SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. & LOS ANGELES & SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Biocom, the association representing the California life science industry, today announced the inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Leadership Summit, a virtual event to further ignite action around DE&I in California’s life sciences industry, will be held on Thursday, August 26 from 9:00 am-1:00 pm PT.

“We remain dedicated to taking measurable action towards improving our industry and supporting our member companies through functional resources and programs to assist in their internal and external DE&I goals,” said Joe Panetta, president and CEO of Biocom California. “This year’s DE&I Leadership Summit is the first of hopefully many events to reflect on what more can be done to advance a thriving and representative industry.”

The event will feature a keynote presentation from Dr. Leeno Karumanchery, co-founder and head of behavioral sciences at MESH/Diversity, an organization dedicated to empowering DE&I professionals with strategic support, tools, metrics and data. The event will also feature fireside chats with industry leaders and roundtable discussions around necessary conversations about advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. For additional information on the DE&I Leadership Summit and registration details, please visit the event’s website.

The DE&I Leadership Summit is part of Biocom California’s overarching commitment to address social and economic inequities for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) in the life science industry, drive accountability and catalyze lasting change that supports a more diverse, equitable and inclusive community. Biocom California assembled its DE&I Taskforce in 2020, and in June 2021, developed the DE&I Member Pledge – a platform to outline the commitments Biocom California has made to support and engage in DE&I initiatives and to support member companies in their efforts to implement DE&I initiatives.

“By creating a space to honestly assess how current DE&I initiatives are progressing and learn from other peers, we aim to empower industry leaders with the ability to foster communities that are more diverse, equitable and inclusive,” said Karmin Noar, executive director of Biocom California Institute, an affiliate of Biocom California. “This event supports our mission to bring about sustained change through ongoing guidance and providing accessible resources that build awareness and prompt measurable action.”

About Biocom California

Biocom California is the leader and advocate for California’s life science sector. We work on behalf of more than 1,400 members to drive public policy, build an enviable network of industry leaders, create access to capital, introduce cutting-edge STEM education programs and create robust value-driven purchasing programs.

Founded in 1995 in San Diego, Biocom California provides the strongest public voice to research institutions and companies that fuel the local and state-wide economy. Our goal is simple: to help our members produce novel solutions that improve the human condition. In addition to our San Diego headquarters, Biocom California operates core offices in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, satellite offices in Washington, D.C. and Tokyo, and has a continuous staff presence in Sacramento. Our broad membership benefits apply to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, genomics and diagnostics companies of all sizes, as well as to research universities and institutes, clinical research organizations, investors and service providers.

For more information on Biocom California, please visit our website at www.biocom.org. Connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter (@BIOCOMCA).

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