Montgomery Township is on a mission to attract more life sciences companies to its vacant commercial spaces. Last fall, it formally launched the initiative with the tagline “Montgomery: Where Opportunity Meets Innovation,” making the argument that the town’s demographics — a highly educated population, top-rated schools, and a growing commercial and residential corridor on Route 206 with the Whole Foods-anchored Montgomery Promenade under construction — make it the ideal location for up-and-coming innovators.
As a continuation of this effort, the municipality hosts the inaugural Montgomery Innovation Summit on Thursday, May 22, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Montgomery Township Municipal Center, 100 Community Drive, Skillman. The free event includes breakfast and lunch and brings together leaders in science, technology and finance to support local collaboration and economic development. Registration is required at www.montgomerynj.gov/economic-development/page/montgomery-innovation-summit.
“Montgomery is a town on the rise for innovation, and this summit is an exciting step in solidifying our role in New Jersey’s economic future,” said Mayor Neena Singh. “We are proud to host this collaborative forum to support and inspire the next generation of life science and tech leaders.”
Singh kicks off the event with welcoming remarks that answer the question “Why Montgomery?,” a question she addresses in a blog post on the Innovate Montgomery website, www.innovatemontgomerynj.com:
“When you look at reports and data about our municipality, you can see how many intelligent and highly-skilled residents live in Montgomery. We are among the highest-density of scientists, engineers, statisticians, medical providers and more who contribute to groundbreaking innovation. Montgomery lies within Einstein’s Alley, and we have been part of the effort to acknowledge the high-tech accomplishments of corporations in our township.
“Throughout our existing vacant commercial spaces, there are countless opportunities for organizations of all sizes and stages to call Montgomery ‘home.’ From startups that need just a few thousand square feet of space to Fortune 500 companies, we have spaces that are ready for occupancy. Plus, we currently house cutting edge companies, like Healios Labs, LifeSign, NovaFlux and more, who are excitedly awaiting the opportunity to partner with others in the neighborhood.”
State Senator Andrew Zwicker gives the keynote address. In addition to representing New Jersey’s 16th district, including portions of Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset, and Hunterdon counties, Zwicker also serves as Head of Strategic Partnerships & Public Engagement for Princeton Plasma Physics Lab.
The remainder of the day includes two presentations and two panel discussions, followed by lunch and networking at the Montgomery Innovation Hub at 23 Orchard Road.
At 9:15 a.m., Raj Bath, executive director of the NJ-India Commission, presents “How to Market Your Business & Leverage Partnerships.” The commission, established in 2024 by executive order from Gov. Phil Murphy, seeks to advance bilateral trade and investment to encourage economic development in New Jersey and India and to attract companies with ties to India to invest in the state.
Bath, who served as a senior aide to Gov. Murphy before being appointed to his current role, previously worked as an organizer/advocate for New Jersey Citizen Action and a business representative for the Main Street Alliance. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Hofstra University in 2014.
The first panel discussion, “Resources, Opportunities & Emerging Trends,” starts at 9:30 a.m. Jessica Paolini, economic development manager for Somerset County, serves as moderator. The panelists include Kathy Guzman, senior small business liaison for the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA); Lucy Partman, senior project officer for technology innovation partnerships at the NJEDA; Judith Sheft, executive director of the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation & Technology; and Samuel Wear, supervisor of the state Department of Labor’s business services unit.
The NJEDA is responsible for growing the state’s economy, supporting job creation, and fostering community development. It aims to strengthen the innovation economy, encourage collaboration between industry and academia, and translate innovations into successful high-growth businesses.
At 10:45 a.m., Christine Galib, director of Advancing Photonics Technologies (APT) at Princeton University, discusses the university’s collaboration with the National Science Foundation, industry, and government to advance photonics research and economic development.
Galib, a 2008 Princeton alumna, returned to her alma mater last year to lead APT after helping lead the Ion, the anchor of the innovation district in Houston, Texas. APT is a Princeton-based regional collaboration among academia, industry, and government in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware that “facilitates, funds, and fuels use-inspired research, innovation, and workforce development” in the field of photonics, the science of generating and manipulating light that is at the core of many modern technologies. Visit advancingphotonics.org for more information.
The second panel, “Life Science & Finance Startups,” starts at 11 a.m. The moderator is Himanshu Bhatia, founder of Ricovr Healthcare, a developer of drug testing devices based on College Road East in Plainsboro. Panelists are Lakshmi Raghavan, founder and CEO of Healios Labs, and Junaid Mian, a venture partner in 1435 Capital. Healios, based at 23 Orchard Road in Skillman, is a contract research organization that specializes in formulation development for complex generics and branded pharmaceuticals. 1435 is a Carnegie Center-based venture capital firm that invests in early stage and growth stage companies.
