Timmerman Traverse for Life Science Cares 2023

The Timmerman Traverse for Life Science Cares

The next biotech team adventure is here.

I’m thrilled to announce the Timmerman Traverse for Life Science Cares 2023.

We’re on a mission to raise $1 million. We’re giving it all back to the most vulnerable people in the communities where we live and work.

This trip involves shared sacrifice. We will cover 20+ miles and gain 8,000 feet of net elevation on the Presidential Traverse in New Hampshire. The expedition is set for Aug. 20-23, 2023.

Sweat will be involved. Legs will be tired. The weather may get rough. Teammates will need to lend each other a hand.

The difficulty is what makes it so meaningful. Over the past two years, this initiative has raised a combined $1.7 million to fight poverty.

Awareness of Life Science Cares and its outstanding network of community nonprofits is on the rise. Relationships among scientists, executives and investors have been forged on the trails. Sometimes these relationships translate into new professional and business opportunities.

Who’s on the Team?
  • Luke Timmerman, founder & editor, Timmerman Report
  • Art Krieg, founder and former chief scientific officer, Checkmate Pharmaceuticals
  • Samantha Truex, CEO, Upstream Bio; board of directors, Life Science Cares
  • Lydia Meyer-Turkson, senior director, early innovation partnering, Johnson & Johnson
  • Ted Love, entrepreneur, former CEO, Global Blood Therapeutics
  • Tim Springer, Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; founder, Morphic Therapeutic, Scholar Rock
  • Andrea van Elsas, partner, Third Rock Ventures
  • Lalo Flores, biotech entrepreneur
  • David Schenkein, general partner, GV
  • June Lee, venture partner, 5AM Ventures
  • Katherine Andersen, Head of Life Science & Healthcare
    USA Commercial Banking, HSBC
  • Ben Portney, investment partner, Andreessen Horowitz
  • Kaja Wasik, co-founder and former chief scientific officer, Variant Bio
  • Raju Prasad, CFO, CRISPR Therapeutics
  • Kaye Foster, senior advisor, executive coach, BCG; venture partner, ARCH Venture Partners
  • Sandra Glucksmann, biotech entrepreneur
  • Uciane Scarlett, principal, MPM Capital
  • Sheila Gujrathi, board chair, ImmPACT Bio
  • Hamid Ghanadan, founder and CEO, The Linus Group
  • Robert Nicol, venture partner, RA Ventures

The Life Science Cares network is brimming with nonprofits who are entrepreneurial problem-solvers. Some provide basics like food and shelter. Others concentrate on on-ramps to a better life in the long term, through science education and job training. They are smart, caring, inspirational, resilient people.

Our resources are concentrated in biotech industry clusters — Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, Philadelphia, and New York.

Everyone who goes on this expedition must raise a minimum of $25,000. Many raise more. Each hiker has his or her personal reasons for stepping up to the challenge. I encourage you to look over their personal statements and donate to their campaigns on JustGiving.org.

Corporate sponsorship opportunities for this year’s Timmerman Traverse for Life Science Cares are available. See Emily Stanford emily@lifesciencecares.org for more information. 

These trips are a wonderful way to enjoy nature, get fit, give back, and make new friends.

Biotech entrepreneurs can do amazing things when focused on a tough challenge.

Let’s roll up our sleeves and fight poverty together.

Luke

See what alumni of the Timmerman Traverse have to say:

“We started as industry colleagues with an aligned philanthropic goal. We finished as friends, deeply connected through an experience none of us will ever forget and all of us will work to rekindle in our lives.” — Reid Huber, partner, Third Rock Ventures

On the top of Mt Clay, there are no hierarchies, job titles, favored sons, or favored daughters. You are driven by your personal grit, your fellow climbers, and the beauty and challenges in front of you. We climbed for ourselves, we climbed for each other, but most importantly we climbed for the community being served by Life Science Cares. It was a bond we will never lose.” — Dave Melville, founder and CEO, The Bowdoin Group

It was amazing to see leaders across our biotech industry come together to raise funds to help bridge the unfortunately real gap between the medicines we develop, and the patients and communities who need access to them.” – Vineeta Agarwala, general partner, Andreesen Horowitz

Members of the Timmerman Traverse for Life Science Cares 2022. At Crawford Notch.

Sponsors:

 

 

Life Science Cares Gallery

About Luke Timmerman

Who am I?
Luke Timmerman is a biotech journalist, author, and entrepreneur. I’m the founder of Timmerman Report, a biotech newsletter, and author of “Hood: Trailblazer of the Genomics Age.” My mountain climbing campaigns have mobilized the biotech community to raise $7 million to fight cancer and poverty since 2017.

Comments from Expedition Veterans

“What was completely unexpected on our Kilimanjaro trip was the level of camaraderie that immediately formed in the group – like-minded, interesting and interested, generous and unquitting”

Nina Kjellson, general partner, Canaan Partners

“The proposition: join Luke and equal numbers of men & women in our industry to raise money for cancer research at the Fred Hutch and climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. This was the experience of a lifetime. Breathtaking scenery – yes. Challenging physically – yes. Outstanding guides & support personnel – yes. Life-long bonding experiences – yes!”

Bill Newell, CEO, Sutro Biopharma

“Luke’s Climb to Fight Cancer trip to Kilimanjaro was simply the best chance ever to get to know a high quality group of biotech executives well. And so much more. Consider his future trips if you love the industry and hate cancer.”

Bob More, partner, Alta Partners

The Climb to Fight Cancer EBC trip was life changing on many levels, personally and professionally. I applaud and thank Luke Timmerman who is an entrepreneurial leader with an ability to build a diverse, cohesive team motivated to give back.

Leslie Williams, CEO, hC Bioscience