Westchester County Office of Economic Development and Westchester County Association Highlight County’s Life Sciences Ecosystem, Regional Trends in Panel Discussion

All Access Healthcare: Regional Life Sciences Outlook featured insights from industry thought leaders

Event Recording Available: CLICK TO WATCH

On Thursday, February 2, 2023, the Westchester  County Office of Economic Development (OED) and the Westchester County Association (WCA) hosted All Access Healthcare: Regional Life Sciences Outlook. Approximately 100 people attended the in-person panel presentation, which was held at the Auditorium at 360 Hamilton Avenue in White Plains.

The panel was moderated by Mary Howard, Executive Director of FirstXFounder, and OED partner leading the Westchester County Biosciences Accelerator. Participants included Teresa Leste, Principal, Deloitte Consulting; Rajiv R. Ratan, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Director, Burke Neurological Institute; George Santo, Executive Director, J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Commercial Banking; and Deborah Viola, MBA, Ph.D., Vice President, Office of Research and Grants Administration, Westchester Medical Center. The program also featured remarks from Westchester County Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins and Deborah Novick, Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Westchester County.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer said: “Supporting and growing the life sciences sector in Westchester is one of our top priorities. With programs like this panel discussion and OED offerings like our Life Sciences Industry Desk, Task Force, and the Westchester County Biosciences Accelerator, we are uniquely positioned to support the tremendous growth we are seeing in this particular area.”

Westchester County Director of Economic Development Bridget Gibbons said: “Life sciences is one of our priority sectors, and we remain committed to supporting the growth and success of this industry. We were thrilled to partner with the Westchester County Association on this endeavor, and look forward to future partnership with them, continuing to shine a spotlight on this exciting field.”

Westchester County Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Deborah Novick said: “The whole New York Metro area has emerged as a leader in life sciences, and Westchester is a big part of that. Life science is a big source of employment here in the County, and if you take into account all of the businesses in the ecosystem, Westchester represents 20 percent of the state’s private life science employment. Because of this, it is more important than ever to have these types of discussions about the trends impacting the sector.”

Westchester County Association Vice President Amy Allen said: “Events like this shine a spotlight on Westchester’s leading role in biotech innovation, helping to create new opportunities to drive scientific and medical breakthroughs and economic growth. We were honored to have this distinguished group of speakers come together to discuss broader national and regional trends, as well as exciting and specific innovations happening right here in Westchester.”

About The Westchester County Office of Economic Development

The Westchester County Office of Economic Development works to improve the County’s economic well-being and quality of life. This includes a broad range of activities to attract, create and retain jobs, and to foster a resilient, pro-growth and inclusive economy. For information, visit https://westchestercatalyst.com/.

About the Westchester County Association

The Westchester County Association is the most influential organization of businesses and non-profits in Westchester and the surrounding region. We unite and mobilize professional leaders to promote issues and lead initiatives that strengthen our regional economy. We are dedicated to smart business growth and advancing the well-being of the community. Our key objectives are to promote positive economic development in the region, foster business development, and provide our members with access to key public and private sector individuals, agencies, and organizations. For more information about the Westchester County Association, visit www.westchester.org.

PHOTO CAPTION: 

From left: Mary Howard, Executive Director of FirstXFounder, and OED partner leading the Westchester County Biosciences Accelerator; Deborah Novick, Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Westchester County; Teresa Leste, Principal, Deloitte Consulting; George Santo, Executive Director, J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Commercial Banking; Rajiv R. Ratan, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Director, Burke Neurological Institute; Deborah Viola, MBA, Ph.D., Vice President, Office of Research and Grants Administration, Westchester Medical Center; and Amy Allen, Vice President of WCA.