The Robert Family Entrepreneurship Speaker Series is made possible through a generous gift from Edward W. Robert in support of entrepreneurship and innovation at the Knight Campus. This program is supported by an endowed gift from Edward W. Robert to advance entrepreneurship and innovation at the University of Oregon.
Winter 2026 Robert Family Entrepreneurship Speaker Series with Michael J. Weickert
"Dumb Ways to Die: How Biotech Startups Fail"
Thursday, February 19, 2026 | 10:00 a.m.
In-person location: Beetham Family Seminar Room, Room 127, Knight Campus 1st Floor
Hybrid option: Attend remotely via Zoom webinar — a link will be provided closer to the event date and a recording will be posted to our website after the talk.
About the talk:
In this talk, Michael J. Weickert will examine entrepreneurship as a professional discipline, drawing on more than three decades of experience developing drugs and medical devices across public and private companies. He will discuss the realities of building life science startups, including fundraising, clinical development, regulatory strategy, and translating scientific discovery into viable products.
About Michael J. Weickert:
Dr. Michael Weickert has spent 33 years developing drugs and medical devices in the life sciences sector. He is currently CEO of Pacylex Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage oncology company developing a first-in-class oral cancer drug and antibody–drug conjugate payloads, and CEO of Fe Pharmaceuticals, a preclinical anti-infective company developing an iron-sequestering polymer to address serious infections and cancer.
Over his career, Weickert has founded and led multiple startups, served in C-level roles at seven companies, and guided ventures from early concepts through Phase 2 clinical development. He has sourced nearly $200 million in investments and partnerships and has held senior leadership roles at Ligand, Nektar Therapeutics, and Auspex Pharmaceuticals, contributing to a $3 billion acquisition by Teva.
He is also an active mentor at Stanford University Medical School’s SPARK program and has served as an advisor and evaluator for numerous startup and investment organizations. He holds a PhD in Genetics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and completed postdoctoral training at the National Cancer Institute at NIH.
Previous Speakers
Note: Our invited speakers may approve or decline the option to livestream and/or record their presentations. Without the permission of our speakers, the Knight Campus is unable to post any available recordings to this page.
Tom Moss
Technology executive, serial entrepreneur, and angel investor
"Entrepreneurship as a Profession"
In his Nov. 6, 2025, talk, Tom Moss demystified entrepreneurship as a profession, challenging common myths about visionary founders and highlighting the realities of pivots, pitfalls, and persistence. Drawing from decades of experience founding and scaling companies, Moss discussed how entrepreneurship is a skill that can be developed through practice, study, and resilience.
Elliot Reed
Co-founder and CEO of Sensate Biosystems
"From Startup to Scale: Lessons in Building Entrepreneurial Ecosystems"
In his lecture, Elliot Reed shared insights from more than 20 years of experience in technology commercialization and venture development. He highlighted lessons from leading nine startups and raising over $60 million in funding, and reflected on his work at Northeast Ohio Medical University supporting innovation and entrepreneurship.
