The Biotech Startups Podcast

The Biotech Startups Podcast is brought to you by Excedr. Excedr provides life science startups with equipment leases on founder-friendly terms to accelerate R&D and commercialization.
Know anyone that needs lab equipment? Join Excedr’s referral program: Give Your Friends $1,000, and Earn $1,000 for Each Qualified Referral 💸.
Get your unique referral link by going to: refer.excedr.com/ZTHETY.
Part 3 of 4: Jon Chee hosts our latest guest, eMalick Njie, CEO of Ecotone AI, a healthcare company that is using AI to find cures for inherited diseases. eMalick is an experienced scientist and entrepreneur who has focused on blending his expertise in neuroscience with his knowledge of AI. 
In addition to founding two AI companies, Ecotone and Genetic Intelligence, eMalick received his PhD in Neurobiology and Neuroscience from the University of Florida. His extensive and diverse experience from being a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia university to being the CEO of the AI thinktank NeuroStorm makes our conversation with him one you won’t want to miss.
Join us this week to hear about:

• Founding Genetic Intelligence and its mission to combine AI and genetics
• Challenges of founding a company, personal sacrifices, and breakthroughs leading to NSF recognition
• How company culture and leadership shifts led eMalick to leave Genetic Intelligence
• The importance of building teams aligned with the original vision
• Discovering population genetics through AI and the birth of Ecotone

Please enjoy Jon’s conversation with Dr. eMalick Njie!
Subscribe to the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994
Find Our Guest, Barbara Alcaraz Silva, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emalick-njie-ph-d-ab82348/ https://ecotone.ai/ 
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.com
Excedr Socials & 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/ 
Enriched Notes:

Topics Mentioned:Genetic Intelligence (now Genetic Leap): https://www.genetic-leap.com/Neurostorm: https://www.linkedin.com/company/neurostorm-inc/Ecotone AI: https://ecotone.ai/OpenAI: https://openai.com/National Science Foundation (NSF): https://www.nsf.gov/McKinsey & Company: https://www.mckinsey.com/Columbia University: https://www.columbia.edu/Andreessen Horowitz: https://a16z.com/Population Genetics: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/population-genetics/C. Elegans Research: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK20086/AI’s Impact in Genetic Research: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10856672/Biotech Startup Support: https://www.excedr.com/resources-category/biotech-startup-supportUnderstanding Tech Transfer: https://www.excedr.com/blog/what-is-tech-transferIP & Patents in Biotech: https://www.excedr.com/resources/intellectual-property-rights-for-biotechs
People Mentioned:Bertrand Adanve, PhD: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bertrandadanve/Nathan Clark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-clark-4b850134/
Timestamps:00:28 Introduction01:58 Founding Genetic Intelligence03:23 Early struggles, learning from challenges, and staying lean08:32 The universal approximator and the role of AI at Genetic Intelligence11:56 Early adoption of AI and growing momentum16:30 AI and paradigm shifts18:00 Scaling and growing a team, and the pitfalls of doing so28:38 Building culture and hiring for vision33:38 Launching think-tank Neurostorm and learning from failure37:09 Transition to independent research44:11 Discovering population genetics through AI47:30 The birth of Ecotone and AI transformers51:54 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.

The Biotech Startups Podcast is brought to you by Excedr. Excedr provides life science startups with equipment leases on founder-friendly terms to accelerate R&D and commercialization.
Know anyone that needs lab equipment? Join Excedr’s referral program: Give Your Friends $1,000, and Earn $1,000 for Each Qualified Referral 💸.
Get your unique referral link by going to: refer.excedr.com/ZTHETY.
Part 2 of 4: Jon Chee hosts our latest guest, eMalick Njie, CEO of Ecotone AI, a healthcare company that is using AI to find cures for inherited diseases. eMalick is an experienced scientist and entrepreneur who has focused on blending his expertise in neuroscience with his knowledge of AI. 
In addition to founding two AI companies, Ecotone and Genetic Intelligence, eMalick received his PhD in Neurobiology and Neuroscience from the University of Florida. His extensive and diverse experience from being a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia university to being the CEO of the AI thinktank NeuroStorm makes our conversation with him one you won’t want to miss.
Join us this week to hear about:

• Answering the question “What is memory?”
• How playing “Stump the Professor” led eMalick to Columbia
• Studying C Eligans in a sandals-wearing lab
• The wide applicable uses for AI and ML in research
• Wanting to help people at scale

Please enjoy Jon’s conversation with Dr. eMalick Njie!
Subscribe to the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994
Find Our Guest, Barbara Alcaraz Silva, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emalick-njie-ph-d-ab82348/ https://ecotone.ai/ 
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.com
Excedr Socials & 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/ 
Enriched Notes:

Topics Mentioned:Alzheimer’s Disease: https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-alzheimers Neprilysin: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2329843/ Amyloid Plaques: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amyloid_plaques CAR T Therapy: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/treatment-types/immunotherapy/car-t-cell1.html C Elegans: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caenorhabditis_elegans Amyloid Hypothesis for Alzheimer’s https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/alzheimers-new-study-supports-amyloid-hypothesis-suggests-alternate-treatment AlexNet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlexNet Biotech Startup Support: https://www.excedr.com/resources-category/biotech-startup-support
People Mentioned:Dr. Wolfgang Streit: https://neuroscience.ufl.edu/profile/streit-wolfgang/ Dr. David Borchelt https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-borchelt-42474623/ Martin Chalfie https://chalfielab.biology.columbia.edu/people/martin-chalfie
Timestamps:00:28 Intro01:52 Moving to Florida and dealing with massive shifts in weather and culture04:48 Experience working to answer the questions, “What is memory,” 06:21 Studying the other extreme edge of memory, Alzheimer’s disease10:43 Investigating possible plaque busting proteins13:43 Benefits of having more freedom and other differences between MIT and Borchelt's Lab16:25 Playing “Stump The Professor” with Martin Chalfie 20:06 Getting both invited and challenged to write a proposal to study at Columbia25:47 Learning to love the constant surprises and level of people in New York29:46 Going from a lab coat lab to a sandals lab to study C Eligans at Columbia 34:25 Researching neurons responsible for touch sensitivity in C Eligans38:30 Martin Chalfie’s mentorship brilliant mentorship style allowing his students to grow43:43 How a data deluge stemming from one of his experiments started his AI/ML journey 49:53 Choosing the entrepreneurship path and wanting to help people at scale54:27 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.

The Biotech Startups Podcast is brought to you by Excedr. Excedr provides life science startups with equipment leases on founder-friendly terms to accelerate R&D and commercialization.
Know anyone that needs lab equipment? Join Excedr’s referral program: Give Your Friends $1,000, and Earn $1,000 for Each Qualified Referral 💸.
Get your unique referral link by going to: refer.excedr.com/ZTHETY.

Part 1 of 4: Jon Chee hosts our latest guest, eMalick Njie, CEO of Ecotone AI, a company that is looking to use AI to find cures for rare inherited diseases. eMalick is an experienced scientist and entrepreneur who has focused on blending his expertise in neuroscience with his knowledge of AI. 
In addition to founding two AI companies, Ecotone and Genetic Intelligence, eMalick received his PhD in Neurobiology and Neuroscience from the University of Florida. His extensive and diverse experience from being a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia university to being the CEO of the AI thinktank NeuroStorm makes our conversation with him one you won’t want to miss.
Join us this week to hear about:

• Growing up with hippie parents in the Gambia
• Being in the first neuroscience class in the country at Northeastern University
• Lessons learned in one on one conversations with a CEO
• Experience working with Dr. Alice Ting while at MIT
• Sticking to his principles and leaving MIT

Please enjoy Jon’s conversation with Dr. eMalick Njie!
Subscribe to the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994
Find Our Guest, Barbara Alcaraz Silva, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emalick-njie-ph-d-ab82348/ https://ecotone.ai/ 
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.com
Excedr Socials & 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/ 
Enriched Notes: 

Topics Mentioned:Ecotone AI: https://ecotone.ai/ Genetic Leap: https://www.genetic-leap.com/ Northeastern University: https://cos.northeastern.edu/behavioral-neuroscience/ Millennium Pharmaceuticals https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takeda_Oncology Eli Lilly Joins Forces with AI Startup Genetic Leap in $409M Deal https://www.geneonline.com/eli-lilly-joins-forces-with-ai-startup-genetic-leap-in-409m-deal-centered-around-rna-targeted-drug-discovery/ Biotech Startup Support: https://www.excedr.com/resources-category/biotech-startup-support
People Mentioned:Dr. Alice Y. Ting: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-ting-a7689835/ Dr. Wendy Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-smith-80663714/ Mark Howort https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-howarth-763112b1/Dr. Eric Kandel: https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/profile/eric-kandel-md Dr. David Bruchelt https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-borchelt-42474623/ Dr. Wolfgang Streit: https://neuroscience.ufl.edu/profile/streit-wolfgang/ 
Timestamps:00:28 Intro02:12 Early upbringing in the Gambia, early childhood, and how his unusual hippie parents shaped him into the scientist and entrepreneur he is today04:32 Following his curiosity to his undergrad program Northeastern University to study the “unending book” of neuroscience06:51 Being part of the first neuroscience class in the country and starting the trend of working under Nobel Prize winners, and/or those trained by Nobel Laureates 11:17 First exposure to professional scientists while interning at Millennium Pharmaceuticals 14:03 Lessons learned during his humanizing one-on-one conversations with the CEO17:52 Comparing and contrasting his industry experience with his academia experience19:58 Getting to MIT after graduating from NEU and working with Dr. Alice Ting23:24 Dealing with challenging periods in your life and learning to persevere25:28 Memorable and humbling challenge while working in Dr. Ting’s lab30:18 “How do you lose your recommendation letter to MIT: 101” 32:38 Choosing to moving on to University of Florida36:51 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.

The Biotech Startups Podcast is brought to you by Excedr. Excedr provides life science startups with equipment leases on founder-friendly terms to accelerate R&D and commercialization.
Know anyone that needs lab equipment? Join Excedr’s referral program: Give Your Friends $1,000, and Earn $1,000 for Each Qualified Referral 💸.
Get your unique referral link by going to: refer.excedr.com/ZTHETY.
Part 4 of 4: Jon Chee hosts our latest guest, Barbara Alcaraz Silva, the Executive Director of Early Stage Life Sciences and Healthcare, Startup Banking at J.P. Morgan. Barbara brings a wealth of experience as a former researcher, entrepreneur, and industry veteran. She has worked extensively with startups and early-stage ventures. Her scientific background is in Telomeres and DNA Repair research. 
Prior to her role at J.P. Morgan, Barbara advised biotech and medtech companies at Manos Accelerator, served as a Senior Investment Fellow at Life Science Angels, and co-founded BioChron, an AI-driven biological aging tracking company. Her unique combination of scientific knowledge, business acumen, and investment/finance expertise makes her an invaluable resource for founders in the biotech space.
Join us this week to hear about:

• Barbara’s unexpected pivot into banking
• Her transition from SVB to J.P. Morgan
• Her unique life sciences and entrepreneurial backgrounds
• The importance of mentorship, resilience, and seizing unexpected opportunities
• Navigating the challenges of building a career in both science and finance

Please enjoy Jon’s conversation with Barbara Alcaraz Silva!
Subscribe to the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994
Find Our Guest, Barbara Alcaraz Silva, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbarasilvaucsf/https://www.jpmorgan.com/global
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.com
Excedr Socials & 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/ 
Enriched Notes: 

Topics Mentioned:SVB: https://www.svb.com/J.P. Morgan: https://www.jpmorgan.com/globalNucleate: https://www.nucleate.xyz/Women in Bio: https://womeninbio.org/How to Spin Out of Academia: https://www.excedr.com/resources/how-to-spin-out-of-academia-and-into-a-startupPatent Licensing for Biotechs: https://www.excedr.com/resources/how-patent-licensing-worksBiotech Startup Support: https://www.excedr.com/resources-category/biotech-startup-support
People Mentioned:
Timestamps:00:28 Intro02:18 Pivoting from Life Sciences Angels to SVB10:24 Joining the Life Sciences practice and establishing the Early-Stage division13:22 Transitioning to Private Equity and J.P. Morgan16:16 The power of mentorship and mentor networks17:46 Barbara Reflects on her pivot from Life Sciences Angels to J.P. Morgan19:17 Why J.P. Morgan stands out and the impact of Barbara's group23:58 The importance of business partners who understand the Life Sciences27:55 How J.P. Morgan supports Growth-Stage companies30:57 Barbara’s 2-year vision34:34 Barbara’s shoutouts and advice to younger self37:00 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.

The Biotech Startups Podcast is brought to you by Excedr. Excedr provides life science startups with equipment leases on founder-friendly terms to accelerate R&D and commercialization. Lease the equipment you need with Excedr. Extend your runway, hit your milestones.
Know anyone who needs lab equipment? Join Excedr’s referral program.
Give Your Friends $1,000, and Earn $1,000 for Each Qualified Referral 💸.
Get your unique referral link by going to refer.excedr.com/ZTHETY.
Part 3 of 4. 
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 industry 
• 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: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbarasilvaucsf/https://www.jpmorgan.com/global
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: 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/ 
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.

The Biotech Startups Podcast is brought to you by Excedr. Excedr provides life science startups with equipment leases on founder-friendly terms to accelerate R&D and commercialization. Lease the equipment you need with Excedr. Extend your runway, hit your milestones.
Know anyone who needs lab equipment? Join Excedr’s Referral Program.
Give Your Friends $1,000, and Earn $1,000 for Each Qualified Referral 💸.
Get your unique referral link by going to refer.excedr.com/ZTHETY.

Part 2 of 4. 
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. She is also a former scientist-entrepreneur whose graduate studies focused on Telomeres and DNA Repair. Barbara has worked with many startups, including co-founding her own company, BioChron. While at the Manos Accelerator, she worked as an advisor for Biotech and Medtech companies, providing mentorship in business, fundraising, and capital, and offering guidance to startup companies. Additionally, Barbara worked as a Senior Investment Fellow at Life Science Angels, investing in up-and-coming biotechs and managing investor relationships. 
After her time at Life Science Angels, Barbara became the Director of Early-Stage West Coast Life Science and Healthcare banking at SVB and is currently the Executive Director of Early Stage Life Sciences and Healthcare, Startup Banking at J.P. Morgan, where she is leading the national life sciences and healthcare practice. Barbara’s dedication to building a strong community in the biotech space and her expertise in science, management, and investing make her conversation one that founders don’t want to miss.
Join us this week and hear about:

• Barbara’s academic journey and graduate school lab experience at UC Irvine
• Her insights from her time at the Beckman Laser Institute and her groundbreaking research on DNA repair using lasers
• Her international fellowship at King's College London, where she explored stem cell biology
• How her transition to entrepreneurship was shaped by navigating different lab environments and overcoming funding challenges

Please enjoy my conversation with Barbara Alcaraz Silva.

Find Our Guest, Barbara Alcaraz Silva, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbarasilvaucsf/https://www.jpmorgan.com/global
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: 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/ 
Enriched Notes

Topics Mentioned:UC Irvine: https://uci.edu/ Minority Science Program: https://msp.bio.uci.edu/What Is Molecular Biology? https://www.excedr.com/blog/what-is-molecular-biologyLab Equipment List for Synthetic Biology: https://www.excedr.com/blog/lab-equipment-list-for-synthetic-biology-research Types of Equipment Used in Molecular Biology Research: https://www.excedr.com/blog/what-type-of-equipment-is-used-in-molecular-biology-research National Autonomous University of Mexico: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Autonomous_University_of_Mexico Beckman Laser Institute https://www.bli.uci.edu/King’s College London https://www.kcl.ac.uk/Guy's Hospital https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/guys-hospital
People Mentioned:Fiona Watts https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-watt-a45a44b5/?originalSubdomain=ukJohn Murnane https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-murnane-b57340179/
Timestamps:00:28 Intro01:59 Episode starts, applying to grad school06:07 Starting at the Beckman Laser Institute12:18 Barbara’s first time managing a team during her PhD16:24 Fellowship at King’s College London, postdoc experience at UCSF19:31 Barbara shares her outreach efforts for postdoc positions and responses she received23:46 Barbara discusses her experience at UCSF and the differences in lab culture26:36 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.

As a podcast listener, you can redeem exclusive discounts with a growing list of biotech vendors and get $500 off your first equipment lease by using promo code “TBSP” on https://www.excedr.com/rewards.

Part 1 of 4. 
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. She is also a former scientist-entrepreneur whose graduate studies focused on Telomeres and DNA Repair. Barbara has worked with many startups, including co-founding her own company, BioChron. While at the Manos Accelerator, she worked as an advisor for Biotech and Medtech companies, providing mentorship in business, fundraising, and capital, and offering guidance to startup companies. Additionally, Barbara worked as a Senior Investment Fellow at Life Science Angels, investing in up-and-coming biotechs and managing investor relationships. 
After her time at Life Science Angels, Barbara became the Director of Early-Stage West Coast Life Science and Healthcare banking at SVB and is currently the Executive Director of Early Stage Life Sciences and Healthcare, Startup Banking at J.P. Morgan, where she is leading the national life sciences and healthcare practice. Barbara’s dedication to building a strong community in the biotech space and her expertise in science, management, and investing make her conversation one that founders don’t want to miss.
Join us this week and hear about:

• Barbara’s immigrant journey and how her upbringing played an important role in her lead-up to becoming a scientist-entrepreneur. 
• Her path from community college to UC Irvine, where she gained essential lab experience, secured a research position in Plant Biology.
• Her travels abroad to the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Please enjoy my conversation with Barbara Alcaraz Silva.
Find Our Guest, Barbara Alcaraz Silva, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbarasilvaucsf/https://www.jpmorgan.com/global
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: 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/ 
Enriched Notes

Topics Mentioned:UC Irvine: https://uci.edu/ Minority Science Program: https://msp.bio.uci.edu/Sanitor Corporation: https://www.sanitorcorp.com/What Is Molecular Biology? https://www.excedr.com/blog/what-is-molecular-biologyLab Equipment List for Synthetic Biology: https://www.excedr.com/blog/lab-equipment-list-for-synthetic-biology-research Types of Equipment Used in Molecular Biology Research: https://www.excedr.com/blog/what-type-of-equipment-is-used-in-molecular-biology-research National Autonomous University of Mexico: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Autonomous_University_of_Mexico 
Timestamps:00:28 Intro02:24 Episode starts, Barbara's adolescence and immigrant upbringing, the start of community college in Orange County10:08 Professors and classmates who built bonds and inspired the pursuit of science and chemistry, the struggle of learning English15:31 Moving from the academic realm to industry and the cultural adjustments of becoming a project manager at Sanitor Corporation19:58 The bumpy transfer from community college to UC Irvine and the unexpected love of biology25:39 Lab experiences at UC Irvine, the opportunity of being a part of the Minority Science Program31:03 Doing research abroad in Mexico at UNAM35:46 Next steps after Mexico research and applying to grad school37:18 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.

Part 4 of 4. 
My guest for this week’s episode is Derek Hennecke, a veteran biotech entrepreneur and board member with over 30 years of experience in the CDMO industry, whose mission is to support the biotech revolution and create value for patients, customers, and investors.
In addition to his Board work, Derek previously held leadership positions at DSM and was the Founder and CEO of Xcelience, a Florida-based CDMO specializing in preformulation, micronization, analytical services, formulation development, cGMP manufacturing, and more. Derek eventually sold Xcelience to Capsugel (now Lonza) in 2016. 
His extensive pharma and cell therapy expertise makes for an insightful conversation that founders can learn from.
Join us this week and hear about:

• The process of building and scaling Xcelience, from leveraging innovative technology to disrupt the market to navigating the impact of the 2008 Recession
• Derek’s experience with strategic buy-side and sell-side transactions 
• His commitment to continuous learning
• His transition into investing and work as a board member

Please enjoy my conversation with Derek Hennecke.
Find Our Guest, Derek Hennecke, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hennecke/https://kincellbio.com/

Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: 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/ 
Enriched Notes:

Topics Mentioned:Xcelience: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xcelience-llc/MicroSize: https://www.microsize.com/Capsugel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CapsugelLonza (Capsugel’s Parent Company): https://www.lonza.com/Austin Px: https://www.austinpx.com/Micronization: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MicronizationBiotech Partnerships: https://www.excedr.com/blog/how-biotech-partnerships-support-researchM&A Strategies in Biotech: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/m-and-a/our-insights/life-sciences-m-and-a-shows-new-signs-of-lifeBiotech Funding Options: https://www.excedr.com/resources/biotech-startup-funding-optionsMarketing and Sales Strategies in Biotech: https://www.excedr.com/blog/marketing-sales-strategies-for-biotechsHow To Run an Efficient Board Meeting: https://www.excedr.com/resources/how-to-run-an-effective-board-meetingElephant Slides: https://rapport.bio/all-stories/elephant-in-boardroom
Timestamps:00:28 Intro01:48 Disrupting the market with Xcelience03:34 Derek’s M&A experience and acquisition strategy on the buy-side04:36 Financing Xcelience’s acquisition of another micronization company06:32 Derek’s sell-side experience with Capsugel12:03 Challenges of work and life post-acquisition; Working with Lonza14:32 Going back to school, starting as an investor, and transitioning to board work17:35 Bringing confidence and decision-making skills to board member roles20:21 Running effective board meetings and finding CEO mentorship26:53 Final reflections and Derek’s advice for founders30:11 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.

As a podcast listener, you can redeem exclusive discounts with a growing list of biotech vendors and get $500 off your first equipment lease by using promo code “TBSP” on https://www.excedr.com/rewards.

Part 3 of 4. 
My guest for this week’s episode is Derek Hennecke, a veteran biotech entrepreneur and board member with over 30 years of experience in the CDMO industry, whose mission is to support the biotech revolution and create value for patients, customers, and investors.
In addition to his Board work, Derek previously held leadership positions at DSM and was the Founder and CEO of Xcelience, which he eventually sold to Capsugel Lonza in 2016. Xcelience was a Florida-based CDMO specializing in preformulation, micronization, analytical services, formulation development, cGMP manufacturing, and more. His extensive pharma and cell therapy expertise makes for an insightful conversation that founders can learn from.
Join us this week and hear about:

• Derek’s transition from commercial roles to Operations, managing a challenging site in Egypt, and the teamwork that turned it around
• His move to a Biologics site in Montreal and the hurdles he faced there overseeing GMP Operations
• The start of his entrepreneurial journey: buying a portion of a business and founding Xcelience.

Please enjoy my conversation with Derek Hennecke.
Find Our Guest, Derek Hennecke, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hennecke/https://kincellbio.com/
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: 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/

Enriched Notes:

Topics Mentioned:MDS Pharma Services: https://www.mdsps.com/Xcelience: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xcelience-llc/GMP Operations Roles: https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/how-do-you-identify-common-gmp-roles-responsibilities-skills-gmpGMP Practices: https://safetyculture.com/topics/gmp/GMP vs. GLP: https://www.excedr.com/resources/gmp-vs-glp-whats-the-differenceMatrix Organizations: https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/matrix-organization-structure-reason-evolution-1837Sales-Leasebacks (SLB): https://www.excedr.com/blog/what-is-a-sale-leasebackEquipment Leasing: https://www.excedr.com/leasing
Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:50 Starting a role in Operations04:01 Derek’s move to Egypt; Improving safety, performance, and cost structure08:03 Scaling the Egypt site and expanding into other markets; Improving product quality and employee safety10:01 Moving back to Montreal, Canada; Dealing with a site failure, deciding to leave the company13:50 Lessons learned from leaving, the importance of saying “no,” and communicating clearly20:16 Becoming VP of GMP Operations of MDS Pharma; Overseeing multiple locations25:08 Navigating the hurdles of a closing business; Buying one of the units in Tampa, Florida27:45 Derek’s jump into entrepreneurship: Founding Xcelience30:00 Early days of running the company, looking into a sales-leaseback, and securing capital38:21 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.

As a podcast listener, you can redeem exclusive discounts with a growing list of biotech vendors and get $500 off your first equipment lease by using promo code “TBSP” on https://www.excedr.com/rewards.

Part 2 of 4. 
My guest for this week’s episode is Derek Hennecke, a veteran biotech entrepreneur and board member with over 30 years of experience in the CDMO industry, whose mission is to support the biotech revolution and create value for patients, customers, and investors.
In addition to his Board work, Derek previously held leadership positions at DSM and was the Founder and CEO of Xcelience, which he eventually sold to Capsugel Lonza in 2016. Xcelience was a Florida-based CDMO that specialized in preformulation, micronization, analytical services, formulation development, cGMP manufacturing, and more. His extensive expertise in pharma and cell therapy makes for an insightful conversation that founders can learn from.
Join us this week and hear about:

• Derek’s early challenges and financial hurdles he faced after moving to Europe for his MBA
• His first role in business development
• His managing transition, learning the ropes of leadership, and his joint venture experience in Mexico
• Derek’s intricacies of managing a matrix organization and his experience as a product manager

Please enjoy my conversation with Derek Hennecke.

Find Our Guest, Derek Hennecke, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hennecke/https://kincellbio.com/
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: 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/ 
Timestamps:00:28 Intro01:50 Episode starts, starting with business development with Gist-brocades and then quickly moving to area business development manager03:00 Derek’s definition of business development and tips and tricks06:27 The trials of traveling back and forth to North America and Derek’s first time managing a team11:20 The challenges of moving and running a joint venture in Mexico, the willingness to do new things16:47 The balancing act of leading a 50/50 venture, communication, and building trust24:18 Strategy to expand almost worldwide, buying a penicillin factory in Mexico City26:59 Becoming a product manager and the roles it entailed, defining a matrix organization31:18 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.