The Biotech Startups Podcast 🧬 Jason C. Foster - Part 1 | From Paper Routes to Pharma | Navigating the Dot-Com Bubble | Building a $1B Addiction Medicine Business in 4 Years
Jan 27, 2025
55:44
🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast, brought to you by Excedr—empowering life science startups with founder-friendly equipment leasing to fast-track R&D and drive commercialization success.
🔬 Know someone in need of lab equipment? Join Excedr’s referral program: Give your friends $1,000 and earn $1,000 for every qualified referral! 💸
đź”— Get your unique referral link here: refer.excedr.com/ZTHETY.
Part 1 of 2: My guest today is Jason C. Foster, CEO and Executive Director of Ori Biotech. Ori is revolutionizing Cell and Gene Therapy manufacturing through the development of its proprietary platform, IRO®. By automating and standardizing Cell and Gene Therapy manufacturing, Ori and IRO® offer scientists the tools they need to streamline development and support widespread patient access to life-saving treatments.
Jason's experience prior to Ori includes more than 20 years of life science leadership in operations, sales, marketing, technology, and investing, during which he developed deep expertise in commercial strategy and a thorough understanding of healthcare markets across the UK, US, and EU.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- Jason Foster's early entrepreneurship, from paper routes to creative ventures
- His transformative time at Columbia Business School, learning valuable lessons about decision-making and international perspectives
- Jason's entry into healthcare through Merck-Medco
- His experience growing a small pharmaceutical company from 5 to 400 employees, focusing on addiction medicine
- The decision to move his family to London to start the European branch of the business
If you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening!
Subscribe to the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994
Find Our Guest, Jason Foster, at these links:
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links:
Excedr Socials & Website
LinkedIn: 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:
University of Virginia https://www.virginia.edu/
Columbia University https://www.columbia.edu/
How to Spin Out of Academia https://www.excedr.com/resources/how-to-spin-out-of-academia-and-into-a-startup
How VC-Backed Startups Win When They Lease https://www.excedr.com/blog/how-vc-backed-startups-win-when-they-lease
Marketing & Sales Strategies for Startups https://www.excedr.com/blog/marketing-sales-strategies-for-biotechs
People Mentioned:
Larry Sabato https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Sabato
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
04:51 Early years and entrepreneurial experiences
10:10 College decision process and time at the University of Virginia
18:05 Jason's experience in Washington D.C. and introduction to healthcare policy
20:57 Jason's decision to pursue an MBA at Columbia University
25:04 Memorable lessons from Columbia MBA program
30:47 Jason's transition to the private sector and joining Merck Medco
36:41 Insights on effective sales techniques in the pharmaceutical industry
43:19 Jason's career progression after Columbia and joining Medco Health Solutions
51:02 Jason's move to a small pharmaceutical company in Richmond, Virginia
54:59 Outro
The 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.