Join us for the Temple Health & Bioscience District's (THBD) annual medical technology conference and pitch competition, Growing Your Startup from the Ground Up, on Friday, May 4, 2018 at the Hilton Garden Inn located at 1749 Scott Blvd, Temple, TX 76504. Registration will kick off at 7 a.m. and breakfast and networking begins at 7:30 a.m. The conference will run until 3:45 p.m.

We have a wealth of notable, experienced speakers in the medical technology, medical device, biotechnology and healthtech space who work with startups and investors. This conference offers multiple opportunities to network with key industry contacts. For the first time this year, we will also host a pitch competition for early stage startups in the biotechnology/health-related industries. First prize winner receives $10,000, second prize receives six months free rent for an office in the Temple Health & Bioscience District incubator ($3,000 value), third prize wins lunch with an industry advisor of their choice. See below for entry guidelines.

Located in the growing biotech corridor of Texas, THBD is a not-for-profit incubator offering a 5,000-square-foot office and laboratory facility for startups and researchers in biotech/health-related fields. Startup companies housed by THBD have access to ample resources, seed funding, state-of-the-art laboratory equipment, mentorship, and networking with local collaborators including Baylor Scott and White hospital system, USDA, Agrilife Research Center, Texas A&M Health Science Center (medical school) and the fourth largest VA in the country.

THBD is proud to host the annual conference each May as a resource for those seeking startup assistance and networking. The conference is and always will be free to attend. See below for the agenda. Speaker topics and panels walk through every step of a startup's early stages from concept to commercialization:

• 8:00 - 8:45 a.m.: Idea to Success // Gregg Fairbrothers, President, Recover Together, Inc. DBA as Groups

• 8:50 - 9:15 a.m.: IP/Patents - How to protect your idea? // Tamsen Valoir, Partner, Boulware & Valoir

• 9:20 - 9:45 a.m.: Early Stage Startups - Why Temple? // Charley Ayres, Vice President Temple Economic Development Corporation and Tami Annable, Executive Director, Temple Heath & Bioscience District

• 9:50 - 10:15 a.m.: Networking Break

• 10:20 - 10:45 a.m.: Prototyping, Development and Testing - What are the pros and cons? // Dr. Aaron Ali, CEO & Co-Founder MedtoMarket, Inc. and Natasha Bond, General Manager of Nordson Medical

• 10:50 - 11:35 a.m.: Funding Panel: What is best for you and how to approach? // Moderator: Anita Leffel, CEO & Founder Silver Founder Academy, Panelists: Christine Horton, Senior Executive, DevicePharm Inc., Michael Norman, CEO GBDbio, David Reid, Executive Director, Baylor Angel Network

• 11:40 - 12:05 a.m.: Commercialization // Fred Dinger, CEO and President, Aerin Medical

• 12:10 - 12:55 a.m.: LUNCH and Networking

• 1:00 - 1:45.: KEYNOTE - Anatomy of an Entrepreneur // Curtis Sprouse, President & CEO, EurekaConnect, LLC

• 1:50 - 2:50 p.m.: Pitch Competition 10 pitches (5 min. per pitch)

• 2:50 - 3:20: Networking with Startups

• 3:25 - 3:45 Results of competition and closing remarks

Pitch Competition Applications:
Calling all biotech/health-related startups! Please submit your application to pitch by 11:59 p.m. CT on April 4, 2018. Find the application online here: http://bit.ly/THBDpitchcompetition

We look forward to seeing you in May! Please email THBD Executive Director Tami Annable at tamia@templebioscience.org with any questions or to learn more about THBD. Also visit templebioscience.org for more information. Join the conversation @TempleHBD on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.