Minority, Women Expo Opens Tomorrow

 Diversity Alliance for Science to Host Third Annual Networking Conference and EXPO

Keynote addresses by Farryn Melton, Chief Procurement Officer for Amgen, and Jim Self, Global Leader of Business Development for Merck Vaccines, at invitation-only forum

One-on-one matchmaking sessions to foster mutually beneficial partnerships between diverse suppliers and attending corporations, academic institutions, and government agencies

NEWARK, N.J.,  -- On May 18-19, 2010, Diversity Alliance for Science, a non-profit organization created to support, mentor, and develop minority-, woman-, veteran/service-disabled-, HUBZone-, and LGBT-owned, and small businesses in the life sciences, will host its third annual networking conference and EXPO event.  The two-day event will be held at the Renaissance Newark Airport Hotel in Newark, N.J. and will feature senior government officials, top-level pharmaceutical executives, and CEOs of diverse scientific and clinical enterprises.  The conference limits participation to 300 invitees to facilitate networking and relationship building and to enable smaller diverse companies to have a higher profile.    

Farryn Melton, Vice President and Global Chief Procurement Officer for Amgen and Jim Self, Global Leader of Business Development for Merck Vaccines will be keynoting the conference.  Guest speakers include Rebecca Skloot, New York Timesbest-selling author of "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks," and Julia Hubbel, an award-winning entrepreneur, international professional speaker, and prize-winning journalist who specializes in the art of influence, relationships and connecting.

Diversity Alliance for Science works to identify, develop, and increase spending with certified diverse life sciences businesses, and to foster mutually beneficial relationships between those businesses and the corporate, governmental, and academic entities that work in health research and development.  Diversity has been shown to be a key factor in leading to health care innovation, thereby driving leading-edge competitiveness, economic development and growth in communities.    

Diversity Alliance for Science's Networking Conference will provide a forum for participants to collaborate on best practices in fostering the inclusion of diverse businesses in clinical trials and scientific research.  This networking conference will include panels on strategies to identify government opportunities and grants, the state of the pharmaceutical industry, protecting human subjects in clinical research, and the ROI of certification.  The EXPO will include an interactive trade show where attending corporations can meet leading diverse suppliers.  Additionally, a series of one-on-one matchmaking sessions to connect diverse suppliers to attending corporations will facilitate networking opportunities for participants.  

Proceeds from a live and silent auction will provide access and education in the life sciences area to deserving inner-city New Jersey high-school students.  Scholarships will be presented to students from the Lady Liberty Academy High School by the Office of the Mayor of Newark.

"Diversity Alliance for Science's third annual networking conference and EXPO will be a wonderful forum to celebrate the benefits of supplier diversity and foster partnerships between diverse suppliers and corporations, academic entities, and governmental agencies," said Sylvester Wilkins, and Sourcing Group Manager for GlaxoSmithKline's Corporate Services Procurement Organization and President of the Diversity Alliance for Science Board of Directors. "We are especially excited to utilize one-on-one matchmaking sessions to identify mutually beneficial opportunities for partnership."

The third annual Diversity Alliance for Science Networking Conference and EXPO is being supported by Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, Fisher Scientific, Amgen, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Pfizer, Sanofi-aventis, VWR International, PRWT Services, Inc., Genentech, Abbott, Henry Schein, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly and Company, ISM Pharmaceutical Forum, Medtronic, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, A10 Clinical Solutions Inc., Liberty IRB, Inc., Spectraforce, Bright Pharmaceutical Services, Clinlogix, Group O, ExecuPharm, Research Assist, Inc., Bogier Clinical and IT Solutions, Translation Plus, Ancillare / ISG Office Concepts, SciStaff Services, Paragon Language Services, Inc., Sabena Qualitative Research Services, and MicroMass Communications, Inc.

About Diversity Alliance for Science, Inc. (DA4S)

Diversity Alliance for Science is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting, mentoring, and developing minority-, women-, disabled-, small disadvantaged-, HUBZone-, veteran/service-disabled, and LGBT-owned businesses in the Life Sciences. Diversity Alliance for Science is committed to identifying, developing and increasing spending with certified diverse suppliers, and fostering relationships between those suppliers and the corporate, governmental, and academic entities who work in health research and development.  Diversity Alliance for Science's primary focus is to identify, develop and increase spending with certified diverse suppliers in the following areas: clinical research services; clinical trials supplies; analytical services; packaging; printing/labeling, bar code; biotechnology support services; virology services; drug analysis or assay; central laboratories; clinical data management; stability testing; animals suppliers; biomarkers analysis; chemical synthesis; biology services; pharmacokinetic services; DNA/RNA extraction; IRBs; medicinal chemistry; patient recruitment; drug discovery and related Life Sciences services and products.

www.diversityallianceforscience.com

SOURCE Diversity Alliance for Science