Nucleate Podcast

Time Stamps:

(2:37) Introduction to Kendra’s professional journey and how she found her path into science 

(7:30) Understanding the consumer mindset and patient perspectives

(13:05) Key parameters that shape important decisions 

(17:45) Core lessons on bridging the gap between science and business 

(25:30) Introduction to Bayer and Kendra’s  role as Senior Vice President of Business Development and Licensing 

(29:46) Latest trends shaping healthcare research,  education, and innovation 

(38:59) How to establish credibility as an entrepreneur in a competitive market

(41:28) Inside the Bayer Co.Lab incubator ecosystem and the support it offers

(50:37) Tips for early-career scientists interested in making a pivot from the lab to business

(57:09) Do you really need a Ph.D. to break into pharma?

(1:00:01) Quick fire questions

Time Stamps

01:42: Jodie’s early interest in science and the defining moment  

03:31: Starting from the bottom in clinical research shaped her leadership style as a CEO

08:32: How she joined Q32 Bio and then took them public

10:11: Jodie’s inspiration to get involved with challenging companies

11:42: The emotional reward of biotech: the long hours are worthwhile to save lives  

13:46: Navigating challenging situations

15:10: Q32 Bio's focus on autoimmune disorders

19:59: The origins of the CEO Forum

27:54: The "lonely" nature of being a CEO and the importance of community

30:54: Philosophy on female leadership: “lift while we climb”

34:54: How AI is involved in biotech

43:24: Navigating challenging capital markets: focus on “killer experiments” that investors want

46:47: Balancing "ethical obligation" to employees with their "fiduciary responsibility" to investors

49:56: How layoffs are “heartbreaking” but necessary to preserve capital for future drug development

56:30: The future of biotech is "cautious optimism" but needed

1:00:06: Initiatives among leaders to heal the misconception of science

01:05:01: Rapid Fire questions

Time Stamps

[00:00] Laurence explains biotech to a five-year-old 

[01:55] Early life in the UK and first steps toward biotech 

[02:47] How The Double Helix and Celltech shaped his path 

[07:15] Moving from bench science to Cell and a wider view of research 

[13:04] Learning business development at Millennium

[15:30] Why relationships matter in biotech deals 

[17:43] How Millennium changed from platform company to drug developer 

[28:01] Joining Alnylam and building around RNAi 

[39:19] Becoming a CEO at Warp Drive Bio 

[44:36] Novel antibiotics, molecular glues, and the RevMed merger

[52:07] What founders should know about building to make a lasting impact

[54:50] Joining Decibel during restructuring and COVID 

[58:55] Rebuilding culture and sharpening strategy 

[1:09:49] Why Decibel focused on gene therapy for the inner ear

[1:25:05] Advice for founders raising money in a hard market

Time Stamps

(0:55) Introduction to Michal’s background and her professional journey 

(7:58) How Michal leveraged tech skills to break into computational biology 

(13:15) Her experience at Compugen working on early AI-enabled drug discovery  

(19:52) Challenges startup founders face and strategies to overcome them

(25:19) Michal’s personal experience as a founder at Anima Biotech

(32:52) Resources available at academic institutions to support startups 

(40:15) How to successfully negotiate as a scientific founder

(46:51) Michal’s role at Johnson & Johnson

(53:13) Introduction to MassBio and their purpose

(58:35) Advice on networking and how to form meaningful partnerships

Time Stamps

1:37 Introduction to Szabi’s journey from economics to healthcare 

3:23 Szabi’s early startup experience at Tresorit 

5:27 Key takeaways from his first venture

11:46 What led Szabi to pivot into healthcare and how he managed that transition

14:37 Introduction to Turbine

17:10 Example of running large-scale experiments in collaboration with Merck 

19:17 Explanation of the main phases of application of the model 

22:32 What fundamental tenets were used to build Turbine’s model 

29:16 How to form successful partnerships

38:53 Szabi’s experience with raising funds in a tight capital market 

40:00 Advice for founders navigating this challenging market

49:20 How to find the right mentor and form a meaningful connection 

51:07 Final words of wisdom