Atul Dandekar is a senior life-sciences executive with extensive experience in biotech strategy, business development, and translating scientific innovation into commercial opportunities. With previous roles at Novartis and Genentech, he currently serves as the Chief Strategy & Business Officer at Maze Therapeutics and as an advisor at SPARK at Stanford, where he brings strong perspective on strong perspective on the development and commercialization of emerging therapeutics.

Dirk is a Professor at Stanford Medicine and the Associate Director of SPARK at Stanford. With over three decades of experience in drug discovery and development at various companies, he has invented or co-developed seven FDA-approved drugs, including Tamiflu, throughout his career. Dirk actively mentors early-stage startups through programs at Stanford University.

Anita is an accomplished drug developer with over 20 years of experience and multiple market-leading drugs approved by regulatory agencies, such as Stribild® and Biktarvy®. After 16 years at Gilead Sciences, she spent four years as the Vice President of Clinical Pharmacology & Development at Gossamer Bio. She currently serves as a clinical development consultant for companies in stealth mode or in Series A or Series B fundraising, and as a SPARK at Stanford advisor.

Matt has over 25 years of experience in clinical healthcare and scientific research. A pediatric gastroenterologist by training, he spent six years as the Chief Medical Officer of the Defense Innovation Unit of the U.S. Army. Dr. Goldman currently serves as a General Partner at J2 Ventures, where he focuses on healthcare and material science investment opportunities. He is also a practicing physician at Johns Hopkins Health & Stanford Children`s Health, and serves as a SPARK at Stanford advisor.

Ekta is the Founder & CEO of U First Capital, a venture capital firm with a portfolio of 25 investments and five successful exits. Prior to this, she spent 14 years at Intel Capital in various leadership roles, including technology development, venture capital, and business development, where she led several investment deals. Dr. Dang brings her equipped network and experience from the venture capital and corporate world directly to startups.

Will is an MD/PhD specializing in pediatric cardiology and electrophysiology. He received his Bachelor of Science from McGill University, and subsequently completed his graduate degree at Stanford University in the Medical Scientist Training Program. After completing his residency in pediatrics at Boston Children`s Hospital, he returned to Stanford to complete two advanced fellowships. In addition to his academic research, Dr. Goodyer is Associate Director at SPARK at Stanford, where he helps scientists and innovators translate their discoveries into real-world applications.