Astrid Menendez-Muharram is an attorney in Morrison Foerster’s M&A and Private Equity Practice, focusing her practice on advising clients on a broad range of corporate matters, with an emphasis on M&A and private equity transactions in the United States and Latin America.
Astrid has significant experience representing businesses and private equity funds and portfolio companies in a broad range of corporate matters, including domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, joint ventures, divestitures and general corporate governance. Astrid advises clients in all aspects of their investment activity across a wide variety of industry sectors, including consumer, beauty, and personal care products, retail, food and agriculture, manufacturing, aerospace, defense and government contracting and technology.
Justin Byers is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Axio BioPharma, an AI biomanufacturing company revolutionizing how monoclonal antibodies are developed and produced. Based in Madison, Wisconsin, Axio launched in 2024 with a mission to accelerate and de-risk the development of recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies through AI-driven process design and U.S.-based manufacturing.
Under Justin’s leadership, Axio has pioneered a data-rich, machine learning–powered approach that reduces process development timelines from years to days unlocking faster, more cost-efficient pathways for biotech partners. He has steered the company’s rapid growth, from establishing its state-of-the-art facilities to securing strategic partnerships, including collaborations to advance next-generation drug delivery technologies.
With a background at the intersection of biomanufacturing, technology, and entrepreneurship, Justin brings a vision of scaling biologics development with speed, reliability, and accessibility. He is committed to building Axio into a trusted partner for innovators worldwide, combining scientific rigor with cutting-edge AI to bring life-changing therapies to patients faster.
Panelists will provide a pragmatic discussion of how AI is being used to improve efficiency and clinical decision making. We’ll take a look at the past, present and future. What’s actually being utilized to date, the impact that’s having and what the realistic path to adoption will be over the next 2-3 years.
Panellists will explore the various ways independent and corporate group leaders are working with start-up founders to help bring innovation to market. From investment, advisory and board roles, to pilot, proof of concept and trials, we will explore how practitioners are a key stakeholder in the development of innovation and help session attendees explore the opportunities AHNTI provides to connect with founders looking to build practice relationships.
