Investing in minds. Building a fiercely human brain economy.

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Alan Landay

Vice President, Team Science and Professor

The University of Texas Medical Branch

Leads team-science strategy at UTMB, advancing collaborative research on aging, immunology, and brain health.

Models how academic medical centers can integrate aging, inflammation, and cognition research at scale.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• Healthy Aging (Moderator)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Amy DittmarPhD

Howard R. Hughes Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Rice University

Provost of Rice University, overseeing academic strategy, research, and faculty across one of the nation's top private research institutions.

Aligns Rice's research engine with Houston's Brain Economy ambitions.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• The Houston Region: Project Metis (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Andrew Nevin

Inaugural Director of the Brainomics Venture, Center for BrainHealth; Research Professor, University of Texas at Dallas

Center for BrainHealth; The University of Texas at Dallas

Economist, entrepreneur, and global strategist serving as Research Professor at the University of Texas at Dallas and Inaugural Director of the Brainomics Venture at Center for BrainHealth. With more than 35 years of international leadership experience, his work focuses on the economics of brain health, human flourishing, and shaping public policy beyond traditional GDP measures.

Brings the macroeconomic argument for Brain Capital into the heart of Texas's brain-health research network.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• Healthy Aging (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Andy KellerPhD

President and Chief Executive Officer

Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute

Leads Meadows Institute, Texas's premier mental-health policy and systems-change organization.

Owns the state-level mental health policy agenda that any Brain Economy strategy must traverse.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• Brain Economy / Brain Health in the Age of AI (Moderator)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Arthur EvansPhD

Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President

American Psychological Association

CEO of the American Psychological Association, the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States, with over 190,000 members. A visionary leader, clinical and community psychologist, and health care innovator, Evans previously spent more than two decades in policy positions, where he harnessed science, clinical care, community wisdom, and cross-system collaboration to transform behavioral health systems in Philadelphia and Connecticut.

Commands the U.S. psychology profession's stance on AI, mental health, and workforce.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• Brain Economy / Brain Health in the Age of AI (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Cheryl Healy

Co-Director of Brain Health

McKinsey Health Institute

Senior Fellow at McKinsey & Company and Co-Director of Brain Health at the McKinsey Health Institute, focused on mental, neurological, and addiction-related health. She brings experience across policy, research, and education, including advising the U.S. Administration for Children and Families on behavioral health systems for children and families.

Builds the financing rails for mental-health systems change in Texas and beyond.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• Impact Investing in the Brain Economy (Moderator)

Director of the Center for Applied Cognitive Science and Professor in the Department of Psychology at The University of Texas at Austin. A developmental cognitive scientist building applied research on learning, culture, and cognition.

Anchors the cognitive-science evidence base for early Brain Capital interventions.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• Early Brain Development (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Both Days

David Gow

President & CEO

Center for Houston's Future

Leads the Center for Houston's Future, a regional strategy and convening organization shaping long-horizon plans for Houston's economy, workforce, and human capital.

Architect of Houston's Brain Economy convening strategy and chief storyteller for the region's Brain Capital agenda.

• Workforce Transformation
• Economic Development
• AI & Brain Health

Carries the employer and ecosystem perspective — converting Brain Capital from concept to competitive advantage for Houston and beyond.

Appears across 5 sessions, connecting Welcome Remarks (Day 1) and The Houston Region: Project Metis (Moderator) to the broader Brain Economy program.

• Welcome Remarks (Day 1)
• The Houston Region: Project Metis (Moderator)
• The Global Brain Economy (Day 2)
• Closing — Brain Economy Summit Declaration (Day 2)
• Day 1 Closing

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Elizabeth Allen

Executive Advisor, Brain Economy

Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction

Executive Advisor for Brain Economy at the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, where she leads cross-sector efforts to advance Canada's emerging brain economy. A longtime Canadian government executive, she brings more than 20 years of experience in public policy, communications, and national strategy across health, social development, and environmental initiatives.

Brings the addiction-economy and Canadian national-strategy dimension into the Brain Capital conversation.

• Public Policy
• Brain Capital
• Economic Development

Aligns government priorities with Brain Capital as economic infrastructure — shaping the policy, funding, and regulatory conditions Houston and Texas need to lead.

Threads through every policy, measurement, and global-alignment panel — from state-level keynotes to international frameworks.

• Across the World (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

George Vradenburg

Founding Chairman, Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative; Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO, UsAgainstAlzheimer's

Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative; UsAgainstAlzheimer's

Chairman of the Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative, a global foundation advancing research and care systems for Alzheimer's and brain health worldwide. He is also Chairman and Co-Founder of UsAgainstAlzheimer's, a leading advocacy organization accelerating the development of treatments and prevention strategies.

Convenes the global Alzheimer's ecosystem at the highest levels of government and industry.

• Public Policy
• Brain Capital
• Economic Development

Aligns government priorities with Brain Capital as economic infrastructure — shaping the policy, funding, and regulatory conditions Houston and Texas need to lead.

Threads through every policy, measurement, and global-alignment panel — from state-level keynotes to international frameworks.

• Across the World (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Hani JneidMD, FACC, FAHA, FSCAI

John Sealy Distinguished Centennial Chair in Cardiology; Professor & Chair, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine; Director, Sealy Heart and Vascular Institute; Vice President, Cardiovascular Operations

The University of Texas Medical Branch

Chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at UTMB, Medical Director of the Cardiovascular Care Line, and founding Director of the Sealy Heart and Vascular Institute. An internationally recognized interventional cardiologist and researcher, he has led pioneering cardiovascular programs, authored more than 492 scientific publications, and helped shape national clinical guidelines in cardiovascular medicine.

The clinical authority connecting heart disease prevention to brain longevity.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• Brain–Heart Connection (Keynote)

Speaker Overview

Both Days

Harris EyrePhD

Harry Z. Yan and Weiman Gao Senior Fellow for Brain Health and Society; Senior Advisor for Neuroscience, Office of Innovation, Rice University; Executive Director, Global Brain Economy Initiative

Rice University; Global Brain Economy Initiative

Physician, neuroscientist, and global leader in the emerging brain economy, serving as a senior fellow and advisor at Rice University's Office of Innovation. He is widely recognized for pioneering the "brain capital" framework and leads international initiatives that integrate brain health and skills into economic policy, innovation, and societal development.

Principal intellectual architect of the Brain Capital / Brain Economy framework globally.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Appears across 3 sessions, connecting Across the World (Day 1 Panel) and Nature Medicine Commission Announcement (Day 2) to the broader Brain Economy program.

• Across the World (Day 1 Panel)
• Nature Medicine Commission Announcement (Day 2)
• Brain Economy Summit Declaration (Day 2)

Neuroscientist and Program Director at Wellcome Leap, leading the 1Kd (First 1000 Days) and FORM programs that advance innovations supporting early cognitive development and infant brain health. Her work spans neuroscience, mental health, and maternal and child health, translating breakthrough science into scalable solutions with real-world impact.

Channels Wellcome Leap's capital into the earliest, highest-ROI window for Brain Capital formation.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• Early Brain Development (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Husseini Manji

Professor, Oxford University; UK Government Mental Health Mission Co-Chair

Oxford University; UK Government

Neuroscientist and Co-Chair of the UK Government's Mental Health Goals Programme, with professorships at Oxford and Yale. A former global head of neuroscience at Johnson & Johnson, he has led groundbreaking research and development in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.

Bridges drug development, government strategy, and academic science for mental health.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• Mental Health for the Brain Economy (Keynote)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Jaime de Mora

Co-founder, CogniGuard; CTO for Startups & Digital Natives, Microsoft EMEA

CogniGuard; Microsoft EMEA

AI researcher, professor, and co-founder of CogniGuard, a platform focused on measuring and protecting cognitive fitness in the age of AI. He also serves as CTO for Startups & Digital Natives at Microsoft EMEA, where he partners with high-growth companies to design and deploy advanced AI systems.

Brings hyperscaler AI infrastructure perspective to brain-health innovation.

• Workforce Transformation
• Economic Development
• AI & Brain Health

Carries the employer and ecosystem perspective — converting Brain Capital from concept to competitive advantage for Houston and beyond.

Bridges workplace brain-health, Project Metis, and the AI-augmented workforce conversations.

• Brain Economy / Brain Health in the Age of AI (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Jamie McCarthyMD

Executive Vice President and Chief Physician Executive

Memorial Hermann Health System

Executive Vice President and Chief Physician Executive at Memorial Hermann Health System, where he leads physician integration and clinical care redesign. A nationally recognized emergency medicine leader, he previously chaired the Department of Emergency Medicine at UTHealth and oversaw major trauma and EMS programs.

Brings Memorial Hermann's clinical scale to Houston's Brain Economy initiatives.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• The Houston Region: Project Metis (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Jason SchroerAIA, ACHA, LEED

Partner, Executive VP – Global Director

HKS

Partner and Executive Vice President at HKS, serving as the firm's Global Sector Director, Community, overseeing HKS's Health, Government, Education, and Life Science practices and its Structural Engineering service. An architect with more than 25 years of experience designing spaces and places that support the human condition, sharing research, best practices, and creativity to have a positive impact on clients and the communities they serve.

Designs the physical environments where Brain Capital is built or eroded.

• Workforce Transformation
• Economic Development
• AI & Brain Health

Carries the employer and ecosystem perspective — converting Brain Capital from concept to competitive advantage for Houston and beyond.

Bridges workplace brain-health, Project Metis, and the AI-augmented workforce conversations.

• Brain Health in the Workplace (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Jeff BorensteinMD

President & CEO

Brain & Behavior Research Foundation

President and CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, the largest private funder of mental health research grants. A psychiatrist and public educator, he is also host and executive producer of the Emmy-nominated television series Healthy Minds, focused on reducing stigma and advancing understanding of mental health.

Catalytic philanthropy that de-risks frontier psychiatric and neuroscience research.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• Impact Investing in the Brain Economy (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Jeff Merritt

Head of Urban Transformation

World Economic Forum

Head of Urban Transformation at the World Economic Forum and a global leader in urban innovation and economic development. He brings together governments, investors, and industry to scale solutions that strengthen cities and improve quality of life.

Globalizes Houston's Brain Economy story through the WEF's city and country networks.

• Public Policy
• Brain Capital
• Economic Development

Aligns government priorities with Brain Capital as economic infrastructure — shaping the policy, funding, and regulatory conditions Houston and Texas need to lead.

Threads through every policy, measurement, and global-alignment panel — from state-level keynotes to international frameworks.

• Across the World (Moderator)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Jennifer BickelMD

Vice President and Chief Wellness Officer

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Vice President and Chief Wellness Officer at MD Anderson Cancer Center, leading initiatives to improve clinician wellbeing and reduce burnout across healthcare systems. A neurologist and nationally recognized leader in physician wellness, she develops evidence-based strategies and serves in key leadership roles with the American Academy of Neurology and the National Academy of Medicine.

Bridges pediatric neurology and workforce wellness — exactly the lifespan view the Brain Economy requires.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• Early Brain Development (Moderator)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Jim RayPhD

Executive Director, Belfer Neurodegeneration Consortium; Co-Director, Cancer Neuroscience Program

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Executive Director of the Belfer Neurodegeneration Consortium and Co-Director of the Cancer Neuroscience Program at MD Anderson Cancer Center, focused on developing Alzheimer's therapies. With prior leadership roles at Merck, Takeda, and Envoy Therapeutics, he has advanced multiple clinical-stage treatments for neurological disorders.

Coordinates the multi-institutional R&D needed to bend the curve on dementia.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• Healthy Aging (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Joanne PikeDrPH

President & Chief Executive Officer

Alzheimer's Association

Leads the world's largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer's research, advocacy, and care services.

Wields unmatched convening power across research, care delivery, and policy for cognitive aging.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• Healthy Aging (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Both Days

Jochen ReiserMD, PhD

President, The University of Texas Medical Branch; Chief Executive Officer, UTMB Health System

The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB)

Physician-scientist leading UTMB, one of the largest academic health systems in Texas, with a focus on aligning research, clinical care, and population health.

Single most visible academic-medicine voice for the Texas Brain Economy.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Appears across 4 sessions, connecting The Houston Region: Project Metis (Day 1 Panel) and Systems Transformation for the Brain Economy (Day 2) to the broader Brain Economy program.

• The Houston Region: Project Metis (Day 1 Panel)
• Systems Transformation for the Brain Economy (Day 2)
• The State's Bet on the Brain (Day 2 Introduction)
• Nature Medicine Commission Announcement (Day 2)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Krystal SextonPhD

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Cognitive Capital Group

Founded Cognitive Capital Group to help enterprises measure and grow cognitive performance as a strategic asset.

Operationalizes Brain Capital as a measurable enterprise asset — directly relevant to employer adoption.

• Workforce Transformation
• Economic Development
• AI & Brain Health

Carries the employer and ecosystem perspective — converting Brain Capital from concept to competitive advantage for Houston and beyond.

Bridges workplace brain-health, Project Metis, and the AI-augmented workforce conversations.

• Brain Health in the Workplace (Moderator)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Laura MurrayPhD

Faculty, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Head of Global Mental Health, Google; Founder, CETA Global

Google; Johns Hopkins University; CETA Global

Head of Global Mental Health at Google and an affiliate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she previously led one of the world's leading global mental health research programs. A clinical researcher, innovator and Founder of CETA Global, she developed the Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA) and is advancing the responsible use of AI to scale evidence-based mental health care worldwide.

Brings the global-health evidence base for scaling psychosocial interventions.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• Brain Economy / Brain Health in the Age of AI (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Lexi Branson

Vice President of Health Policy

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Vice President of Health Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where she leads national healthcare policy and advocacy efforts. She brings extensive experience in government, industry, and public affairs, including leadership roles at PhRMA and the White House.

The most influential employer-voice policy operator on workforce mental health in Washington.

• Public Policy
• Brain Capital
• Economic Development

Aligns government priorities with Brain Capital as economic infrastructure — shaping the policy, funding, and regulatory conditions Houston and Texas need to lead.

Threads through every policy, measurement, and global-alignment panel — from state-level keynotes to international frameworks.

• Fireside Chat: The U.S. Perspective

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Megan Henshall

Founder, Google Experience Institute

Google

Founder of the Google Experience Institute (Google XI), Google's research practice on the future of teams, events, and human collaboration.

Originator of the Team Intelligence framework that links AI, teaming, and Brain Capital.

• Workforce Transformation
• Economic Development
• AI & Brain Health

Carries the employer and ecosystem perspective — converting Brain Capital from concept to competitive advantage for Houston and beyond.

Bridges workplace brain-health, Project Metis, and the AI-augmented workforce conversations.

• Team Intelligence in the Workplace (Signature Keynote)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Megan Rose

Vice President of Strategic Initiatives

Center for Houston's Future

Drives Center for Houston's Future's strategic initiatives, including Project Metis and Houston's Brain Capital measurement work.

Operational owner of Houston's regional Brain Capital measurement effort.

• Workforce Transformation
• Economic Development
• AI & Brain Health

Carries the employer and ecosystem perspective — converting Brain Capital from concept to competitive advantage for Houston and beyond.

Bridges workplace brain-health, Project Metis, and the AI-augmented workforce conversations.

• Measuring the Brain Economy (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Michelle PatriquinPhD, ABPP

John S. Dunn Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth Houston; Assistant Dean of Digital Health & Innovation, School of Behavioral Health Sciences

UTHealth Houston

John S. Dunn Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UTHealth Houston and Assistant Dean of Digital Health & Innovation in the School of Behavioral Health Sciences. A board-certified clinical psychologist, her research focuses on integrating AI, digital health, and measurement-based care to improve outcomes in intensive mental health settings.

Connects clinical psychology and digital health innovation inside one of Houston's flagship academic medical centers.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• Brain Economy / Brain Health in the Age of AI (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Mitchell ElkindMD, MS, FAAN, FAHA

Chief Science Officer, Brain Health and Stroke

American Heart Association; Columbia University

Past president of the American Heart Association and a leading neurologist linking cardiovascular health to cognitive aging.

The most visible national voice on the brain–heart connection — central to preventive Brain Capital.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• Healthy Aging (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Natalie RichardsonMA

Director of HabLab

Slalom Consulting

Director of Slalom's HabLab, applying behavioral science to how teams form, focus, recover, and learn inside enterprise transformation.

Brings behavior-change science to enterprise change programs — the practical layer of Brain Capital at work.

• Workforce Transformation
• Economic Development
• AI & Brain Health

Carries the employer and ecosystem perspective — converting Brain Capital from concept to competitive advantage for Houston and beyond.

Bridges workplace brain-health, Project Metis, and the AI-augmented workforce conversations.

• Brain Health in the Workplace (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Nicki Hellem

Senior Interior Project Manager and Associate Principal

Perkins&Will

Senior Interior Project Manager and Associate Principal in the Dallas studio of Perkins&Will, integrating interior design with architecture for high-performing healthcare and corporate environments. Her evidence-based approach centers the relationship between psychology and design to prioritize well-being.

Brings the built-environment lens to workplace brain health — design as Brain Capital infrastructure.

• Workforce Transformation
• Economic Development
• AI & Brain Health

Carries the employer and ecosystem perspective — converting Brain Capital from concept to competitive advantage for Houston and beyond.

Bridges workplace brain-health, Project Metis, and the AI-augmented workforce conversations.

• Brain Health in the Workplace (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Orlando Alvarez

Chairman and President, bp America; Head of Gas & Power Trading Americas

bp America

Chairman and President of bp America and Head of Gas & Power Trading Americas, leading bp's U.S. operations and natural gas and power business. More than three decades in the energy sector spanning accounting, strategy, and trading; serves on multiple national industry and conservation boards.

Brings a Fortune-scale employer voice to the workplace brain-health conversation — energy sector leadership shapes how large U.S. workforces invest in cognitive and mental health.

• Workforce Transformation
• Economic Development
• AI & Brain Health

Carries the employer and ecosystem perspective — converting Brain Capital from concept to competitive advantage for Houston and beyond.

Bridges workplace brain-health, Project Metis, and the AI-augmented workforce conversations.

• Brain Health in the Workplace (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Paweł Świeboda

Founder and Director

NeuroCentury

Founder and Director of NeuroCentury and a leading voice at the intersection of brain science, policy, and the global economy. He previously led the Human Brain Project and continues to advise international institutions on neurotechnology and innovation policy.

Europe's leading Brain Economy policy entrepreneur and a key transatlantic bridge.

• Public Policy
• Brain Capital
• Economic Development

Aligns government priorities with Brain Capital as economic infrastructure — shaping the policy, funding, and regulatory conditions Houston and Texas need to lead.

Threads through every policy, measurement, and global-alignment panel — from state-level keynotes to international frameworks.

• Across the World (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Quianta MooreMD, JD

Executive Director

The Hackett Center for Mental Health

Executive Director of The Hackett Center for Mental Health and Executive Vice President of Economic Mobility at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, leading work at the intersection of early childhood development, maternal health, and public policy. A nationally recognized expert in evaluation and systems design, she partners with governments and funders to translate evidence into scalable strategies that improve brain health outcomes for children and families.

Translates pediatric mental health science into state-level policy — a Brain Economy prerequisite.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• Early Brain Development (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Ryan Howard

Co-lead, Google Experience Institute

Google

Co-leads Google XI's applied research on teaming, AI augmentation, and the operating systems of high-performing groups.

Carries Google's institutional research on how AI changes teamwork — central to workforce Brain Capital.

• Workforce Transformation
• Economic Development
• AI & Brain Health

Carries the employer and ecosystem perspective — converting Brain Capital from concept to competitive advantage for Houston and beyond.

Bridges workplace brain-health, Project Metis, and the AI-augmented workforce conversations.

• Team Intelligence in the Workplace (Signature Keynote)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Ryan Urgo

Vice President and Head of US Public Policy

Eli Lilly

Vice President and Head of U.S. Public Policy at Eli Lilly, where he leads strategy and engagement on key healthcare policy issues affecting the biopharmaceutical industry. With leadership experience across Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Avalere Health, he specializes in translating complex policy challenges into actionable strategies that shape public policy and market access outcomes.

Anchors the biopharma federal-policy dimension of the Brain Economy conversation.

• Public Policy
• Brain Capital
• Economic Development

Aligns government priorities with Brain Capital as economic infrastructure — shaping the policy, funding, and regulatory conditions Houston and Texas need to lead.

Threads through every policy, measurement, and global-alignment panel — from state-level keynotes to international frameworks.

• Fireside Chat: The U.S. Perspective

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Rym Ayadi, PhD

Founder and President, Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA); Professor, Bayes Business School, City St George's, University of London; Co-Founder, Brain Capital Alliance

Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA)

Economist and international expert on financial systems, regulation, and socio-economic development, and Founder and President of the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association. A leading voice in the global brain economy movement, serving as Co-Founder of the Brain Capital Alliance and holding senior academic and advisory roles across major international institutions.

Pioneer of the Brain Capital construct itself — the intellectual scaffolding of the summit.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• Measuring the Brain Economy (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Sally Waterfield

Program Director

Smart Families

Program Director for Smart Families, a Houston-based nonprofit that partners with 160 schools across the United States and internationally. Drawing on 16 years of insight from elementary classrooms in the United Kingdom and Texas, she designs and implements Smart Families' school-based neuroscience education program, bringing accessible, practical, and developmentally appropriate brain education directly into classrooms.

Brings classroom-grounded brain education into the earliest stage of Brain Capital development.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• Early Brain Development (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Samantha SchummPhD

Associate Director, Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration

Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy

Milken Institute scientist-strategist coordinating philanthropic capital for research collaborations across diseases including brain disorders.

Coordinates the philanthropic capital stack that fuels translational brain science.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• Impact Investing in the Brain Economy (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Steve Carnevale

Founder

Blue Ash Ventures

Venture capitalist and Founding Partner of Blue Ash Ventures, a social impact accelerator advancing human-centered AI for brain health and human flourishing. He also serves on the California Commission for Behavioral Health and leads multiple initiatives at the intersection of education, neuroscience, and social impact, including the SPARC Foundation.

Models the type of patient capital required to underwrite early Brain Economy ventures.

• Venture Capital
• Brain Capital
• AI & Brain Health

Capitalizes the Brain Economy — directing venture, growth, and impact capital toward the diagnostics, therapeutics, and platforms that will define the category.

Links impact-investing, brain-lens investing, and translating-science-to-venture sessions across both days.

• Measuring the Brain Economy (Moderator)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Steve Kean

President & CEO

Greater Houston Partnership

Leads the Greater Houston Partnership, the region's premier business organization advancing Houston's economic competitiveness, talent, and quality of place.

Anchors Houston's regional Brain Economy agenda and convenes the employer base that will deploy Brain Capital at scale.

• Workforce Transformation
• Economic Development
• AI & Brain Health

Carries the employer and ecosystem perspective — converting Brain Capital from concept to competitive advantage for Houston and beyond.

Bridges workplace brain-health, Project Metis, and the AI-augmented workforce conversations.

• Welcome (Keynote)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Tim Lash

President, Gary and Mary West Foundation; President, West Health Institute; President & Chair, West Health Policy Center

West Health

President of the Gary and Mary West Foundation, West Health Institute, and West Health Policy Center, where he leads initiatives focused on lowering healthcare costs and improving aging and behavioral health care. With leadership experience spanning healthcare innovation, public policy, and industry, he has helped launch national models for integrated care and healthy aging.

Channels major philanthropic capital into aging and successful-care models relevant to Brain Capital.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Links research panels, healthy aging, and workplace brain health to the venture and AI tracks.

• The Houston Region: Project Metis (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 1

Troy Ignelzi

Advisor, Sofinnova Investments and Patients Capital Management; CFO, Rapport Therapeutics

Sofinnova Investments; Rapport Therapeutics

Seasoned life sciences executive with more than two decades of financial leadership experience across biotech and pharmaceutical companies. He has raised over $4 billion in capital and led multiple successful financings and exits, including as CFO of Karuna Therapeutics through its IPO and acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb.

Lived experience taking a CNS biotech from concept to multi-billion-dollar outcome.

• Venture Capital
• Brain Capital
• AI & Brain Health

Capitalizes the Brain Economy — directing venture, growth, and impact capital toward the diagnostics, therapeutics, and platforms that will define the category.

Links impact-investing, brain-lens investing, and translating-science-to-venture sessions across both days.

• Impact Investing in the Brain Economy (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 2

Andrew Barr

Founding Partner

GreyMatter Capital

Founding Partner of GreyMatter Capital, a venture fund dedicated to advancing innovation in mental health. He brings experience across venture investing and entrepreneurship, alongside a personal commitment to improving mental health outcomes.

Dedicated brain-focused venture capital — exactly the new category the summit is naming.

• Venture Capital
• Commercialization
• AI & Brain Health

Sets the investment thesis for brain-health startups — defining what gets funded and how the Brain Economy scales.

Spans Day 2's venture creation, brain-lens investing, and AI-native biotech tracks.

• Brain Lens Investing (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 2

Bill McKeon

President & CEO

Texas Medical Center

President and CEO of the Texas Medical Center, where he has transformed it into a leading global hub for healthcare innovation and life sciences investment. He has driven the creation of major initiatives including the TMC Innovation Factory, accelerator programs, and venture fund.

Controls the physical and institutional platform on which Houston's Brain Economy is built.

• Neuroscience
• Brain Capital
• Mental Health
• Precision Medicine

Pushes the biological frontier of Brain Capital — diagnostics, therapeutics, and the brain–body connection — into actionable health-system strategy.

Connects healthy aging, brain–heart, and mental-health sessions to AI-native biotech and venture-creation tracks on Day 2.

• Industrializing Brain Therapeutics (Panel)

CEO of RememberWhen, building consumer technology for memory, cognition, and aging.

Consumer-facing example of brain-economy product design.

• Neurotechnology Commercialization
• AI & Brain Health
• Therapeutics Scale

Industrializes brain-health innovation — moving therapeutics, devices, and platforms from pilot to scaled deployment.

Anchors the Day 2 commercialization, therapeutics, and AI-infrastructure panels.

• AI + Tech as Brain-Economy Infrastructure (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 2

Christian Howell

CEO

Cognito Therapeutics

Chief Executive Officer of Cognito Therapeutics, a late clinical-stage neurotechnology company developing non-invasive therapies for neurodegenerative disease and brain health. With more than two decades of medtech leadership experience, he has held senior roles across healthcare and technology and is a frequent speaker on innovation, policy, and access to transformative therapies.

Frontline example of a regulated brain digital therapeutic at scale.

• Neurotechnology Commercialization
• AI & Brain Health
• Therapeutics Scale

Industrializes brain-health innovation — moving therapeutics, devices, and platforms from pilot to scaled deployment.

Anchors the Day 2 commercialization, therapeutics, and AI-infrastructure panels.

• AI + Tech as Brain-Economy Infrastructure (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Both Days

David Gow

President & CEO

Center for Houston's Future

Leads the Center for Houston's Future, a regional strategy and convening organization shaping long-horizon plans for Houston's economy, workforce, and human capital.

Architect of Houston's Brain Economy convening strategy and chief storyteller for the region's Brain Capital agenda.

• Workforce Transformation
• Economic Development
• AI & Brain Health

Carries the employer and ecosystem perspective — converting Brain Capital from concept to competitive advantage for Houston and beyond.

Appears across 5 sessions, connecting Welcome Remarks (Day 1) and The Houston Region: Project Metis (Moderator) to the broader Brain Economy program.

• Welcome Remarks (Day 1)
• The Houston Region: Project Metis (Moderator)
• The Global Brain Economy (Day 2)
• Closing — Brain Economy Summit Declaration (Day 2)
• Day 1 Closing

Speaker Overview

Day 2

Diallo Wallace

Founder and Lead Instructor, TESA

The Engineering and Science Academy (TESA); U.S. Navy (Ret.)

U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander (Ret.), aerospace educator, and Founder of The Engineering and Science Academy (TESA). Drawing on a distinguished career in aviation, aerospace engineering, and STEM education, he is dedicated to preparing future engineers and scientists through hands-on learning, mentorship, and real-world technical training.

Connects defense human-performance research with the civilian Brain Economy.

• Public Policy
• Economic Development
• Cross-sector Coordination

Bridges public-sector mandates with private innovation — a precondition for scaling Brain Economy programs across cities and states.

Anchors the policy track and connects directly to workforce, healthcare, and investment sessions.

• Reaching Mars: Brain Health Under High Cognitive Load (Keynote)

Physician-scientist leading digital-health and precision-medicine programs across the Wyss Center and the Hasso Plattner Institute.

European platform leader linking digital health, AI, and precision brain science.

• Neuroscience
• Brain Capital
• Mental Health
• Precision Medicine

Pushes the biological frontier of Brain Capital — diagnostics, therapeutics, and the brain–body connection — into actionable health-system strategy.

Connects healthy aging, brain–heart, and mental-health sessions to AI-native biotech and venture-creation tracks on Day 2.

• AI + Tech as Brain-Economy Infrastructure (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 2

Giulio Taglialatela

Vice President, Brain Health, UTMB; Director, Moody Brain Health Institute

The University of Texas Medical Branch

Vice President of Brain Health at The University of Texas Medical Branch and Director of the Moody Brain Health Institute, where he leads neuroscience research and innovation across discovery, translational science, and clinical care. A leading expert in Alzheimer's disease and neurodegenerative disorders, his research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of cognitive decline, resilience, and therapeutic development.

Day-to-day operational lead for UTMB's brain-health research engine.

• Neuroscience
• Brain Capital
• Mental Health
• Precision Medicine

Pushes the biological frontier of Brain Capital — diagnostics, therapeutics, and the brain–body connection — into actionable health-system strategy.

Connects healthy aging, brain–heart, and mental-health sessions to AI-native biotech and venture-creation tracks on Day 2.

• Industrializing Brain Therapeutics (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Both Days

Harris EyrePhD

Harry Z. Yan and Weiman Gao Senior Fellow for Brain Health and Society; Senior Advisor for Neuroscience, Office of Innovation, Rice University; Executive Director, Global Brain Economy Initiative

Rice University; Global Brain Economy Initiative

Physician, neuroscientist, and global leader in the emerging brain economy, serving as a senior fellow and advisor at Rice University's Office of Innovation. He is widely recognized for pioneering the "brain capital" framework and leads international initiatives that integrate brain health and skills into economic policy, innovation, and societal development.

Principal intellectual architect of the Brain Capital / Brain Economy framework globally.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Appears across 3 sessions, connecting Across the World (Day 1 Panel) and Nature Medicine Commission Announcement (Day 2) to the broader Brain Economy program.

• Across the World (Day 1 Panel)
• Nature Medicine Commission Announcement (Day 2)
• Brain Economy Summit Declaration (Day 2)

Speaker Overview

Day 2

Jakob DuPont

Executive Partner

Sofinnova Investments

Executive Partner at Sofinnova Investments and a globally recognized leader in oncology drug development. With more than 25 years of experience, he has led R&D at major biopharma companies and contributed to numerous regulatory approvals and clinical advancements.

Sofinnova's brain-focused investing experience anchors the venture conversation.

• Venture Capital
• Commercialization
• AI & Brain Health

Sets the investment thesis for brain-health startups — defining what gets funded and how the Brain Economy scales.

Spans Day 2's venture creation, brain-lens investing, and AI-native biotech tracks.

• Translating Science to Brain Ventures (Panel)

Investor with re.Mind Capital, a specialized fund focused on brain health and brain economy ventures.

Represents emerging specialized capital pools forming around the Brain Economy thesis.

• Venture Capital
• Commercialization
• AI & Brain Health

Sets the investment thesis for brain-health startups — defining what gets funded and how the Brain Economy scales.

Spans Day 2's venture creation, brain-lens investing, and AI-native biotech tracks.

• Brain Lens Investing (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Both Days

Jochen ReiserMD, PhD

President, The University of Texas Medical Branch; Chief Executive Officer, UTMB Health System

The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB)

Physician-scientist leading UTMB, one of the largest academic health systems in Texas, with a focus on aligning research, clinical care, and population health.

Single most visible academic-medicine voice for the Texas Brain Economy.

• Neuroscience
• Precision Medicine
• Healthy Aging
• Mental Health

Translates academic neuroscience into the clinical, workforce, and community pipelines that make Brain Capital measurable.

Appears across 4 sessions, connecting The Houston Region: Project Metis (Day 1 Panel) and Systems Transformation for the Brain Economy (Day 2) to the broader Brain Economy program.

• The Houston Region: Project Metis (Day 1 Panel)
• Systems Transformation for the Brain Economy (Day 2)
• The State's Bet on the Brain (Day 2 Introduction)
• Nature Medicine Commission Announcement (Day 2)

Speaker Overview

Day 2

Jonathan Behr

Partner

SV Health Investors

Partner at SV Health Investors, where he co-leads the Dementia Discovery Fund focused on developing novel therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. With nearly two decades of experience in biotech venture investing and company creation, he has held leadership roles across top innovation and investment organizations and helped drive multiple successful exits.

SV's dementia-focused funds are among the few specialized neuro-VC vehicles globally.

• Venture Capital
• Commercialization
• AI & Brain Health

Sets the investment thesis for brain-health startups — defining what gets funded and how the Brain Economy scales.

Spans Day 2's venture creation, brain-lens investing, and AI-native biotech tracks.

• Brain Lens Investing (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 2

Kana Enomoto

Director, McKinsey Health Institute

McKinsey Health Institute

Partner at McKinsey & Company and Director of Brain Health at the McKinsey Health Institute, where she leads global initiatives focused on mental health, substance use, brain health, and the brain economy. A former senior U.S. government official and leader of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), she advises organizations worldwide on improving outcomes for mental, neurological, and substance use disorders.

Author of MHI's foundational economic case for Brain Capital.

• Neuroscience
• Brain Capital
• Mental Health
• Precision Medicine

Pushes the biological frontier of Brain Capital — diagnostics, therapeutics, and the brain–body connection — into actionable health-system strategy.

Connects healthy aging, brain–heart, and mental-health sessions to AI-native biotech and venture-creation tracks on Day 2.

• From Insight to Action: Building Brain Capital in the Age of AI

Speaker Overview

Day 2

Karthik Ardhanareeswaran

Investing Partner

GV

Investing Partner at GV, where he focuses on life sciences and healthcare investments. He brings a background in quantitative finance and biomedical research, including prior roles at D.E. Shaw and the Yale Child Study Center.

Represents one of the most active early-stage health investors in the world.

• Venture Capital
• Commercialization
• AI & Brain Health

Sets the investment thesis for brain-health startups — defining what gets funded and how the Brain Economy scales.

Spans Day 2's venture creation, brain-lens investing, and AI-native biotech tracks.

• Translating Science to Brain Ventures (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 2

Katie Evans

Chief Programs and Mission Engagement Officer

Alzheimer's Association

Chief Programs and Mission Engagement Officer at the Alzheimer's Association, where she leads initiatives focused on risk reduction, early detection, quality care, and support for individuals and families affected by dementia. With more than 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience, she has driven the development of innovative care programs, clinical tools, and mission-focused partnerships that expand the organization's reach and impact.

Operational lead for the largest dementia-care and advocacy organization in the U.S.

• Neuroscience
• Brain Capital
• Mental Health
• Precision Medicine

Pushes the biological frontier of Brain Capital — diagnostics, therapeutics, and the brain–body connection — into actionable health-system strategy.

Connects healthy aging, brain–heart, and mental-health sessions to AI-native biotech and venture-creation tracks on Day 2.

• Systems Transformation for the Brain Economy (Moderator)

Lieutenant Governor of Texas, presiding over the state Senate and shaping the state's healthcare, education, and innovation agenda.

Highest-ranking elected official endorsing the Texas Brain Economy strategy.

• Public Policy
• Economic Development
• Cross-sector Coordination

Bridges public-sector mandates with private innovation — a precondition for scaling Brain Economy programs across cities and states.

Anchors the policy track and connects directly to workforce, healthcare, and investment sessions.

• The State's Bet on the Brain (State Keynote)

Partner at Osage University Partners, focused on university-derived life-sciences ventures.

Channels academic IP into commercial brain-therapeutics companies.

• Venture Capital
• Commercialization
• AI & Brain Health

Sets the investment thesis for brain-health startups — defining what gets funded and how the Brain Economy scales.

Spans Day 2's venture creation, brain-lens investing, and AI-native biotech tracks.

• Industrializing Brain Therapeutics (Panel)

Leader of NeuroNYC, a community and platform connecting neurotech operators, founders, and investors.

Convenes the brain-tech operator community that will build the next infrastructure layer.

• Neurotechnology Commercialization
• AI & Brain Health
• Therapeutics Scale

Industrializes brain-health innovation — moving therapeutics, devices, and platforms from pilot to scaled deployment.

Anchors the Day 2 commercialization, therapeutics, and AI-infrastructure panels.

• AI + Tech as Brain-Economy Infrastructure (Moderator)

Speaker Overview

Day 2

Mike Nally

CEO

Generate:Biomedicines

Chief Executive Officer of Generate:Biomedicines, where he leads efforts to harness generative biology to develop next-generation protein therapeutics. A seasoned healthcare executive, he previously held senior leadership roles at Merck and brings extensive experience building and scaling innovative life sciences organizations.

Flagship case study of AI-native drug discovery — applicable to brain therapeutics.

• Neuroscience
• Brain Capital
• Mental Health
• Precision Medicine

Pushes the biological frontier of Brain Capital — diagnostics, therapeutics, and the brain–body connection — into actionable health-system strategy.

Connects healthy aging, brain–heart, and mental-health sessions to AI-native biotech and venture-creation tracks on Day 2.

• AI-Native Biotech for Brain Health

Vice President and Head of Business Development at Fortress Biotech, leading partnering, licensing, and corporate-development strategy across the company's portfolio of subsidiary biotech companies.

Bridges clinical psychiatry with industrial-scale therapeutics development.

• Neuroscience
• Brain Capital
• Mental Health
• Precision Medicine

Pushes the biological frontier of Brain Capital — diagnostics, therapeutics, and the brain–body connection — into actionable health-system strategy.

Connects healthy aging, brain–heart, and mental-health sessions to AI-native biotech and venture-creation tracks on Day 2.

• Industrializing Brain Therapeutics (Moderator)

Speaker Overview

Day 2

Murali Gopalakrishnan

Global Head of Neuroscience S&E

AbbVie

Pharmaceutical research and business development leader with extensive experience advancing neuroscience and other therapeutic innovations. At AbbVie (and previously Abbott), he leads global search, evaluation, and discovery research efforts, helping drive collaborations, investments, and therapeutic candidates into clinical development.

Deep operational experience industrializing CNS pipelines.

• Neuroscience
• Brain Capital
• Mental Health
• Precision Medicine

Pushes the biological frontier of Brain Capital — diagnostics, therapeutics, and the brain–body connection — into actionable health-system strategy.

Connects healthy aging, brain–heart, and mental-health sessions to AI-native biotech and venture-creation tracks on Day 2.

• Industrializing Brain Therapeutics (Panel)

Technologist and founder working at the intersection of human flourishing, AI, and emerging technology, leading Human+Tech Week.

Long-standing voice on AI and human transformation, now central to Brain Economy framing.

• Neurotechnology Commercialization
• AI & Brain Health
• Therapeutics Scale

Industrializes brain-health innovation — moving therapeutics, devices, and platforms from pilot to scaled deployment.

Anchors the Day 2 commercialization, therapeutics, and AI-infrastructure panels.

• AI + Tech as Brain-Economy Infrastructure (Panel)

Managing Director for Health & Life Sciences at Gates Venture, Bill Gates's private office, leading investments across health and life-sciences.

Channels Gates capital into health bets that include brain health and aging.

• Venture Capital
• Commercialization
• AI & Brain Health

Sets the investment thesis for brain-health startups — defining what gets funded and how the Brain Economy scales.

Spans Day 2's venture creation, brain-lens investing, and AI-native biotech tracks.

• Translating Science to Brain Ventures (Panel)

Senior Managing Director, Private Equity at UTIMCO, the entity that manages investment assets on behalf of the University of Texas and Texas A&M systems.

Controls a major institutional pool of capital that could anchor Texas Brain Economy investments.

• Venture Capital
• Commercialization
• AI & Brain Health

Sets the investment thesis for brain-health startups — defining what gets funded and how the Brain Economy scales.

Spans Day 2's venture creation, brain-lens investing, and AI-native biotech tracks.

• Technology Investing at Scale (Moderator)

Investor at Alta Partners with a long track record building and scaling healthcare technology and life-sciences companies.

Brings a builder-investor's lens to scaling brain-economy technology platforms.

• Venture Capital
• Commercialization
• AI & Brain Health

Sets the investment thesis for brain-health startups — defining what gets funded and how the Brain Economy scales.

Spans Day 2's venture creation, brain-lens investing, and AI-native biotech tracks.

• Technology Investing at Scale

Catalight leader contributing to the organization's work advancing equitable services, research, and policy for developmental disabilities and brain health.

Ensures the developmental-disabilities and equity dimension is represented in the Brain Economy framing.

• Neurotechnology Commercialization
• AI & Brain Health
• Therapeutics Scale

Industrializes brain-health innovation — moving therapeutics, devices, and platforms from pilot to scaled deployment.

Anchors the Day 2 commercialization, therapeutics, and AI-infrastructure panels.

• The Global Brain Economy

Speaker Overview

Day 2

Ron Mazumder

Partner

Illumina Ventures

Partner at Illumina Ventures with deep expertise in diagnostics, biomarkers, and drug development. He has held senior leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Genentech, advancing precision medicine across multiple therapeutic areas.

Links genomics infrastructure to brain-economy venture investing.

• Venture Capital
• Commercialization
• AI & Brain Health

Sets the investment thesis for brain-health startups — defining what gets funded and how the Brain Economy scales.

Spans Day 2's venture creation, brain-lens investing, and AI-native biotech tracks.

• Brain Lens Investing (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 2

Stephanie Rogers Whaley

Senior Managing Director

Accenture

Senior Managing Director at Accenture with 26 years leading and supporting transformation programs for clients across the United States, Europe, and Asia Pacific. She has experience across Upstream, Downstream, and Midstream energy as well as Utilities and Consumer Products, and is a passionate advocate for mental and brain health, serving as Board Chairman for re:MIND.

Steward of the summit's closing public commitment.

• Neurotechnology Commercialization
• AI & Brain Health
• Therapeutics Scale

Industrializes brain-health innovation — moving therapeutics, devices, and platforms from pilot to scaled deployment.

Anchors the Day 2 commercialization, therapeutics, and AI-infrastructure panels.

• Brain Economy Summit Declaration (Moderator)

Senior leader at Catalight, a national nonprofit network advancing equitable services and research for people with developmental disabilities and their families.

Brings a national disability-services and applied-research lens to the global Brain Economy conversation.

• Neurotechnology Commercialization
• AI & Brain Health
• Therapeutics Scale

Industrializes brain-health innovation — moving therapeutics, devices, and platforms from pilot to scaled deployment.

Anchors the Day 2 commercialization, therapeutics, and AI-infrastructure panels.

• The Global Brain Economy

Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company advising healthcare, life-sciences, and public-sector clients on strategy and transformation.

Brings McKinsey's commercial muscle to Brain Capital execution.

• Neurotechnology Commercialization
• AI & Brain Health
• Therapeutics Scale

Industrializes brain-health innovation — moving therapeutics, devices, and platforms from pilot to scaled deployment.

Anchors the Day 2 commercialization, therapeutics, and AI-infrastructure panels.

• From Insight to Action: Building Brain Capital in the Age of AI

Co-Founder and CEO of SecondMuse, an innovation agency building inclusive economies and venture ecosystems.

Brings ecosystem-building expertise to scaling brain-focused venture activity.

• Venture Capital
• Commercialization
• AI & Brain Health

Sets the investment thesis for brain-health startups — defining what gets funded and how the Brain Economy scales.

Spans Day 2's venture creation, brain-lens investing, and AI-native biotech tracks.

• Brain Lens Investing (Moderator)

Speaker Overview

Day 2

Varun Renjen

Associate Consultant

Putnam

Physician and life-sciences strategist at Putnam with more than 15 years of experience advising biopharmaceutical companies on growth, commercial strategy, medical affairs, and M&A. A recognized expert in neurology and psychiatry, he has led major CNS-focused initiatives across industry and consulting and is a frequent speaker on brain health, innovation, and healthcare strategy.

Brings the strategy-consulting lens to brain-science venture formation.

• Venture Capital
• Commercialization
• AI & Brain Health

Sets the investment thesis for brain-health startups — defining what gets funded and how the Brain Economy scales.

Spans Day 2's venture creation, brain-lens investing, and AI-native biotech tracks.

• Translating Science to Brain Ventures (Moderator)

Vice President of Innovation at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), leading translation of research into ventures and platforms across UTMB's brain-health and life-sciences portfolio.

Operational owner of UTMB's translational pipeline — and a programmatic driver of VentureX.

• Neuroscience
• Brain Capital
• Mental Health
• Precision Medicine

Pushes the biological frontier of Brain Capital — diagnostics, therapeutics, and the brain–body connection — into actionable health-system strategy.

Appears across 3 sessions, connecting Framing the Day and AI-Native Biotech for Brain Health (Moderator) to the broader Brain Economy program.

• Framing the Day
• AI-Native Biotech for Brain Health (Moderator)
• Brain Economy Summit Declaration (Panel)

Speaker Overview

Day 2

Zia AghaMD

Chief Medical Officer, Gary and Mary West Foundation; Chief Medical Officer, West Health Institute

Gary and Mary West Foundation; West Health Institute

Chief Medical Officer for the Gary and Mary West Foundation and the West Health Institute, where he leads efforts to translate healthcare innovation into scalable clinical practice and policy reform. He oversees strategic partnerships with major health systems to advance affordable, high-quality care models that support healthy aging and independence for older adults.

Bridges philanthropy and clinical care-redesign for the aging population.

• Neuroscience
• Brain Capital
• Mental Health
• Precision Medicine

Pushes the biological frontier of Brain Capital — diagnostics, therapeutics, and the brain–body connection — into actionable health-system strategy.

Connects healthy aging, brain–heart, and mental-health sessions to AI-native biotech and venture-creation tracks on Day 2.

• Systems Transformation for the Brain Economy