SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Life Science Cares Bay Area, a 501(c)3 nonprofit uniting the regional life sciences industry to address local poverty and social inequities through grants and volunteerism, will host its first annual Impact Festival and fundraiser on Thursday, November 3, 2022, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Genentech campus in South San Francisco.
Ten percent of Bay Area residents live in poverty and half experience economic insecurity during the year. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought issues such as healthcare disparities to the forefront. Life Science Cares Bay Area was established in 2021 by industry leaders to help address these problems and catalyze the goodwill and financial resources of local life science companies. It is the newest of four chapters centered around U.S. biopharma hubs that are replicating the proven model of Life Science Cares Boston founded by industry executive Rob Perez, Operating Partner at General Atlantic.
The Life Science Cares chapters based in Boston, Philadelphia, San Diego, and now the Bay Area provide financial grants to local nonprofits doing high-impact work in the community. They also support these nonprofits with engaged corporate partners that offer volunteers, goods, services, and thought partnership.
Aisha Baro, Executive Director of Life Science Cares Bay Area, commented: “Overcoming socio-economic inequities is a complex challenge and requires addressing gaps in basic needs, education, and sustainability. By building upon the human and financial capital of the thriving life science industry and inspiring the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to collaborate, our hope is to become a leading agent of social change focused on equity in the Bay Area.”
In the first year, Life Science Cares Bay Area has granted almost $2 million to 18 community-based nonprofits across its three areas of focus:
- Basic Needs:
- Education:
- Sustainability:
“Life Science Cares Bay Area stepped in at a critical time to help us continue to provide culturally focused, wrap-around support to our community,” said Dr. Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga, Founder and Executive Director of Ayudando Latinos A Soñar (ALAS). “Our partnership with Life Science Cares has helped us expand the reach and impact of our life-changing programs, like our Wi-Fi-equipped Farmworker Equity Express bus that brings healthcare and educational services to rural farms around Half Moon Bay.”
George Scangos, Chairman of the Board for Life Science Cares Bay Area and CEO of Vir Bio, commented: “I witnessed firsthand the impact that Life Science Cares had in Boston. When I returned to the Bay Area, I saw the need and opportunity to replicate a lot of what had been done in Boston to serve disadvantaged communities here. We quickly assembled a stellar board of managers who have jumped in enthusiastically with their time and resources to accelerate our launch in the Bay Area. I want to thank all of the individuals and organizations that have made our first year a success. As attendees will hear at our inaugural Impact Festival, we already are making a difference and have the potential now to do so much more.”
Impact Festival and Fundraiser
The Life Science Cares Bay Area 2022 Impact Festival will showcase a variety of regional nonprofit partners and service programs, and include updates from Life Science Cares’ own program Project Onramp, which matches students from underserved communities with paid summer internships at life science companies throughout the Bay Area. It will also include a silent auction and musical entertainment from Cuban son fusion band Pellejo Seco.
Speakers will include State Senator Josh Becker; Jeffrey Hessekiel, Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary, Exelixis; Ted Love, President and CEO, Global Blood Therapeutics; Robert Perez, Operating Partner, General Atlantic, and Founder and Chairman, Life Science Cares; Kalimah Salahuddin, DEI Community Program Manager, Exelixis; and Kate Wilson, Executive Director, Gilead Foundation. Platinum sponsors for the event include Exelixis, Genentech, and Vir Biotechnology; Gold sponsors include Bristol Myers Squibb and Cytokinetics; Silver sponsors include BioMarin, Global Blood Therapeutics, and Ultragenyx; JP Morgan, a founding sponsor of Life Science Cares Bay Area, is a Bronze sponsor, and ProcDNA is sponsoring at the Friend level. In addition, Genentech has provided its modern event space in Building 21 to serve as the event venue, Havas Worldwide San Francisco is providing pro bono marketing design support, and Bioscribe is providing pro bono communications support.
Pre-registration for the November 3 event is required. Current Life Science Cares Bay Area corporate partners, nonprofit partners, event sponsors, and board members will receive complimentary entry. Individual tickets are available for a donation, visit https://lifesciencecares.org/events/bayarea-impactfest2022/. The event is open to adults 21+ only.
About Life Science Cares Bay Area
Life Science Cares Bay Area, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is a collective effort to activate the financial and human capital of the life sciences industry and partner with nonprofits to disrupt the cycle of poverty and inequality in our communities. For more information, visit https://lifesciencecares.org/bay-area/.
