Reflections and Takeaways from our Second Annual Greater Los Angeles Life Science Forum

There was palpable energy in the room at our second annual Greater Los Angeles Life Science Forum last month at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel, held in partnership with BizFed Institute. We were honored to welcome over 200 guests, all who arrived ready to network and engage with local decision makers and industry advocates. Our distinguished speakers included: Assembly Member Rick Zbur; Supervisor Lindsey Horvath; Thousand Oaks City Manager Andrew Powers; Pasadena Economic Development Director David Klug and Councilmember Tyron Hampton; Kelly Lo Bianco, director of the county’s Department of Economic Opportunity; Dustin McDonald with California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz); and Caroline Torosis, Esq., senior deputy of workforce development & economic opportunity at Supervisor Holly Mitchell's Office.  

It was a dynamic day with back-to-back panel discussions covering many topics, all focused on the growth of the industry in the Greater Los Angeles region. Industry experts agree the region shows incredible promise to become the nation’s next epicenter for life science companies, but there is still an uphill battle ahead of us. In opening remarks, Kevin Harbour, president and  CEO of BizFed Institute addressed the audience with a call for action: “You’re the change agents. You’re going to look back on today and remember this as a moment when you spearheaded an opportunity to grow.”  

Three general themes emerged throughout the forum: the importance of people, policy, and collaboration. Luckily, the Greater Los Angeles region has all of these essential elements for a successful life science ecosystem in spades. Read below for some of the key takeaways from this year’s panels.  

People 

People are at the heart of the life science industry. With the growth of the industry in mind, LA has an advantage due to the sheer size of the population. The larger the population, the more diverse the workforce. 

What makes LA unique? 

“The diversity and broad base of our talent. This region produces more PhD’s in life science than any other region in the country.” Stephanie Hsieh, Chief Strategy Officer, Noblespace 

"We are the gene pool of the world. We have people represented from all over the world who not only can participate and bring ideas and innovation into the space, but we also have people who can participate in expanding those innovations into actual healthcare use." Hilary Bendon, Chief of Staff, Larta Institute 

How can we keep talent in the area? 

“This is about the people. How do we get the next person into life science, such that we create more and more opportunities coming from the top and more people stay in the area.” Dave Whelan, CEO, BioscienceLA 

“We have an incredible population that, if we can educate them on how to become part of this industry, it will be a huge asset to the life science industry and to LA overall." Hilary Bendon, Chief of Staff, Larta Institute 

“Ensuring that students coming here for internships are also getting out, seeing other companies, etc. and realizing there is a lot here that could attract them.” Dave Whelan, CEO, BioscienceLA 

Comments on job and market stability? 

“In 2020-21 there was a lot of growth of companies... we’re now rebounding back to normal. It is a challenging time for companies regaining caches, but it’s not irregular for any time period. It’s difficult but there is a lot of opportunity on the other side. It’s a great time to be in this industry, this is a kind of time when talent shines.” Alborz Mahdavi, VP Protomer Technologies, Eli Lilly and Company

“People that get laid off often get hired again with little delay because there are so many companies growing in the region.” Peter M. Moglia, CEO & Chief Investment Officer, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.

Policy 

Issues such as housing, transportation and building availability are top of mind for those rallying for the life science industry in LA. Solving these key issues will open the door to rapid growth in the region. 

What infrastructures are vital to life science? 

“Housing and housing policy [are vital]. Quality schools that can make a commitment to send students to great schools. Reliable power grids. Having sustainable opportunities [such as] solar.” Andrew Powers, City Manager, Thousand Oaks 

"The housing situation is creating such an untenable situation…Without reasonable housing, all industries will be in trouble.” Stephen Cheung, President & CEO, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC)

“It's not only lab space, it's space at all stages of company growth…we have arguably one of the tightest markets." Dave Whelan, CEO, BioscienceLA 

How best can we work with the local government? 

“Identify a life science-specific person in your region that you can always go to, who can connect you to where you need to go from there – it's important to build a repour with someone that understands them.” Melanie Cohn, Sr. Director, Policy and Regional Government Affairs, Biocom California 

“Communicate to government bodies the needs of the life science industry.” Kelly Lo Bianco, Director, LA County Department of Economic Opportunity 

Collaboration 

Partnership is what will help drive the change that the region of Los Angeles needs in order to become the next life science powerhouse. Each session put an emphasis on collaboration across both different companies and sectors.  

"Why don't we work together? … it needs to be a collective action across all the industries to attract more talent." Stephen Cheung, President & CEO, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation 

For companies interested in moving, “look into zoning, connect with the leaders of the city to understand what it’s like to do a build there.” Marissa Goldberg, CEO, Doheny Eye Institute 

“It’s vital to give feedback to others in the industry as you work together. Combine your talent and resources.” Julie Gilmore, VP and Global Head, Gateway Labs by Eli Lilly & Company 

“Find people in the industry you can reach out to – mentors and contacts. There are more resources in LA now than ever before.” Alborz Mahdavi, VP Protomer Technologies, Eli Lilly & Company 

“It’s an exciting time for collaboration, and I think you can see that in the room today.” Dustin McDonald, Regional Business Development – Los Angeles & Orange County, Governors Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). 

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