Welly Biotech ‘n’ Beers: Speaker Series - November 2025

BioTech N Beers presents the third instalment of its speaker series, and the last BioTech N Beers of the year!  

Once a quarter we will be running a fireside chat with those that have been there done that, the up and coming and everything in-between.

For our final meeting of the year, we are also working in collaboration with Women in HealthTech.

Women in HealthTech:

Women in HealthTech is a collaborative group representing the HealthTech sector in New Zealand, providing a foundation of networks and leadership.

We have come together to empower women with a diverse range of thinking at all levels of the HealthTech industry and assist with effecting cultural change. Our steering committee represent companies across New Zealand from early stage start-ups and research medical technology companies, to privately owned New Zealand suppliers and global multinationals.

Kindly hosted by Creative HQ our speaker will be Ipshita Mandal-Johnson telling us about her journey between building a bio revolution to revolutionising bio.

Generously sponsored by FB Rice, come along for a yarn, some war stories, and drinks and kai.

Check out Ipshita’s bio below and we hope to see you there!

Ipshita’s Bio:

Ipshita has over 15 years' experience in academia, private and public sectors in bio sciences, technology and financial services.

She had completed a BTech in Biotechnology at the University of Auckland (co-funded by Douglas Pharmaceuticals) and a PhD in Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge. She co-founded the Global Biotech Revolution in 2012, led the first GapSummit and growth of GBR activities including events in Singapore and the US till 2017 and is currently still a Steering Committee member. She also worked in a synthetic biology and chemistry biotech Nanna Therapeutics as CBO, which was eventually acquired by Astellas Pharmaceuticals for its rare disease pre-clinical assets. She then worked at McKinsey and Company in the India and US offices primarily in the technology, public sector and pharma practice areas (including as Chief of Staff to a $60Bn merger between Takeda and Shire). She has been an advocate for gender lens impact investing and women’s health through Global Bio Fund (invested in Baymatob in 2022 a med tech in maternal health) and the Xcellerator community.

She has provided advice to a portfolio of innovative and systemic investment projects in NZ through BioPacific Partners, Impact Lab, Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, MBIE funded RNA Development Platform and Advanced Technologies team. She is also passionate about bio systems thinking-philosophy and nature poetry. She has received multiple professional awards including thrice being listed in the UK 50 Movers and Shakers in Bio Business, selected to be a Leader of Tomorrow at the 43rd St Gallen Symposium and twice nominated as a Young Global Leader to the World Economic Forum (2024-25).

FB Rice:

FB Rice is a leading independent intellectual property firm with a strong focus on biotechnology and the life sciences. With more than 75 years of experience and a dedicated Wellington office, we’re proud to support New Zealand’s growing biotech community through local presence and expertise.

Our Biotechnology Group brings deep scientific and industry knowledge across areas such as gene therapy, diagnostics, biologics, vaccines, and medical technologies. We work closely with clients across academia, research, and industry to protect innovation and support commercial success—offering strategic advice on patentability, prosecution, due diligence, and portfolio management.

As active participants in New Zealand’s innovation ecosystem, we value collaboration and are committed to helping the local biotech sector thrive.

Creative HQ:

Creative HQ is a global innovation hub, based in New Zealand, that provides programmes for entrepreneurship and public sector innovation. Creative HQ creates change for governments and startups through innovation training, structured acceleration programmes and bespoke support.

Creative HQ, Wellington’s innovation hub, operates throughout New Zealand and internationally across the Asia-Pacific region with significant work experience in the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Japan, Hong Kong, India and Australia. They look to build confidence, capability and connectedness throughout their ecosystem while looking to inspire and support the growth of individuals and businesses through the use of design thinking methodologies. This enables the delivery of innovative solutions to their customers.

Event Details:

Date: Thursday, 27 November, 2025

Location: Creative HQ, 7 Dixon Street, Wellington 6011

Time: 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Cost: Free