The SF Roast is On! by Tech Brews
Welcome to the SF Roast is On! by Tech Brews.
This is a founder pitch event where judges will roast and give feedback on pitches from 3 pre-selected startups in healthtech, biotech, and AI, followed by networking. It’s designed to give maximum value in a short period in a direct manner.
Agenda:
4.30pm- Registration and Networking
5.00pm- Start of Roast
6:00pm- End of Roast
Roast Hosts:
Samantha Lee
Charleston Wong
Nicole Bu
Roastees (startups pitching):
Mye Health – LinkedIn (Luc Ghislain)
Hera Fertility – LinkedIn (Thivaher (Thiv) Paramsothy)
Sift Biosciences – LinkedIn (Yue Clare Lou, Ph.D.)
Judges :
Wei Li Tan is a Partner at Informed Ventures, where he focuses on early-stage investments in digital health and artificial intelligence. Trained as a physician with an MBA from Stanford, Wei Li merges clinical insight from patient care with entrepreneurial acumen. Prior to venture investing, he practiced psychiatry and then led strategy at APAC’s largest integrated healthcare platform—pioneering first-in-nation telehealth rollouts and forging collaborations with AI startups across global markets. Wei Li partners closely with founders building transformational and often disruptive solutions in healthcare technology, drawing on his medical training and diverse network to help teams tackle regulatory complexities, refine clinical workflows, and navigate commercialization.
Gareth Sessel (InnovaHealth/ AWS) leads the Healthcare and Lifescience team at AWS and was the former Chief Growth and Product Officer at InnovaHealth.AI. Gareth brings over 12 years of experience scaling tech-enabled healthcare and lifescience businesses. From launching cutting-edge products to bridging AI/ML, generative AI, and data analytics with healthcare, Gareth has driven major growth for companies ranging from pre-prdocut startups to global corporates. A physician-engineer with an MD from Oxford and advanced degrees in electrical engineering, he is passionate about shaping the future of health tech and life sciences.
Vineet Agrawal is the Chief Growth Officer at DocSpera, a Series B funded health information technology startup specializing in AI/ML/NLP-enabled workflow automation solutions for hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and healthcare providers across multiple specialties including orthopedics, pain management, and vascular care. With over 15 years of experience in the life sciences and medical device sectors, Agrawal previously held leadership roles at Penumbra, Inc., where he managed global commercialization of stroke and neurovascular technologies across Europe, Asia, and Latin America. His career spans product marketing, strategic partnerships, and P&L management, with a proven track record of driving growth in complex B2B healthcare markets, while also serving as a business mentor at mHUB, Chicago's leading hardtech innovation center.
What to expect at the Roast & Party:
We will have our Roastees (startups) pitch for 5 mins
The Roasters (or judges) to roast for 10 mins
We will open up to the audience for Q&A
Thereafter, we will have free-flow networking
Who should Attend:
Whether you're an experienced VC, an entrepreneur, or a ecosystem leader in the digital health or biotech sectors, this specially curated event will be a great opportunity to learn from and meet people building bold solutions in this space.
About the event series:
Tech Roasts is a Tech Brews special event. This is a roast event where judges and hosts will roast and give feedback on pitches from selected startups.
Organizers:
Techbrews a community founded by Terence Tan, an experienced tech/healthcare leader dedicated to empowering individuals across the Pacific in navigating the evolving landscape of healthcare and lifesciences. With a mission to support professionals in embracing various careers and entrepreneurship in this industry, Tech Brews offers a wealth of resources, including events, special roast sessions, and networking opportunities tailored to the unique needs of the Trans-Pacific Region.
Hosts:
Samantha Lee has 12 years of experience in healthcare, investing, and entrepreneurship, and has worked with over 200 founders and c-suite executives to help them grow their companies and achieve their goals. Her healthcare experience includes investing in digital health startups, developing tools for identifying fraud, waste, and abuse in the US healthcare system, and helping a Nigerian healthcare company expand their ChroniCare Clinics to 6 cities in Nigeria. She was previously a founding member and CEO of Conjunct Consulting, a social change consultancy in Asia which works with private and public institutions to strengthen social good organizations.
Charleston Wong has a background in healthcare, research, and business development, with experience supporting scientists and researchers in optimizing lab workflows. He has worked closely with biotech and pharmaceutical companies to enhance R&D efficiency and data management. With a strong interest in biotech, AI, and VC, he actively researches and networks within the startup ecosystem. He is currently at Benchling, helping life sciences organizations accelerate innovation through cutting-edge R&D software.
Nicole Bu has over 7 years of experience in startups scaling at-home diagnostics, SaMD, and remote patient monitoring platforms. She spearheaded GTM strategies for new product launches and built high-conversion, AI-automated sales funnels, cultivating a network of 500+ providers across pulmonology, mental health, and primary care. Combining operational execution with data-driven decision-making (MS, Healthcare Decision Analysis, USC), Nicole bridges the gap between innovation and clinical adoption—driving growth for cutting-edge healthtech solutions.