What is it is like to be a female founder in STEM?

This is a question I wanted to ask as part of this series on women in STEM. To hear the challenges and experiences of the women who are leading companies.

That is why I am delighted to be talking to Dr Beatrix Förster, CEO and Founder of Doderm, a company working to create healthier skin in humans and animals.

Beatrix shares insights into life as a CEO, from the challenge to secure funding as a female founder in STEM, to her own experiences as a woman in the industry. She shares how leadership styles can differ between men and women, as well as the differences she saw in questions from investors to her as a female founder.

She gives brilliant suggestions on how to improve investment in female led companies by creating more female investor positions.

Beatrix also explores what running a successful STEM business looks like, from building a marketing team, to her being able to create a truly inspirational work-life balance.

For any aspiring female leaders this is not to be missed.

“Financing in the beginning was the biggest challenge.” - Dr Beatrix Förster

You’ll hear about:

00:00 - Funding Challenges for Female Founders

01:32 - Introduction to Doderm and Its Mission

05:20 - The Importance of Market Research

07:37 - Becoming an Entrepreneur: Education and Mentorship

09:58 - Leadership Styles and Challenges

12:24 - Building a Strong Team and Company Culture

14:47 - Sales and Marketing: Learning the Ropes

16:48 - Navigating Barriers as a Female CEO

20:18 - Work-Life Balance and Support Systems

23:46 - Innovative Approaches in Skin Health

27:31 - Future Aspirations for Doderm

30:41 - The Role of Mentorship in Growth

32:36 - Engaging with Young Talent

Dr Beatrix Förster’s resources:

Dr Beatrix’s LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/in/beatrix-förster-71158b1/ 

Dodern on LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/doderm-gmbh/about/ 

Doderm -https://shorturl.at/SAsUS

My resources:

LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/in/martina-n/ 

There are many challenges for women to succeed in STEM

The problem of power dynamics and gender discrepancies has never been solved.

In this episode, I am joined by the brilliant Xu Simon, COO

She highlights the importance of mentorship and role models,

Xu advocates for champions who see potential and provide

We also discuss the need for transparency and continuous

This conversation shows changes are happening but there is

“The problem is not solved just because it's articulated.” -

You’ll hear about:

00:00 - The Importance of Women in STEM

01:05 - Xu's career in science

04:48 - The feelings women in STEM evokes for Xu

07:20 - The invisible problem of women in STEM

10:16 - Xu's experience as a woman in STEM

15:21 - Xu's experience as a senior leader in STEM

27:12 - Going beyond identifying the problem

30:32 - How to find out what really needs to happen

33:41 - How important has mentorship been to Xu

38:49 - How have things progressed for women in STEM?

45:36 - Xu's advice for young women coming into STEM

Xu’s resources:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/xufits/

Enozo - https://enozo.com/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nXBcFQLw5c

My resources:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/martina-n/

Keywords:

 women in STEM, PhD journey, STEM education, mentorship,

We need relatable role models to know we can achieve our

For women wanting a career in STEM it can be hard to find

Dr Abigail Otchere is a PhD graduate and co -founder of

Since creating SiSTEM UK she has gone on to speak at events

This is a hugely inspiring and important conversation aiming

“The higher I went the less people I saw that looked like me.”

You’ll hear about:

00:53 - An introduction to Abigail

07:18 - Getting over your internal blocks

09:42 - Going higher in STEM seeing fewer people like herself

12:26 - The importance of role models that look like you

13:42 - Why Abigail started SiSTEM UK

16:25 - Abigail's evolution into an event speaker

19:10 - Why are there few Black women in STEM?

22:07 - The biggest challenges for women entering STEM

25:47 - What does SiSTEM UK offer?

30:29 - The future for SiSTEM UK

Abigail’s resources:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-abigail-otchere-0902b2192/

SiSTEM UK on LinkedIN - https://www.linkedin.com/company/sistem-uk/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sistemuk/?hl=en

SiSTEM UK Linktree - https://shorturl.at/xItNF

My resources:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/martina-n/

Keywords

women in STEM, PhD journey, black women in science, STEM

Allyship between women in the workplace is not a given, and

Whether it’s because of a perceived need to be masculine to

In this episode, I am joined by the wonderful Jessica

Jessica shares her own experiences in the workplace that

There is a real need for allyship and support from both men

Jessica has some incredible insights into what should happen

“Women supporting women in STEM is crucial.” - Jessica

You’ll hear about:

00:00 Embracing Vulnerability in Professional Settings

08:03 Navigating Women in STEM: Challenges and Support

15:50 The Impact of Masculine and Feminine Energy in

25:22 The Challenge of Vulnerability in Leadership

29:11 Navigating Masculine Behaviours in Leadership

32:57 The Importance of Allyship and Support

36:48 The Need for Recognition and Feedback

42:10 Creating Supportive Communities for Women in Science

Jessica’s resources:

Jessica’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicarietbrock/

North West Women in STEM on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwest-women-in-stem/

My resources:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/martina-n/

Keywords

vulnerability, women in STEM, leadership, support,

From Alpha to Authentic: Evolving Gender Narratives in STEM

Gender diversity in STEM is constantly evolving.

But how far have we come and what do we still need to do to

To discuss this, I am joined by a panel of special guests,

We explore each other’s experiences with gender diversity in

We discuss improvements in biological sciences

The conversation underscored the necessity of inclusive

There are lots of challenges and fears surrounding these

“The further you get up the ladder the less women there are.”-

You’ll hear about:

00:00 Introduction to Gender Equity in STEM

07:00 Personal Journeys into STEM

13:58 Gender Diversity in STEM: Progress and Challenges

19:54 Navigating Masculine and Feminine Leadership Traits

29:25 The Role of Men in Supporting Women in STEM

29:54 Advocacy and Listening in the Workplace

32:04 The Importance of Self-Reflection for Leaders

34:49 Inclusive Conversations: Engaging All Voices

36:25 Addressing Disrespect and Building Culture

38:05 The Need for Open Dialogue

41:16 Embracing Change and Diversity

44:12 The Role of Middle Management in Diversity

46:02 The Impact of Mentorship and Coaching

52:09 Creating Supportive Environments for Women in STEM

Panellist’s resources:

Amber on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-penrose-95256bb5/

Philipp on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipp-baaske/

Gregory on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-antonios-llm-phd-96746341/

My resources:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/martina-n/

Keywords

gender equity, women in STEM, diversity, leadership, career

Maggie Philbin - Empowering Women in STEM: The Tomorrow's

To get a real sense of how accessible STEM subjects are for

There is no-one more experienced and more influential both

Maggie was the host of Tomorrow’s World, a hugely popular

Maggie shares her experiences hosting Tomorrow’s World and

In 2008 she founded Teen Tech, a charity addressing social

We explore the systemic barriers to diversity in tech and

Maggie was a joy to talk to, with so much she wants to give

“The systems are preventing diversity in tech.”- Maggie

You’ll hear about:

00:00 – The legacy of Tomorrow's World for women

00:56 - An introduction to Maggie Philbin

03:27 - The human failures shown on Tomorrow's World

06:29 - Maggie's journey with the sciences

13:53 - Curating the stories on Tomorrow's World

18:56 - The inspiration behind Maggie's charity

24:37 - The perceptions in tech companies

25:29 - The challenge of balancing motherhood and career

27:27 - The barriers underrepresented populations face

32:45 - The challenges with school curriculums

41:06 - Giving schools and students a network for the future

42:18 - Maggie's on the number of girls in the program

48:40 - How to get involved in team tech

Maggie’s resources:

LinkedIn: - https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggiephilbin/

Teen Tech - https://teentech.com/

My resources:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/martina-n/

Season 2 of The Blooming Late Scientists kicks off with an empowering episode featuring Rachel Pearce, co-founder of the Oxford Women in Life Sciences group.

Rachel dives deep into the challenges women face in STEM, from subtle ingrained masculine norms to creating inclusive workplace cultures. She shares her journey of building a community for women in science, advice for young professionals starting out, and how diversity drives innovation.

If you're passionate about creating a more equal scientific industry, this episode is for you. Tune in now to be inspired by Rachel's vision for empowering women and paving the way for change.

Are there barriers to get into science in 2024?

In short, yes there are. From gender barriers to resume barriers for Gen Z applicants, they are still there.

In this episode I am joined by Amber Penrose, founder of

She talks honestly about the challenges she has faced to get

There are still a lot that needs to change to break down

“Being a woman in business, definitely it's hard”- Amber

You’ll hear about:

01:26 - An introduction to Amber

02:49 - The issue with the way people hire

05:57 - Why Amber likes working with smaller companies

08:27 - Leaving school and career choices

15:53 - Disappointing career coaching at school

19:47 - Learning about generational differences

22:04 - Is a PHD really the ultimate goal?

27:33 - Did Amber purposefully chose life science recruitment?                 

32:19 - Has any of Amber's degree been transferrable?

38:13 - Why all of your experience matters

41:08 - The struggles Amber has faced

43:21 - Amber on gender's impact on her career

Amber’s resources:

LinkedIn: - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-penrose-95256bb5/

Moxee on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/moxee-bio/ 

Moxee website - https://moxee-search.com/

My resources:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/martina-n/

Have you taken a break from work or study?

Time to travel, to fight against the conventional route you

My guest in this episode is Lucy Murray, Education Sales

Lucy shares why she decided to take time out to travel

She also discusses her science journey in higher education

As Lucy says you can follow your instincts and not be afraid to take unconventional paths in your careers.

“I just saw people study, study, study, work, work, work.

You’ll hear about:

01:26 - An introduction to Lucy

03:35 - Overcoming problems aligning with people              

08:55 - Lisa on developing leadership skills               

12:23 - Where did it all start for Lisa?

15:46 - The comparison issue

18:39 - How taking a break from education helped Lisa

23:47 - Lucy on her higher education journey

27:10 - Lucy's preconception of working in sales

31:41 - Keeping the human side of sales

36:39 - Dealing with failure

40:56 - Advice to people thinking about their career

Lucy’s resources:

LinkedIn: - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-murray-/

ADInstruments - https://www.adinstruments.com/

My resources:

In this conversation, we hear from, Dave Graham, a consultant in the life science industry. We cover Dave's diverse career path, the power of networking, and the importance of mentorship. Dave shares his experiences working in big pharma, transitioning between companies, and the value of taking leaps of faith. He emphasizes the need to build a strong network and find your tribe to succeed in the industry. The conversation concludes with advice for young professionals starting out in their careers.

Takeaways