Quita Highsmith is Head, Alliance & Advocacy Relations in Government Affairs, and is also the Co-Founder of Advancing Inclusive Research™ at Genentech. Quita is passionate about incorporating the patient voice in healthcare, developing others and creating vision in the biotech industry for women and people of color. Her work in Advancing Inclusive Research highlights her commitment to addressing barriers in clinical research participation for diverse and ethnic communities. Quita is one of the named authors of “US Cancer Centers of Excellence strategies for increased inclusion of racial and ethnic minorities in clinical trials,” published in the Journal of Oncology Practice. Quita’s leadership is evident within nonprofit and professional organizations as well, serving as the Vice Chair of the Alliance Development Committee for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), as a member of the Global Nominating Board and Past President of the San Francisco Chapter of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA), as a member of the Delta San Fran-Peninsula Foundation Scholarship Board for black college students and on the board of Genentech’s Political Action Committee (GenenPAC). She has been recognized by numerous institutions and is a leading voice for promoting people of color and women in the workplace.