Building Biotechs

Federico Paoletti, co-founder of Exogene, founded his biotech company immediately after finishing his PhD, which led to a steep learning curve and many valuable lessons he now shares with other founders. He and his co-founder learned to operate like a tech startup inside biotech: validate the market before the product, iterate fast, and let customer discovery shape the platform thesis. He shares h...

For our first episode of season three, I sat down with  Gabi Hanna, MD, CEO and co-founder of Lamassu Biotech, where he leads the development of innovative therapies for cancer and inflammatory diseases. A physician-scientist and serial entrepreneur, Dr. Hanna previously founded the first academic drug development center at Duke University and has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications....

This week I had a great conversation with Russ Peloquin, Managing Partner of LifeSci Catalyst Partners. We dive into Russ's unique journey from aspiring exterminator (yes, you read that right!) to leading life science entrepreneur, discussing his extensive experience in commercialization, mergers, and acquisitions. Russ shares invaluable insights on the importance of marketing, fundraising strateg...

This week I chatted with Renee Williams, Founder and Managing Partner at Williams Biotech Consulting. Renee is a seasoned fractional Chief Business Officer (CBO) for small and growing biotechnology companies. Renee shares her career path, insights into helping biotech startups secure funding and navigate partnerships, and the importance of adaptable strategies in a constantly evolving market. From...

This week, I spoke with Natalie Nairn, co-founder and CEO of Cyclera Therapeutics. Natalie is also a Termeer Fellow, and listeners of this podcast know how much I love the Termeer Foundation. We discuss her transition from chemical engineering to biomedical applications. She describes her unexpected path into the fun and volatile startup space, which led to her founding Cyclera. Natalie explains t...

In this episode, I had an engaging conversation with Stacie Frye, co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of StimulusBio, a life sciences commercialization and venture studio for biotech startups. We discussed how StimulusBio aids startups in operational and commercialization aspects, leveraging Stacie's unique journey across marketing, chemical engineering, and her experience with successful biot...

This week, I had an insightful conversation with David Sans, PhD, FAARM, MBA, who heads healthcare investment banking at EF Hutton. We discussed the intricacies of different Public Offering strategies, including micro IPOs, which offer a unique avenue for biotech companies. David provides a deep perspective on the strategic implications of IPOs for biotech funding. He emphasized the importance of...

This week I had a great conversation with Iva Toudjarska, founder and CEO of Zeal Therapeutics. From earning a PhD in molecular biology to a solid scientific career at Alnylam, to working in venture capital, to selling a successful SaaS company, Iva’s career that’s set her up well to enjoy this new challenge – founding a baby biotech. Her expertise marries business development, venture capital, an...

This week I had a fun conversation with Jason Cordeiro, Chief Operating and Innovation Officer at MassBio. We dissect MassBio's newly announced five-year strategic plan that includes a multi-pronged set of initiatives aimed at advancing the biotech industry. From supporting early-stage startups to advocating for policy changes and fostering talent development, Jason details the excellent resources...

In this episode, we revisit a fun conversation with Mike LaRhette, Chief Business Officer at LabCentral. Mike outlines the essentials for startups, including funding, lab space, mentorship, and resources. He shares his journey from aspiring architect to an architect of biotech ecosystems, detailing his experiences with MassChallenge and LabCentral. Mike offers insights into the key elements that m...

This week I spoke with Bogdan Knezevic, founder of Kaleidoscope Bio, about optimizing biotech workflows and achieving milestones efficiently. Bogdan shared insights into how his platform helps companies manage research and development processes, reducing operational inefficiencies and saving time, resources, and money. He discussed the importance of setting clear goals, breaking down complex workf...

This week I spoke with Jon Hu, CEO and co-founder of Pepper Bio, about his journey from pharma consulting and venture capital to founding a tech-enabled biotech company. Pepper Bio created an AI and machine learning platform accelerating drug discovery for untreatable diseases. In addition to the platform, Pepper is currently navigating their asset for liver cancer into phase 2 clinical trials. Jo...

This week we chatted with Cheri Ackerman, PhD, Cofounder & CEO of Concerto Biosciences. During her postdoctoral work at MIT, she developed the groundbreaking kChip technology that led to the formation of Concerto Biosciences. We discuss the challenges and opportunities of building a company during the pandemic and the importance of learning the business side of biotech as a scientific founder....

This week I sat down with Krysta Pellegrino, Chief Client Officer at Health+Commerce, a public relations and marketing agency specifically focused on healthcare. Krysta shared her unique perspective on how biotech companies can leverage communications strategies to tell their stories effectively, attract talent, and navigate complex challenges. She offered insights on the importance of integrated...

In this episode, I had the privilege to interview Bonnie Bertolaet, Ph. D, Executive Director of Science Club for Girls, and Ashley Cooper, MS, MPhil, Curriculum Writer and Evaluation Manager at Science Club for Girls and former Co-Director of the Harvard Chapter of Science Club for Girls. Science Club for Girls aims to ignite excitement, confidence, and literacy in STEM among girls and gender-exp...

In this episode, we had the pleasure of welcoming back Lynn Walder, our first repeat guest, to dive into the pitfalls and best practices of defining culture and core values for growing companies. There has been a shift in how companies invest in and operationalize culture over the past two decades. Lynn shares insights from her extensive experience, including the importance of early core value imp...

Today, I had the opportunity to speak with Amogha Tadimety, PhD, CEO, and Alison Burklund, PhD, President & CTO, co-founders of Nanopath, an innovative company specializing in women’s health diagnostics. Both hailing from Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering, Amogha and Alison walk us through the challenges and opportunities of founding a diagnostic company during the COVID era. We chatted...

In this episode, I sat down with Ben Hemani from Bison Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage frontier technology companies. We explore his background in environmental engineering and his transition into the venture capital world, driven by a passion for technology and sustainability. Ben elaborates on the interconnected areas Bison Ventures invests in, such as biotech, high-...

This week I sat down with Krisha Panchalingham, Director of Lab and Scientific Operations at Portal Innovations. Krisha shares how she and her team support early-stage biotech companies through the operational intricacies of setting up labs, handling logistics, maintaining equipment, and complying with regulations. We also discuss the importance of vendor management, the role of external consultan...

This week, Carina Clingman, PhD, Founder and Principal of Recruitomics Consulting, outlines an actionable 3-Step framework to simplify the recruitment process and hire top-quality talent. The discussion covers common challenges faced by small companies, such as desperation hiring and inefficiencies, and offers solutions like implementing applicant tracking systems (ATS), streamlining processes, an...

This week I chatted with Oriana Papin-Zoghbi, CEO and co-founder of AOA Dx. Oriana shares insights on the challenges of fundraising and the importance of building a network for startup success. She highlights her career shift from biochemistry to economics and international relations, finally leading to her involvement in women's health diagnostics. Oriana emphasizes the significance of finding on...

This week, I chatted with leadership advisor, speaker, entrepreneur, and podcast host Tony Martignetti, MBA, CPC, Founder, and Chief Inspiration Officer of Inspired Purpose Partners. We both agree there’s a critical need for more comprehensive coaching and support for leaders in the biotech industry. Drawing from his diverse career that spans from art to finance and biotech, Tony shares insights i...

In this episode, Heather E. Williams, PhD, MBA, MS, PgD, ErCLG, CG (ASCP) MB, the Chief Operating Officer of Cache DNA, chats about her career journey and the importance of always learning. Heather's passion for medicine and genetics has led her from childhood dreams of being like Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman to training as a clinical laboratory geneticist and eventually becoming a COO. She talks abo...

This week, we had a conversation with Catharine Smith - the Executive Director at the Termeer Foundation. Catharine is passionate about supporting biotech founders in growing patient-centric companies. We are thrilled about the Termeer Foundation and have been delighted to witness the Termeer Fellows thrive through the support, training, and community that this organization provides. If you're int...

In this episode, we chatted with Isaac Stoner, M.B.A., the CEO of Octagon Therapeutics. Isaac is known for his expertise in building small companies and embarking on adventurous missions such as recovering airplane black boxes (yes, you read that correctly!). He also hosts a science enthusiast networking group in Cambridge, where attendees drink beer and discuss science. Link In with Isaac! Isaac'...