Join us for BioBash at Discovery to Impact at the University of Texas Austin
BioAustinCTX is thrilled to announce that Discovery to Impact at The University of Texas at Austin and Karlin Real Estate will be the Platinum Sponsors for our upcoming BioBash™ Life Science Networking Event!
Join us on Thursday, November 6 from 5:30 – 9:00pm, at the brand-new UT Discovery to Impact Innovation Lab, located at the Parmer Tech Ridge campus off I-35 and Parmer Lane. This is a unique opportunity to:
- Tour a cutting-edge life science facility before it officially opens its doors
- Hear from influential leaders in the life sciences and innovation ecosystem
- Connect with peers, innovators, and decision-makers from across the Central Texas biotech community
Agenda
5:30 – 6:30 – Doors open, networking
6:30 – 7:00 – Speaker presentations
7:00 – 9:00 – Facility tours and networking
This event is sold out
Tour this brand new, state of the art facility
Tours will run throughout the evening for paid attendees of BioBash. Space is limited for each tour, so reserve your spot today. To allow for the maximum number of tours and participants, tours will start on time. If you miss your start time, you may not be able to find an opening at another time. If you reserve a time and can no longer attend, please remove your reservation to create space for someone else.
Speakers
Mark Arnold, Associate VP, Discovery to Impact, UT Austin
Mark Arnold leads Discovery to Impact at The University of Texas at Austin, which brings groundbreaking discoveries to market, transforming them into products, services, and treatments that change the world. In this role, Mark drives impactful collaborations between the University and industry including overseeing the University’s research commercialization and startup creation efforts. He has more than 30 years of leadership experience in scaling technology companies from inception to exit, navigating venture investments, and launching innovative business development initiatives. Arnold holds degrees from the Wharton School of Business.
David Vanden Bout, Dean, College of Natural Sciences, UT Austin
Dr. David Vanden Bout is dean of the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin overseeing one of the nation’s largest colleges of science, including the Marine Science Institute, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and McDonald Observatory. In 2025, he served as UT’s interim provost and executive vice president. An award-winning scientist and educator, he has been recognized with honors such as the Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship and the UT Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award. His research areas include nanoscience and nanotechnology, with a focus on materials science and physical chemistry. Dr. Vanden Bout earned his B.S. in chemistry from Duke University in 1990 and a Ph.D in chemical physics in 1995 from The University of Texas at Austin.
Keith Altek, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Scriptr Therapeutics
Over his thirty-five-year career in the biopharmaceutical industry, Keith has held various leadership positions that span preclinical development to overseeing commercial organizations, primarily focused on rare diseases. His professional experience includes commercial efforts at Novartis, Lilly, Biotechnology General, and Genzyme/Sanofi as well as co-founding three pre-commercial companies: Speragen, Emprime Therapeutics, and Scriptr Global, where he served as CEO for all three. As the CEO and Co-Founder of Scriptr Global, he is responsible for advancing multiple genetic platform technologies to develop best-in-class therapeutics for patients. Keith holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Chemistry from Texas State University.
Susan Davenport, Chief Economic Development Officer, Opportunity Austin
Susan Davenport has more than 20 years of experience in economic development leadership across Texas. Her previous roles include serving as president and CEO of the Greater Brazos Partnership, chief economic development officer of the Greater Houston partnership and over a decade with the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. Her work has resulted in recruiting high-impact companies, strengthening workforce pipelines and building regional strategies that support long-term growth. Her leadership spans key industries including semiconductors, aerospace & defense and life sciences, and she’s known for her ability to unite public and private sector leaders around shared goals.
BioAustinCTX Thanks our Platinum Sponsors
Discovery to Impact at The University of Texas at Austin brings groundbreaking discoveries to market for the benefit of society. It serves as the bridge between campus innovators, industry, and the investment community—helping to cultivate ideas, uncover pathways to market, and foster commercial collaborations that transition academic research into products, services, and solutions treatments that change the world. As part of this mission, Discovery to Impact is committed to life sciences development and helping to lower barriers for deep‑tech innovation, enabling entrepreneurs and researchers to validate ideas faster, attract funding, and build ventures within Austin’s growing biotech ecosystem with its newly opened UT Innovation Labs. This institutional-grade wet lab facility is specially designed to support faculty, researchers, and early-stage life sciences startups. Attendees will be among the first to tour UT’s new state-of-the-art wet lab space at BioBash.
Karlin Real Estate
Driving Innovation Together: “We actively partner with our tenants, ensuring that their vision becomes the driving force behind the environments we create. This means culture, lifestyle, and community come first, always. Through tenacity and state-of-the-art technology, we continually push the boundaries of each curated space, propelling our partners forward faster.”
