Dear Colleagues,
Twelve years ago my nonprofit organization, Genetics Policy Institute (now Regenerative Medicine Foundation) founded an annual conference that evolved into the World Stem Cell Summit. Over time, this event has brought together thousands of thought leaders and stakeholders from around the globe. All came with a shared passion, to expand their knowledge, forge collaborations, and ultimately deliver cures.
In one week our 13th World Stem Cell Summit will take place in Miami, Florida, January 22-26, 2018. For the first time, we are co-locating the event with the field’s premier industry partnering event, Phacilitate Leaders Forum, Cell & Gene Therapy World and Immuno-Oncology Frontiers World.
This universal conclave for stakeholders has never before been seen. It’s intelligently designed as the super-ecosystem event, trans-disciplinary and created to break down silos. We are creating a special experience for attendees to network and collect opportunities, delivering the ultimate venue to forge collaborations.
The provocative guru, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, in his book Antifragile, described the power of collaboration thusly:
”Collaboration has explosive upside, what in mathematically called a super-additive function, i.e., one plus one equals more than two, and one plus one plus one equals much, much more than three. That is pure nonlinearity with explosive benefits…. Crucially, this is an argument for unpredictability and Black Swan effects; since you cannot forecast collaborations and cannot direct them, you cannot see where the world is going. All you can do is create an environment that facilitates these collaborations, and lay the foundation for prosperity.”
Collaboration today remains as important as it was 12 years ago, when we started the World Stem Cell Summit. All these years, I have been describing public support for stem cells and regenerative medicine as a great consumer movement. The public does not view these potentially curative technologies as a “public health” issue, but as a “personal” health issue. Impacting their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of friends and loved ones. It’s personal!
Stem cells, regenerative medicine, and advanced therapies represent the very future of medicine and the potential for a salvation- relief from sickness and suffering, longer healthier lives plus an array of unpredictable societal benefits impacting all life.
Such an important cause mandates super-additive collaboration of the highest kind; one that lays the foundation for prosperity, and cures. It will be in Miami, January 22-26, under the lights and swaying palm fronds. We’ll hope to see you there.
Cordially,
Bernard Siegel, J.D.
Founder and Co-Chair, World Stem Cell Summit
Executive Director, Regenerative Medicine Foundation