2022 Woman of the Year Beth Seidenberg, MD

Beth Seidenberg has medicine in her blood. From standing on a stool as a child watching her father conducting heart surgery to her groundbreaking work developing new treatments for diseases as diverse as AIDS and arthritis, Beth has applied her medical expertise to the venture capital world. She helps entrepreneurs translate their scientific breakthroughs into new medicines to help patients.

Along the way, she has built 15 successful biotech companies.

As a founding Managing Director of Westlake Village BioPartners, Beth believes this is the Golden Age of Biotech. “The pace and quality of innovation has hit an inflection point,” she explains. “With Westlake Village BioPartners we have the freedom and expertise to turn the next big technologies into products and companies that benefit human health.”

A longtime life sciences investor, and a general partner at Kleiner Perkins, she has incubated and invested in more than 20 biotech ventures since May 2005. Her expertise is grounded in her significant senior-level industry experience with leadership roles at Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Merck Research Laboratories. Most recently, at Amgen, Seidenberg was Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Development.

As a venture capitalist, for Beth it’s not just about bringing new medicines to patients. That is her core mission, but these new companies also provide jobs and shareholder value that benefit society more broadly. Her energy and attention to detail coupled with her drive to improve human health prove valuable assets in the complex and multifaceted world of being a venture capitalist.

Prior to life science investing, her career focused on developing new treatments for AIDS, arthritis, asthma, cancer, and psoriasis, cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological, and renal disorders for over 20 years. During that time, she introduced 10 innovative products to market.

Beth holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Anthropology from Barnard College and attended medical school at the University of Miami School of Medicine. She completed her medical residency at Johns Hopkins University and George Washington University, and Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health.