On the evening of August 28th, BCLA celebrated a major milestone—its 10-year anniversary—with a fireside chat and networking event hosted at Bioscience LA. The panel featured key figures from BCLA's past and present, moderated by Dr. Howard Xu, cofounder and director of LA BioSpace and a professor at Cal State LA. Xu led an insightful conversation with Dr. Carolina Amador, former BCLA president (2017-2018) and current advisory board chair, and Dr. Llewellyn Cox, an executive director of corporate relations and lecturer at USC, who is also a current board member.
The panelists reflected on their personal experiences with BCLA, sharing why and how they initially joined or worked with the organization and the lasting impact it has had on their careers. Both Amador and Cox emphasized how BCLA has helped bridge the gap between academic training and biotechnology careers, a need that was virtually unmet in LA before BCLA's founding.
The discussion also highlighted the significant transformation of the biotech landscape in Los Angeles over the past decade. Ten years ago, LA wasn’t recognized as a major player in the biotech industry. Today, thanks to the tireless work of BCLA and its community, the city is now one of the top five hubs in the biotech sector in the U.S. BCLA’s initiatives have been instrumental in this progress, offering students and early-career professionals guidance and connections to industry leaders, filling a void that previously existed.
The conversation closed with an optimistic look ahead. BCLA is committed to continuing its efforts, particularly in expanding career pathways for students. The organization plans to expand its consulting team, launched in 2018, and broaden its impact by holding career fairs at multiple universities across LA, beyond the current USC career fair. Through these efforts, BCLA aims to position LA as the leading biotechnology sector in the United States.
The evening concluded with a happy hour networking event, where attendees shared memories, stories, and experiences from BCLA’s many successful events over the past decade. A special video was created to capture these memories, which you can watch on YouTube to relive some of BCLA’s most impactful moments.
BCLA’s 10th anniversary celebrations will continue with the highly anticipated annual Summit, Sustainability Biotech: Shaping the Future of LA’s Biotech, on October 19th, 2024, at Bioscience LA. We look forward to seeing everyone there as we celebrate and look toward the future of biotech in Los Angeles!
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