conference.
A special thank you to Bruce Hunter and the University of Utah Technology Licensing Office. We also thank our title sponsor, Wilson Sonsini, and our many generous sponsors and exhibitors who made the Summit possible. The E&I Summit is the go-to conference for Utah’s life sciences entrepreneurs and investors. Please visit the photo gallery and follow us on social media. Watch for summaries of key presentations in future newsletters.
View the 2025 Photo Gallery Below