The San Francisco Bay Area remains one of the world’s most important biotech and life sciences hubs, with women founders leading companies across drug discovery, therapeutics, and applied bioscience. This group reflects several parts of that ecosystem, from AI-driven platforms to microbiome and translational science companies. Together, they show the range of life sciences companies being built across San Francisco, South San Francisco, and the broader Bay Area.
Alice Zhang
Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Verge Genomics
Alice Zhang is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Verge Genomics. She leads a San Francisco-based company focused on AI-driven drug discovery and development, with work centered on using human data and machine learning to identify and advance new medicines.
Verge Genomics operates at the intersection of biotechnology and computational science. The company’s profile reflects a Bay Area biotech environment where drug discovery is increasingly shaped by data infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and software-informed research workflows.
Daphne Koller
Founder & CEO, insitro
Daphne Koller is the Founder and CEO of insitro. She leads a South San Francisco-based company focused on applying machine learning and large-scale biological data to drug discovery and development.
insitro is part of a growing group of Bay Area biotech companies using computational methods to improve how therapies are identified and developed. Its location in South San Francisco places it within one of the region’s most established life sciences corridors.
Lieza Danan
Co-founder & CEO, LiVeritas Biosciences
Lieza Danan is the Co-founder and CEO of LiVeritas Biosciences. She leads a South San Francisco-based biotechnology company and brings a background rooted in company-building and biotech entrepreneurship.
LiVeritas Biosciences adds another dimension to the regional life sciences landscape, with Danan leading a company based in one of the Bay Area’s core biotech centers. Her profile reflects the continued importance of founder-led leadership in the commercialization and growth of life sciences businesses.
Nikole Kimes
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Siolta Therapeutics
Nikole Kimes is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Siolta Therapeutics. She leads a San Carlos-based company working in therapeutics and microbiome science.
Siolta Therapeutics represents another part of the Bay Area life sciences ecosystem, with work tied to healthcare innovation outside the more familiar AI-first biotech narrative. Its presence in San Carlos also reflects how biotech activity in the region extends beyond San Francisco and South San Francisco alone.
How These Founders Reflect the Bay Area Biotech Landscape
These four founders represent several of the sectors that continue to define biotech and life sciences in the Bay Area, including AI-driven drug discovery, therapeutics, and microbiome-focused innovation. Their companies are based across key regional hubs and reflect the breadth of scientific and commercial activity that continues to shape the area’s life sciences economy.
For more women founder and business leader features, visit our Women’s Month tag.
