Karen Wong, Ph.D., J.D.
General Counsel and Chief Business Officer
Dr. Wong co-founded Kumquat Biosciences Inc., and currently serves as the General Counsel and Chief Business Officer. Prior to Kumquat, Dr. Wong practiced intellectual property law as a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati for nearly ten years. She has more than twenty years of experience in formulating successful business and IP strategies for life science companies. Dr. Wong has represented over 100 venture-backed companies across the spectrum – CRISPR gene editing, gene therapies, small molecules, biologics, cell immunotherapies, and personalized medicine. Dr. Wong was the architect of IP strategies for Intellikine Inc. – from its inception to acquisition by Takeda, for Kura Oncology – from its founding stage to IPO. Dr. Wong was instrumental in striking many corporate spinouts, strategic partnerships and licensing, and cross-border merger acquisitions, the value of which exceeds billions in US dollars. She is a sought-after speaker in international investment and IP conferences on topics ranging from life science investment, innovation, invention to entrepreneurship, and women’s leadership. Dr. Wong conducted Ph.D. thesis and postdoctoral research in Cell, Molecular and Development Biology at Tufts University and at Harvard Medical School. She received her Juris Doctorate degree from Santa Clara University.