Regional partners unite at Aggie Square to build California’s next biotech and life sciences hub
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - On September 16, 2026, the inaugural CAPBIO Summit will bring together industry leaders, researchers, founders, policymakers, and workforce partners at Aggie Square to advance Greater Sacramento's emerging role in California's biotech and life sciences ecosystem. The daylong convening will spotlight how the Capital Region, anchored by UC Davis research, startup growth, industry partnerships, and inclusive talent pipelines, is positioning itself as a complementary asset to California's established biotech hubs in the Bay Area and San Diego.
WHAT:
CAPBIO Summit: a one-day convening featuring a keynote from Biocom, panels on innovation and commercialization, workforce development, ecosystem data and strategy, state policy, and a closing conversation on California's statewide biotech landscape. The day also includes startup lightning talks, a Bio-EV vendor showcase, and dedicated networking.
WHEN:
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
8:30 AM – 6:00 PM
WHERE:
Aggie Square
4480 2nd Ave, Sacramento, CA 95817
WHO:
Presented by a coalition of partners including:
• Aggie Square
• Biocom
• California Jobs First
• Capitol Impact
• City of Sacramento
• iXcells Biotechnologies
• Sacramento Employment and Training Agency (SETA)
• Valley Vision
• We Prosper Together
• Wexford Science & Technology
WHY:
California's life sciences leadership has long been anchored in the Bay Area and San Diego. As the state looks to sustain long-term competitiveness, a more connected, statewide ecosystem, with strong complementary regions supporting innovation, scale, and workforce growth, is essential. Sacramento is stepping into that role, with a distinct advantage: as California's state capital, it places biotech development in the backyard of the policymakers shaping the sector's future. CAPBIO brings the region's institutions, employers, and emerging companies into one room to turn that opportunity into action.
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Featured Speakers include:• Mayor Pro Tem Eric Guerra
• Michelle Nemits, Executive Director, Biocom - opening keynote
• Dr. Aijun Wang, Chancellor's Fellow Professor of Surgery and Biomedical Engineering; Director, Center for Bioengineering in Medicine, UC Davis
• Dr. Jan Nolta, Director, Cell and Gene Therapy Center; Scientific Director, UC Davis GMP Facility, UC Davis Health
• Evan Schmidt, CEO, Valley Vision
• Sam Chung, Senior Vice President, Government Relations & External Affairs, California Life Sciences
• Jeffrey McInnis and Maria Onorato, Governor's Office of Business & Economic Development (GO-Biz)
• Renee John, Workforce Development Deputy Director, SETA
• Founders: Ali Wing, CEO, Oobli; Ishita Shah, CEO, Matrubials; Emma Skoog, Co-founder & CSO, Krokos Bio
• Katie Chaddock, Site Head of Commercial Manufacturing, Orca Bio
• Lauren Bradley, Director of Government and Community Relations, Jackson Labs
Full speaker list and bios available at https://visitaggiesquare.com/capbio-2026/
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Quotes
Maraskeshia Smith, City Manager, City of Sacramento:
“Sacramento's future is built on the industries we choose to invest in today. Biotech and life sciences represent exactly the kind of high-quality job growth our region needs, and CAPBIO reflects what's possible when the public and private sectors move in the same direction. We're proud to stand behind an effort that puts Sacramento's workforce
and innovation economy on the map.”
Anita Maldonado, Executive Director, SETA:
“Biomanufacturing and life sciences careers can't be an afterthought in workforce planning - they have to be built into the pipeline from the start. SETA is proud to help ensure that as this sector grows in the Capital Region, local workers have a clear, direct path into these high-quality jobs.”
Evan Schmidt, CEO, Valley Vision:
“Regional progress happens when institutions start working from the same data and the same table. CAPBIO is a chance to align the research, infrastructure, and workforce partners already investing in this region around a shared strategy and to make sure that strategy is grounded in evidence and driven by collaborative action.”
Monique Brown, Wexford Science & Technology:
“An effective innovation ecosystem isn't a single building or a single company - it's a connected set of on-ramps that let a company move from discovery to commercialization without ever having to leave the region. That's what we've built at Aggie Square, and CAPBIO is the moment we bring the partners who make that possible into the same room to accelerate it together.”
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Media Availability
Interviews with summit speakers, panelists, and partner organizations are available upon request. Media wishing to attend should RSVP to Monique Brown at monique.brown@wexfordconnectlabs.com by 9.15.26.
