Author – Ethan Bochicchio
The USC Venture & Innovation Summit, held on February 12, underscored the growing strength of Southern California’s innovation economy and the University of Southern California’s central role in it. Hosted by USC’s Office of Research and Innovation (OORI) and sponsored by Amgen and J.P. Morgan, the daylong event brought together faculty, founders, investors, corporate leaders, and regional partners for an in-depth look at how ideas move from campus to market.
The summit opened with welcoming remarks from Dr. Ishwar K. Puri, senior vice president of research and innovation, who framed innovation as a core pillar of USC’s mission. The program featured a series of talks, panels, spotlights, conversations, a networking lunch, and an evening reception. From the opening remarks to the final moments, the summit emphasized execution over theory. It highlighted programs, partnerships, and success stories that demonstrate USC’s active efforts to build a scalable innovation ecosystem.
The first panel highlighted how USC’s integrated innovation ecosystem is designed not only to advance campus research but also to strengthen the broader Los Angeles innovation landscape. Leaders described how offices and programs within OORI, including the Alfred E. Mann Institute, the USC Stevens Center for Innovation, and the USC Techstars Programs collaborate to move ideas from the lab into market-ready ventures that contribute to regional economic growth. Panelists Dr. Steven Moldin, Robyn Hejmej, Dr. Erin Overstreet, Gabriel Schlumberger, and Dr. Tariq Warsi emphasized programs such as SBIR/STTR support, proof-of-concept funding, and startup accelerators as key pipelines connecting USC innovators to investors, industry partners, and entrepreneurs across Los Angeles.
OORI provides comprehensive support services that help faculty, staff, and students advance research, scholarship, and innovation at USC. Its offices offer guidance across the full research lifecycle, including proposal development and submission, contract negotiation, compliance and regulatory support, intellectual property protection, industry partnerships, startup formation, and commercialization. Together, these services are designed to reduce administrative barriers, accelerate discovery, and translate USC research into real-world impact. For Dr. Puri, the Venture & Innovation Summit was an example of the best that OORI has to offer: “Great innovation hubs don’t happen by accident. They’re built by institutions, partners, and founders who decide to show up and do the work. That’s what USC is committed to for LA and beyond. Through programs, expertise, and deep regional partnerships, we support entrepreneurs at every stage of the journey. The Venture & Innovation Summit is one expression of that commitment. There’s much more to come.”
The summit placed USC’s efforts in the broader regional context. A fireside chat between Dr. Puri and Stephen Cheung, president and CEO of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, examined the present and future of innovation in Los Angeles. The discussion emphasized the region’s growing life sciences and technology sectors and the importance of cross-sector collaboration among universities, industry, investors, and policymakers, offering attendees perspective from regional leadership.
Dr. Moldin noted after the event, “The energy and insight at the USC Venture & Innovation Summit underscored how powerful our region can be when founders, investors, researchers, and institutional partners come together with a shared purpose.” He added, reflecting on the summit’s broader implications, “USC has the unique opportunity and responsibility to accelerate academic innovation, and we are proud to strengthen the connections and infrastructure that enable bold ideas shaping the future.”
Panels featuring venture capitalists, corporate leaders, and ecosystem builders examined challenges and opportunities in academic innovation, infrastructure development, and emerging technologies shaping the next generation of startups. A recurring theme throughout the day was translation: turning research breakthroughs into real-world impact. Several USC-affiliated startups were highlighted, underscoring the breadth of innovation emerging from the university. These included CpG Diagnostics, Arkysis, Praxi, and StemCardia, each founded by USC faculty or alumni and supported by USC’s commercialization infrastructure.
In the afternoon, Dr. Warsi led a panel titled “The Evolving Healthcare Investment Landscape,” featuring industry leaders Lauren Popov of Westlake BioPartners, Cynthia McKee of Amgen Ventures, Helen McBride of Bold Capital Partners, and Charles Caldwell of J.P. Morgan. In Dr. Warsi’s words, “The panel dedicated to the evolving healthcare investment landscape brought together leading investors and thought leaders in this space.” The lively discussion explored how each panelist became an investor after multiple careers as scientists and/or operators. Panelists also discussed ongoing federal changes and their impact on funding opportunities, noting that their investments are rooted in sound scientific principles rather than short-term administrative shifts.
The panel also addressed what makes a strong founding team, how leadership influences investment decisions, and how early-stage companies can leverage experienced executives to move forward. Attendees heard insights from the panelists on emerging therapeutics, areas of growing interest, and strategies for de-risking new technologies. Concluding, Dr. Warsi said, “This was a true expert panel that offered unique insight into how investors make decisions in a very challenging sector.”
One of the day’s most anticipated moments was the announcement of the USC–Amgen BioAccelerator Program. Introduced during a sponsor spotlight by Amgen’s Dr. Rene Hubert, the initiative brings together investment from the Alfred E. Mann Institute, scientific and business development support from Amgen, and incubator space from Los Angeles-based partners. The program will accelerate one USC-affiliated biotech company each year, underscoring USC’s commitment to deep, long-term corporate partnerships.
Held at USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s Ginsburg Hall, the event ran from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 pm. Attendees spent the day hearing from Los Angeles-based leaders in innovation and research, concluding with a catered reception where they had the opportunity to network with each other and the panelists who spoke. By day’s end, over 250 attendees participated in the USC Venture & Innovation Summit, hearing from experts at the cutting edge of research, innovation, and translation. Throughout the day, Amgen and J.P. Morgan hosted informational tables, providing attendees with access to resources and partnership opportunities.
OORI’s Mia Moreno organized the event, overseeing venture selection, logistics, staffing, and participant coordination while keeping the program on schedule. Moreno said, following the event’s conclusion, “The USC Venture & Innovation Summit was a tremendous success, generating enthusiastic feedback from both guests and panelists. The rich conversations around innovation in the SoCal region sparked insightful dialogue and highlighted the strength and momentum of our ecosystem.”