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Part 3 of 4.Â
My guest for this week’s episode is Barbara Alcaraz Silva, Executive Director of Early Stage Life Sciences and Healthcare, Startup Banking at J.P. Morgan. Barbara is a former researcher and entrepreneur, and an accomplished industry veteran. Her career has revolved around startups and early-stage ventures. As a graduate student, she focused on Telomeres and DNA Repair. Before joining J.P. Morgan, Barbara was an advisor for biotech and medtech companies at the Manos Accelerator, where she provided mentorship in business development, fundraising, and other key areas. She also served as a Senior Investment Fellow at Life Science Angels, where she invested in emerging biotechs and managed investor relationships. Additionally, Barbara co-founded BioChron, a company that leveraged AI and machine learning to track biological aging.
Barbara’s dedication to fostering a strong community in the biotech space, combined with her expertise in science, business, and investing, makes her conversation invaluable for founders.
Join us this week to hear about:- Barbara’s transition from academia to entrepreneurship and industryÂ
- Her experience co-founding Biochron, which built technologies to track biological aging using AI/ML
- The challenges of early-stage company building
- Her time as a mentor at the Manos Accelerator, and investment experience in early-stage ventures as a Senior Fellow at Life Science Angels
- Advice for improving your investor pitch and connecting with the right people
Please enjoy my conversation with Barbara Alcaraz Silva.
Find Our Guest, Barbara Alcaraz Silva, at these links:Â https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbarasilvaucsf/https://www.jpmorgan.com/global
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links:Â https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.com
Social & WebsiteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@excedr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excedr_inc Twitter: https://twitter.com/ExcedrInc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excedr TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@excedr Podcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/Â
Enriched Notes:
Topics Mentioned:Harvard: https://www.harvard.edu/UCSF: https://www.ucsf.edu/Kaiser Permanente, Division of Research: https://divisionofresearch.kaiserpermanente.org/Manos Accelerator: https://manosaccelerator.com/Life Science Angels: https://www.lifescienceangels.com/The Column Group: https://www.thecolumngroup.com/How To Spin Out of Academia: https://www.excedr.com/resources/how-to-spin-out-of-academia-and-into-a-startupHow to Fund an R&D Lab: https://www.excedr.com/resources/rd-startup-funding-first-stepsTop Accelerators in Biotech: https://www.excedr.com/resources/biotech-acceleratorsTop Incubators in Biotech: https://www.excedr.com/resources/biotech-incubatorsAccelerator vs. Incubator: https://www.excedr.com/resources/accelerator-vs-incubatorTop VCs in Biotech: https://www.excedr.com/blog/top-vc-firms-for-biotechBiotech Funding Options: https://www.excedr.com/resources/biotech-startup-funding-optionsGrant Funding in Biotech: https://www.excedr.com/resources/grants-public-funding-biotech-startups
Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:54 The story behind Barbara’s decision to create a startup07:33 Experience as a Program Manager at UCSF10:43 Key lessons learned from running a startup and working as a PM16:03 Landing investment and advisory roles at the Manos Accelerator, Life Sciences Angels21:49 Crash course in investing and company assessment26:21 Advice for improving your investor pitch, connecting with the right people33:33 OutroThe Biotech Startups Podcast gives you a front-row seat to the business
and science of building a biotech. Hosted by Jon Chee, CEO of Excedr, the show features honest conversations with founders, execs, and investors about their work, their companies, and how they got there. From scientific breakthroughs to startup lessons, each episode explores what it really takes to grow a life science company—from pre-seed to IPO.
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