BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Alliance for SoCal Innovation - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://alliancesocal.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Alliance for SoCal Innovation REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20250309T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20251102T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20260308T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20261101T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20270314T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20271107T090000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260521T133000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260521T153000 DTSTAMP:20260428T032327 CREATED:20260427T220324Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260427T224907Z UID:6564-1779370200-1779377400@alliancesocal.org SUMMARY:First Look SoCal Bioscience Innovation Showcase at UCLA's LABEST 2026 DESCRIPTION:The First Look SoCal Innovation Showcase Series celebrates the best early-stage startups commercializing deep tech\, bioscience\, and medtech breakthroughs emerging from the top universities and research institutions in Southern California. \n\n\n\nFor the second year in a row\, we are partnering with UCLA to host the First Look SoCal Bioscience Showcase at the LABEST conference which features two full days of world-class life science conferences at the Luskin Conference Center on the UCLA campus. \n\n\n\nLABEST attracts over 1\,500 life science industry professionals from leading corporations\, VCs\, and research institutions around the world. Plus there are workshops and panels for early stage founders and much\, much more. \n\n\n\nEach startup selected for the First Look SoCal Bioscience Showcase on Thursday May 21 will present a 3-minute quick pitch followed by 9 minutes of Q&A led by a panel of leading investors\, corporates\, and subject matter experts who will provide invaluable insights and access to capital. Celebrate and connect with industry leaders and investors at the post-event networking reception. \n\n\n\nThe showcase will be held from 1:30-3:30 PM in the “Illumination Room” on the second floor of the Luskin Conference Center. \n\n\n\nCheck out the LABEST website for attendee info\, agenda\, and registration: \n\n\n\n\nAgenda + Registration\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe First Look SoCal Bioscience Showcase is brought to you by:\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\nShowcase Sponsor: \n\n\n\nCharles Thomas\, Partner at KPPB \n\n\n\nCharles’s expertise in biotechnology\, medicine\, and biochemistry extends from his years of experience in both industry and academia. (more about Charles) \n\n\n\n\n\nBioscience Startups Presenting\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBioscience Expert Panel\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Charles Thomas\n Partner\n KPPB\, LP\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Charles Thomas\n Partner\n KPPB\, LP\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Charles’s expertise in biotechnology\, medicine\, and biochemistry extends from his years of experience in both industry and academia. As a research associate at a biotech company\, he was integral to the development of vector-based therapeutics for ocular diseases and vaccines for malaria. In his graduate work\, Charles appropriated molecular biology and embryonic cell culture techniques to elucidate mechanisms of intrinsic neuroinflammation in the rare pediatric disorder Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome.  His work led to a discovery of several FDA-approved medications that could be repurposed to treat affected patients. Throughout the years\, Charles’s research has been published in a number of top-tier journals\, including Cell Stem Cell\, Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology\, Journal of Virology\, and Molecular Therapy. \nCharles has established a practice that focuses on prosecution of emerging technologies in the various fields of biology and chemistry\, including therapeutic discovery\, immunology\, cytometry\, cell culture\, molecular biology\, bioinformatics\, recombinant biology\, and small molecule chemistry. Through detailed communications and diligent effort\, Charles strives to provide the most robust patent protection for his clients. \nPRACTICE AREAS\nPatent Protection \nEDUCATION\nVirginia Tech\, B.S.\, Biochemistry; B.S.\, Biology; B.A.\, Chemistry\, summa cum laude\nUniversity of California\, San Diego\, Ph.D.\, Biomedical Sciences\nUniversity of Southern California\, Gould School of Law\, J.D. \nBAR ADMISSIONS\nCalifornia State Bar\nUnited States Patent and Trademark Office \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\nLook Forward To…\n\n\n\nConnect with investors\, peers\, and mentors\n\n\n\nUnparalleled opportunities to connect with investors\, mentors and other support resources crucial for early stage startups. \n\n\n\nStartup quick-pitch presentations\n\n\n\nEach selected started will distill their scientific breakthroughs and market opportunitiy into 3-minute quick pitch presentation followed by 9 minutes of moderated Q&A led by a panel of investors\, corporate leaders\, and subject matter experts. \n\n\n\nThe largest showcase of university-based deep tech and life science startups\n\n\n\nThis is SoCal’s premiere gathering of the best startups emerging from the region’s top research institutions so it attracts the region’s community in a rare concentrated program that celebrates the entrepreneur’s journey from lab to market. \n\n\n\nNetworking Reception\n\n\n\nStay for drinks and small bites as we celebrate and connect with attendees and speakers. URL:https://alliancesocal.org/event/first-look-socal-bioscience-2026/ LOCATION:The Luskin Conference Center at UCLA in Los Angeles\, CA\, 425 Westwood Plaza\, Los Angeles\, California\, 90095\, United States CATEGORIES:Alliance Events END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR