The field of stem cell science is advancing at an extraordinary pace, and yet the question remains: how do we ensure these innovations truly reach patients? To explore this, I spent much of August in the United States—Boston and the San Francisco Bay Area—meeting with leaders across academia (MIT, the Broad Institute, Tufts, Massachusetts General Hospital, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Gladstone, Stanford), major pharmaceutical companies (Novartis, Sanofi, Eisai), and emerging biotech ventures (Cellino, GC Therapeutics, Shinobi Therapeutics). Through lectures and exchanges, I gained a clearer view of the progress being made, the obstacles still ahead, and the breakthroughs most urgently needed. These conversations reminded me that the ISSCR’s most vital role is to serve as a trusted platform where such knowledge can be shared globally and effectively.