Driving Platforms and Decentralized Tech in Healthcare & Life Sciences

ConV2X 2025 Agenda – Subject to Change

September 25 and 26 | The Foundry | Cambridge, MA

DAY 1 - SEPTEMBER 25, 2025

9:30-9:50 AM | Registration, Refreshments & Networking 

9:50-10:00 AM | Welcome & Introductory Remarks 

• Tory Cenaj, Founder and Publisher, , Partners in Digital Health – Blockchain in Healthcare Today Platform Approached Journal

Virtual Keynote | Trustworthy Computing (45 min) | Available live during event and permanently via BHTY journal  | DOI link to be shared with event attendees

• Jerry Cuomo, Global Industry SME, xIBM & Professor

This talk introduces Trustworthy Computing as a shift toward systems built on verifiable, transparent, and privacy-respecting foundations. Using blockchain and AI, it explores real-world impacts—from food safety and identity protection to AI transparency and machine unlearning—emphasizing the transition from reputational trust to algorithmic trust in everyday digital life. Health care and Life Sciences professionals will find particular relevance in applications that enhance drug authenticity, patient data privacy, and AI reliability in decision making.

10:00-10:20 AM | KEYNOTE 

Title: TBA

• Eric Vivien, Attaché for Science and Technology, Consulate General of France, Boston

10:20-10:40 AM | KEYNOTE 

AI in Precision Medicine: Practical Gains, Real Costs, and Next-Gen Protocols

• David R. Stefanich, Managing Member, WAIve Diagnostics

The practical applications and primary cost determinants associated with deploying AI models in precision medicine within Clinical and Research environments; and how the combination of L1& L2 derivative protocols empower these benefits.

10:40-11:00 AM | KEYNOTE 
How the Powerful Convergence of Blockchain, AI, and Quantum Will Shape Healthcare's Future for the C-Suite

• John Riley III, Chief of Emerging Tech, IMPACTIFI (preference: 10 or 11am)

What happens when three world-shaping and disruptive technologies converge to transform healthcare? In this session, C-suite leaders will discover how Blockchain ensures trust and transparency, AI drives real-time intelligence, and Quantum accelerates innovation across care, research, and logistics. More than a tech update, this is a call to action for executives to lead with vision, break silos, and build the healthcare systems of tomorrow.  The question is no longer if these technologies matter, but who will lead their integration.

11:00-12:00 PM | PANEL 

Enterprise Leadership Roundtable: Blockchain & AI Infrastructure and Decentralized Strategy, Policy & Leadership

• Jai Singh Arun, Chief Product Officer, IBM
• Ravi Sarkar, Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft
• Eric Picsini, CEO, Hashgraph
• Nitin Gaur, Blockchain Infrastructure & Investment Expert - Moderator

Decentralized healthcare is no longer a distant vision—it’s a reality driven by secure, scalable, and intelligent infrastructure. This powerhouse panel brings together leaders in blockchain, AI, enterprise architecture, and digital trust to explore how decentralized technologies are reshaping healthcare’s operational and economic models. From real time data exchange and decentralized identity to compliance ready AI, smart contracts, and platform-based strategies, panelists will highlight practical use cases spanning Fintech, life sciences, and global health. The discussion will also underscore the strategic vision, cross sector leadership, and public-private collaboration required to move beyond siloed legacy systems toward interoperable, scalable ecosystems. Attendees will gain actionable insights on leading this transformation technically, ethically, and operationally—unlocking new models for innovation, data ownership, and global health equity.

Bonus Primer: Part 1 - Blockchain & AI Infrastructure Podcast 

• Mohan Venkataraman, Principal Consultant, Block10.ai - moderator
• Mark Rakhmilevich, Group VP, Product Management and Development – Fintech, Blockchain, and Transaction Management, Oracle 

This podcast explores how enterprise grade blockchain platforms and artificial intelligence are converging to create next generation health ecosystems – there is a significant value proposition that professionals are waking up to. Tune in before the event and come ready to engage.  Mark is also happy to connect post event sharing his email for follow up discussion on BHTY.

Tune in at DOI: https://doi.org/10.30953/bhty.v8.444

12:00-12:45 PM | LUNCH BREAK 

12:45-1:15 PM | PANEL 

Actuate – Using Blockchain for Global Health Equity 

• Nikiki T. Bogle, Esq, CEO & General Counsel, Joe Higgs Foundation for Health
• Dr. Andrew Poulsen, PhD, MIT Electrical Engineer 
• Dr. Macharia Waruingi, Actuate Biomedicine 

Actuate is a blockchain-powered initiative using the Actuate Token to advance global health equity through the layers of economic, distributive, and social justice. It provides unbanked and marginalized populations in Africa with digital identity and financial inclusion, ensuring equitable representation in global systems.  Actuate leverages innovative funding models—such as quadratic funding and retroactive public goods funding—to channel resources into health infrastructure, decentralized care delivery, and equitable distribution of biomedical technologies. The token funds and rewards innovators from historically marginalized communities, turning intellectual capital into financial capital. This enables local talent to contribute meaningfully to global health solutions—and to benefit from them. The Actuate Token also connects the African diaspora by enabling direct investment in hospitals, maternal care, and health innovation. This creates a circular economy of care grounded in shared identity, trust, and equity. Actuate is more than a blockchain project—it is a bold framework for fortifying equity in global health.

1:15-2:00 PM | PANEL 

The CDHLS Blueprint: Realizing Decentralized Healthcare and Life Sciences at Scale

• Gianluca De Novi, PhD, CEO, Circular Protocol
• Nitin Gaur, Former IBM and Industry SME
• David R. Stefanich, Managing Member, WAIve Diagnostics
• Jim Nasr, CEO, Acoer - Moderator

This flagship session, presented by the Coalition for Decentralized Healthcare and Life Sciences (CDHLS), delves into the future of healthcare decentralization — where patients control their data, care delivery is democratized, and innovation is driven by interoperable, secure, and inclusive platforms. From blockchain based infrastructure to circular economies and Web3 governance, panelists will explore real world implementations, policy shifts, and enterprise adoption models redefining the future of global health. Attendees will gain insight into CDHLS' ongoing initiatives and how collaboration across academia, startups, enterprise, and government is building a patient/consumer centric, tech enabled health future — one that is open, secure, and inclusive by design.

2:00-2:30 PM | PANEL 

AI, Data & Platform Economics: Building the Infrastructure for Decentralized Healthcare Intelligence

• Shahram Ebadollahi, Founder & Principal, Nav.AI
• Brian Ahier, Chief Data Officer, AI Mind System Foundation
• Francisco Curbera, Lead, AI Platform Innovation, Swift - Moderator

As healthcare shifts toward decentralized, patient-centric models, the convergence of artificial intelligence, data governance, and platform economics is redefining how value is created across the ecosystem. This session will explore how intelligent data infrastructures and platform-based strategies are transforming clinical decision-making, operational efficiency, and economic outcomes. Attendees will gain insights into how emerging intelligence layers and ethical design principles can advance equity, interoperability, scalability, and sustainability—while preserving privacy and patient autonomy in the delivery of next-generation healthcare.

2:30-3:00 PM | PANEL 

Supply Chain, Audit, and Systems Integrity for Life Science Resilience, Transparency, and Trust

• Justin Goldston, PhD, Professor, Georgetown University
• Rakesh Parameshwar, Former Head of Strategic Initiatives, Moody's, CEO, Niva Horizon
• Mohan Venkataraman, Principal Consultant, Block10.ai - Moderator

In an era of increasingly complex global supply chains, ensuring transparency, traceability, and trust is more critical than ever. This session will explore how emerging technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and digital audit frameworks are transforming supply chain management and enhancing systems integrity. Speakers will dive into real-world applications, discuss best practices for achieving end-to-end visibility, and examine how decentralized solutions are redefining auditability and accountability across industries. Attendees will gain valuable insights into building resilient, transparent supply chains that can withstand disruption while maintaining the highest standards of integrity.

3:00-3:20 PM | AFTERNOON BREAK 

3:20-3:50 PM | FIRESIDE CHAT 

Blockchain and AI, Where's the Fit for Healthcare?

• Jim Nasr, CEO, Acoer
• Eric Piscini, CEO, Hashgraph

This session offers practical insights for healthcare leaders, technologists, and innovators on where blockchain and AI converge to solve real problems in medicine. We’ll explore how decentralized infrastructure secures patient data, supports collaborative research, and strengthens AI governance through transparency, data lineage, consent, and compliance. The discussion also examines Decentralized Science (DeSci)—from tokenized research funding to blockchain-verified trials—highlighting both promising advances and ongoing challenges. Audience Q&A will address key questions on navigating these rapidly evolving technologies.

3:50-4:20 PM | FIRESIDE CHAT 

Title: TBA

• Francisco Curbera, Lead, AI Platform Innovation, Swift
• Shahram Ebadollahi, Founder & Principal, Nav.AI

4:20-5:00 PM | PANEL 

DeSci: How Tokenization Can Speed Up Molecule Research and Development

• Dani Campillo Valencia, Co-Founder, The Precisia Collective
• Dr. Adel Elmessiry, MHG Board Chairman, AIVP Founder
• Nadeen Issa, Co-Founder, The Precisia Collective
• Jelani Clarke, PhD, Executive Lead, DeSci World - Moderator

The decentralized science (DeSci) movement is reshaping how innovation happens in the life sciences. This panel will explore how blockchain-based tokenization can revolutionize the molecule research and development process—from early-stage discovery through clinical trials and commercialization. Industry experts, DeSci pioneers, and biotech innovators will discuss how tokenized assets can represent intellectual property, research milestones, and funding stakes, enabling faster capital formation, transparent progress tracking, and global collaboration. The discussion will highlight case studies where tokenization has reduced time-to-market, improved researcher incentives, and democratized access to scientific breakthroughs. Attendees will gain insights into the technological, regulatory, and economic frameworks that make tokenization a game-changer for accelerating medical and biotech innovation.

Bonus: DeSci Spotlight: The Precisia Collective Revolutionizing the way women manage their health, The Precisia Collective equips women with timely, actionable insights to proactively shape better outcomes. Their work exemplifies the promise of decentralized science—turning advanced technology into accessible, trusted tools that empower patients and clinicians alike. Where are they today, what challenges remain? Expect insights designed to accelerate DeSci from niche experimentation to mainstream impact across healthcare, life sciences, and research.

5:00 PM | Day 1 Adjournment

DAY 2 - SEPTEMBER 26, 2025

8:30-9:00 AM | Registration, Refreshments & Networking 

8:50-9:00 AM | Welcome & Introductory Remarks 

• Tory Cenaj, Founder and Publisher, , Partners in Digital Health – Blockchain in Healthcare Today Platform Approached Journal

9:00-9:30 AM | KEYNOTE 

AI Supplement for Cyber Risk Oversight Handbook & Best Practices

• Larry Clinton, President and CEO, Internet Security Alliance (ISA)

In this high-impact keynote, Larry Clinton will present the latest findings from the AI Supplement to the National Association of Corporate Directors’ (NACD) Cyber Risk Oversight Handbook, which ISA co-authored. Tailored for healthcare executives and innovators, the session will provide a strategic roadmap for integrating AI safely into decentralized healthcare systems. Attendees will gain a framework for risk governance, resilience building, and accountability when deploying AI-driven health technologies

9:30-10:00AM | KEYNOTE

Trusted AI in Healthcare: Leveraging Verifiable Credentials (VCs) & Decentralized Identity (DID) for Secure, Transparent, and Ethical Outcomes

• Jim Mason, Chief Solution Architect, Sky Web

Trust is a critical barrier in AI-driven healthcare. This session explores how Decentralized Identity (DID), Verifiable Credentials (VCs), and Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) can ensure fairness, explainability, and privacy while strengthening compliance. Real-world use cases will show how blockchain-based verification improves efficiency, transparency, and patient trust—offering essential insights for providers, technologists, regulators, and investors shaping the future of healthcare.

10:00-10:30 AM | PANEL 

Cybersecurity, Identity & Infrastructure: Securing Healthcare's Platform Defense Strategies 

• Anvesh Gunuganti, Information Security Engineer, Optum
• Julie Saslow Schroeder, JD, LLM 
• Taha Sajid, Founder, Xecurity Pulse - Moderator

As healthcare adopts decentralized technologies, cybersecurity, digital identity, and infrastructure resilience are more critical than ever. This panel explores how organizations can evolve defense strategies to protect data, platforms, and users, while building a secure, ethical digital foundation that scales with innovation. Topics include zero-trust architectures, multi-factor identity, blockchain-based access control, emerging threats in decentralized systems, and navigating regulatory and governance challenges across borders and platforms.

10:30-11:00  AM | KEYNOTE 

Roadmap & Live Demo: Proactive Security Testing for Digital Health Transformation

• Taha Sajid, Founder, Xecurity Pulse

Designed for the evolving needs of healthcare and life sciences, this session explores the architecture and strategies behind an advanced security testing platform for connected health. Attendees will see how automated, continuous testing identifies vulnerabilities across telehealth, IoT, AI diagnostics, and blockchain systems—embedding security and compliance into every layer of digital health. The demo offers practical insights for security leaders, developers, and innovators on building resilient, trustworthy healthcare systems.

11:00-11:30 AM | KEYNOTE 

Zero-Knowledge Process Verification in Healthcare - AI Implications

• Sathya Krisnasami

As AI and DLT matures, new models of data and model interactions are emerging. There are privacy boundaries for healthcare interactions across entities. As more agents are being tried for these flows, proofs for interactions and agentic guardrails are needed for critical checkpoints.

This keynote presents novel ways of using ZK alongside proven business process models.

11:30-12:00 PM | KEYNOTE 

AGI vs. Decentralized AI: Why Decentralized AI Is the Future of Healthcare

• Ki-Youn Jung, Co-founder & CEO, EON.HEALTH

Ki-Youn Jung argues that general AI is not the holy grail of healthcare — decentralized, domain-specific intelligence is. In this provocative talk, Jung will contrast centralized artificial intelligence general intelligence (AGI) models with decentralized AI frameworks that are purpose built for healthcare. Using examples from EON.HEALTH’s decentralized care models, she will explore how patient-controlled data, edge AI, and tokenized incentives outperform AGI in reliability, ethics, and adoption.

12:00 PM-12:45 PM | LUNCH BREAK 

12:45-1:15  PM | KEYNOTE 

Executive Strategies for Embracing Emerging Tech Convergence in Healthcare: Looking Beyond GenAI

• Amber Hartley, Chief Strategy Officer, BurstIQ 

GenAI is powerful at summarizing—but its foundation is human knowledge. The next frontier is making AI personal. Organizations are now exploring how to engage individuals in more holistic, personalized ways, enable people to control and derive value from their own intellectual property, and build AI-enabled research communities powered by federated learning and collaborative intelligence. This session will explore:

• The evolution of AI from generative → agentic → personal
• Use cases in healthcare and life sciences
• Managing source data in regulated industries
• Key challenges for widespread adoption of personal AI

1:15-1:45  PM | FIRESIDE CHAT 

Innovators, Founders & Emerging Tech: How The Combined Power Of Blockchain, AI, and Quantum Will Shape Healthcare's Future

• Michael "Dersh" Dershem, CEO, Apierion 
• Chris Langley, COO, CareFi
• Tony Quinones, CEO, Bright Path - Moderator

A seismic shift is underway in healthcare, driven by the convergence of blockchain, AI, quantum computing, and decentralized finance. This high-impact session leverages next-gen technologies to disrupt outdated systems and deliver future-ready solutions. 

• The tokenization of care journeys to power outcome-based reimbursement models—putting patient results at the center of financial models. 
• How decentralized finance, AI-driven risk models, and tokenized healthcare indices known as synthetics are converging to modernize how we price, transfer, and manage clinical cost and utilization volatility. 
• How distributed data models and blockchain infrastructure can build sustainable bioeconomies that fuel equitable innovation.

1:45-2:15  PM | PANEL 

Shaping Tomorrow's Healthcare Today: The Real-World Impact of Blockchain, AI, and Agentic Workforces

• Frank Ricotta, CEO, BurstIQ
• Additional speakers to be added

In an era where data silos stifle innovation and patient outcomes hang in the balance, discover how the fusion of blockchain, AI, and agentic workforces is shattering barriers and delivering transformative real-world results. Experts from Texas A&M, Maryville University, and BurstIQ will present four real-world use cases:  Medicaid modernization in Colorado, collaborative research at Texas A&M, validating the efficacy of AI-driven diagnostic tools for emerging therapeutics, and creating a skills-based economy for health professionals.  Learn how these technologies build trust for real-world impact and accelerate innovation.  This session offers actionable insights, exclusive networking, and a blueprint for leading decentralized health innovation in your organization.  

2:15-2:45 PM | FIRESIDE CHAT

Real World Layer One Blockchain Applications in Healthcare and Life Sciences

• Gianluca De Novi, PhD, CEO, Circular Protocol
• Bert Fernandez, Founder of HealthTech2Care 

Layer One blockchain technology is moving into production-grade use cases that address critical challenges in healthcare and life sciences. This fireside chat will explore real world applications such as certifying medical records in pharmacy networks, creating verifiable audit trails for clinical research data, and enabling drug production traceability. The conversation will cover how blockchain can safeguard data integrity, ensure compliance, integrate public and private chains for different privacy needs, and create a trusted data layer to support AI adoption. Attendees will gain insights into the opportunities and challenges in the healthcare and life sciences sectors.

2:45-3:05  PM | AFTERNOON BREAK 

3:05-3:35  PM | PANEL 

Web3 for Patient-Controlled Clinical Data: Unlocking Empowerment and Access

• Brian Ahier, Chief Data Officer, AI Mind System Foundation
• Ajaz (AJ) Hussain, Regulatory Science Advisor, Former FDA Executive
• Dr. Olga Kubassova, President & CEO, IAG
• Anjum Khurshid, Chief Data Scientist, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute – Moderator

As healthcare pivots toward decentralized models, patient control over clinical data is becoming a cornerstone of transformation. This explores how Web3 technologies—blockchain, self-sovereign identity, and decentralized data ecosystems—can shift data governance from institutions to individuals. Panelists will examine how patient controlled data can unlock empowerment, improve access, and fuel innovation in clinical research and care delivery. Attendees will gain practical insights into the opportunities and challenges of building trusted, compliant, and interoperable frameworks that put patients at the center of their health data journey.

3:35-4:00 PM | PANEL 

Blockchain Native Clinical Trials: Real-Time Data, Compliance, and Insights

• Ajaz (AJ) Hussain, Regulatory Science Advisor, Former FDA Executive
• Wessam Sonbol, CSM, CSPO, ICP-ACC, CEO, Delve Health
• Rama Rao, CEO, BloqCube - Moderator

Clinical trials are at the heart of medical innovation, yet they remain burdened by fragmented systems, delays in data capture, and complex compliance requirements. This session spotlights how blockchain-native approaches are transforming trial design, execution, and oversight—bringing unprecedented transparency, speed, and trust. Leaders from BloqCube, Delve Health, and regulatory science will explore how real-time data exchange, smart contracts, and decentralized platforms can streamline compliance while delivering richer insights for sponsors, investigators, and regulators alike. Attendees will gain an insider’s view on what’s possible today, what challenges remain, and how blockchain is shaping the next generation of trusted, efficient, and patient-centric clinical research.

4:00-4:30 PM | PANEL 

Bridging Academia and Innovation: Circular Economies and the Future of Decentralized Systems

• Roman Beck, Professor, Bentley University (Friday only/teaches 25th)
• Gianluca De Novi, PhD, CEO, Circular Protocol 
• Dr. Justin Goldston, PhD, Professor, Georgetown University
• Anjum Khurshid, Chief Data Scientist, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute - Moderator

As healthcare pivots toward decentralized models, patient ownership of clinical data is becoming the cornerstone of transformation. This panel explores how Web3 technologies—blockchain, self-sovereign identity, and decentralized data ecosystems—can shift governance from institutions to individuals. Discussion will highlight how interoperability and standards can empower patients while maintaining trust and continuity, how decentralized models can enhance data liquidity for research and trials, and how regulatory and ethical frameworks must evolve to support patient-driven systems. Together, the session unpacks the technical, clinical, and policy implications of enabling truly patient-owned data and its potential to reshape care, research, and equity.

4:30 -5:00 PM | SPOTLIGHT 

Project Nanda: Towards the Internet of AI Agents

• Pradyumna Chari, Postdoctoral Associate, MIT Media Lab
• Ramesh Raskar, Associate Director, MIT Media Lab

Project Nanda, originating at MIT, is building open-source foundations for an open, agentic web—spanning research, standards, code, and a venture hub. Its roadmap includes trust layers, knowledge pricing, population AI, and privacy-preserving ML. Central to this is Nanda Quilt, a lightweight index routing requests to decentralized registries hosted by 15+ universities and organizations worldwide. The architecture supports MCP, A2A, NLweb, IoT, Web3 agents, and human-in-the-loop systems, enabling discoverability, authentication, and privacy-preserving access. It guarantees rapid agent resolution, sub-second revocation, schema-validated capability assertions, and least-disclosure discovery across boundaries.

5:00 – 5:10 PM | Closing Remarks, Next Steps, Adjournment

A Special Thank You to Our Media Partner

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