Most experts agree that we are in the midst of a golden age of biomedical innovation. Technologies breakthroughs such as next-generation sequencing, gene editing, immunotherapies, mRNA technology, and AI-enhanced drug discovery have permanently changed the way we treat diseases. However, the funding and business models we use to commercialize these technologies are still largely the same, making it particularly challenging for younger scientists to bring their ideas into practice. In this talk, Dr. Andrew Lo – Charles E. and Susan T. Harris Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management – will describe the financial considerations that create bottlenecks in the commercialization process and discuss current and emerging solutions, including venture philanthropy, portfolio companies, and securitization techniques. No finance background is assumed, but attendees should be prepared to participate in one or two live financial transactions during the seminar.