SCHEDULE

 

Speaker: Amy Walter

The votes are in, but understanding what they mean is only beginning.  In this opening session, Amy Walter, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, will break down the 2026 midterm election results and the political forces that shaped them.  A longtime nonpartisan political analyst, Walter will examine the pivotal races, voter shifts and broader trends that defined the election and what the new balance of power reveals about the country’s political direction.

The conversation will then look ahead to what comes next in Washington: how the results could shape the governing environment, congressional priorities and the dynamics surrounding major policy debates.

For biotech leaders, the session will provide essential context for understanding the political landscape in which the industry will be operating over the next two years.

Presented in collaboration with "With Honor"

Speakers:

Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE)
Rep. Don Davis (D-NC)

Moderated by: Rye Barcott, With Honor

Elections determine who governs. What happens next depends on how they lead.

As we honor all those who have served this Veterans Day, this session explores what courage, integrity and effective leadership look like in an increasingly divided political environment. BIO is proud to partner on this conversation with With Honor, a cross-partisan organization working to strengthen our democracy by supporting principled veteran leaders who fight polarization and bridge divides in Congress around the values of integrity, civility and courage.

Through the perspectives of leaders who have navigated public service, difficult decisions and political disagreement, the conversation will examine what it takes to move beyond partisanship, build trust and find common ground when the stakes are high. For CEOs and other senior leaders, it will offer broader lessons about leading through uncertainty, making consequential decisions and bringing people together around a shared mission.

Speakers: Kellyanne Conway, Celinda Lake
Moderated by: John Crowley

The election may be over, but the battle over healthcare policy is just beginning. In this session moderated by John Crowley, President & CEO of BIO, pollster and political strategists Kellyanne Conway and Celinda Lake will debate where healthcare fits in the new political landscape and what issues are poised to dominate Washington over the next two years. Will affordability eclipse innovation? Can policymakers strengthen U.S. competitiveness in biotechnology while expanding patient access to new medicines? What role will federally funded research play in maintaining America's leadership in science and innovation? And which healthcare issues are most likely to rise to the top of the agenda for a new Congress and Administration? Conway and Lake will offer an insider's perspective on the political opportunities, risks, and realities shaping healthcare policy.

Through the perspectives of leaders who have navigated public service, difficult decisions and political disagreement, the conversation will examine what it takes to move beyond partisanship, build trust and find common ground when the stakes are high. For CEOs and other senior leaders, it will offer broader lessons about leading through uncertainty, making consequential decisions and bringing people together around a shared mission.

A conversation with Brody Mullins
Additional speakers to be announced

Washington has fundamentally changed. The question for business is whether it has adapted with it. In this fireside chat with Brody Mullins, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, co-author of The Wolves of K Street, and co-host of The Deciders podcast, will unpack the forces reshaping political power—from populism and declining institutional trust to fragmented media, investor pressure, activist networks and influencers with audiences that rival traditional institutions.

Drawing on decades of reporting on lobbying, corporate power, media, and politics, Mullins will explore how the old Washington approach is giving way to a broader ecosystem of public affairs, grassroots advocacy, digital influence, media, and public pressure. This conversation will examine what has replaced the old playbook, which voices increasingly move policymakers and public opinion, and in the aftermath of the 2026 midterms, what CEOs and senior leaders need to understand about engaging in Washington’s new power structure.