Beyond Business: Cultivating Community at JPM 2024

As I look towards the 2024 JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, I’m reminded that it's not simply about the deals or the presentations; it's about the relationships we form and the community we build – the roots of the biotech family tree.

I've consistently been at JPM for over two decades, missing only once to care for my newborn daughter, and still, a sense of 'fear of missing out' (FOMO) can seep in. Amidst crowded spaces and rapid meetings, it is, in reality, a challenging environment for closing deals, but the essence of JPM lies not in the transactional speed dating scene it often resembles.

Over the years, I've truly learned the value of authentic interactions - the real value of the meaningful connections we foster on the sidewalk and at impromptu coffee breaks, where we have the opportunity to watch organic dealmaking unfold. It is often the casual walk back to the hotel with a peer, where work isn't the topic of discussion, that leads to the most important connections.

The biotech family tree, a long-discussed JPM concept, exemplifies JPM’s value of human connection. It is a network of success where accomplished biotech community members reinvest their wisdom and gains to bare new fruit. We are bound together to serve the greater good, driven by a passion for human health – a contrast to industries where successes only translate into personal luxury.

JPM sets the tone for our year, with measurements of success transcending the sheer number of meetings. Success to me can be summed up in the warmth of reuniting with familiar faces. It is the mobilization, motivation, energy, and new ideas that we carry forward, providing the drive and inspiration to fuel the first half of the year.

It is this prospect of reinforcing existing bonds, forging new ones, and nurturing the biotech family tree we are all a part of that excites me every year. I purposefully leave gaps in my JPM schedule for these spontaneous, invaluable interactions. I suggest you do the same.