The Biotech Startups Podcast

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 Noam Solomon, CEO and co-founder at Immunai, a pioneering biotech company that is comprehensively mapping and reprogramming the immune system with single-cell biology and AI to power new therapeutic discoveries, accelerate drug development, and improve patient outcomes. Prior to co-founding Immunai, Noam had a career in both industry and academia. Noam has a double PhD in math and computer science and served as a postdoctoral researcher at MIT and Harvard. Noam also worked as an algorithms developer, consultant, and head of data science in several high-tech companies in Israel. Noam's extensive background in math, computer science, AI, and machine learning gives him a unique depth of experience that founders can learn from.Join us this week and hear about: Noam's early years and how his upbringing shaped his high standards and competitive spirit which led him to excel in the world of academiaHis unique experience of starting university at the age of 14His early love for mathematicsHis pursuit of multiple PhDs in math and computer scienceThe importance of resilience, critical thinking, and creativity needed as an entrepreneurPlease enjoy my conversation with Noam Solomon.Timestamps: 00:28 Intro02:11 Episode starts, upbringing in Israel with high family standards, the push into education and STEM05:58 Becoming an undergraduate at 14 and the attraction to math, the enjoyment of finding creative solutions with sets10:03 Mentors and professors who were inspirational, those who helped drive the inspiration of education12:32 Determining next steps after undergrad, being drafted into the Army and decision to be a mathematician14:43 Software engineering in the Army16:16 Decision to pursue PhD in math and methodical science, Fermat's Last Theorem18:48 Experience in grad school and the difficulties with solitude, how these skills benefitted being a CEO of a startup21:35 Determining what to do after the PhD, postdoc, letting go of a childhood dream23:46 Another PhD focused on computer science, more of a collaborative experience27:32 Skill sets that were acquired during and finishing his postdoc in math30:45 OutroFind Our Guest, Noam Solomon, at this link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noam-solomon-142393129/https://www.immunai.com/ Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.comSocial & 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:MIT https://www.mit.edu/Harvard University https://www.harvard.edu/Immunai https://www.immunai.com/ Equipment Leasing for Laboratories https://www.excedr.com/leasingBiotech Startup Support https://www.excedr.com/resources-category/biotech-startup-supportThe 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 4 of 4. My guest for this week’s episode is Shekhar Mitra, former Senior Vice President of Global Innovation and Chief of Innovation at Procter & Gamble and current President and Founder of InnoPreneur, a strategic advisory firm that enables development of innovation capabilities, ideation, and organizational development for Fortune 500 corporations and new ventures. Prior to InnoPreneur, Shekhar spent 29 years at Procter & Gamble where he worked his way up from staff scientist to Senior Vice President of Global Innovation and Chief of Innovation, becoming a part of P&G's top leadership team and a member of the CEO's Global Leadership Council. Shekhar’s time at P&G paints a successful entrepreneurial road map for those looking to learn, grow, and innovate within large corporations. Post retirement from P&G, Shekhar spent several years as a board member and strategic adviser to several Fortune 500 corporations, new ventures, and private equity companies developing transformational new ideas, business strategies, and organization capabilities to drive growth.Join us this week and hear about:Shekhar’s experience at Procter & Gamble and the intrapreneurial opportunities he found there, sharing how these experiences laid the foundation for his future endeavors as an entrepreneur and mentor.His involvement in developing an innovative drug from natural sources.His involvement in new ventures, from a company creating an innovative mouth piece to a plant extract rejuvenating mitochondriaHis work with the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers, highlighting his commitment to community, diversity, creativity, and leadership in both the arts and STEM fields.Shekhar’s an expert with an exceptional track record in creating and developing game changing technology platforms and formulating disruptive innovation strategies, whose extensive background in R&D offers unique insights that listeners can benefit from. Please enjoy my conversation with Shekhar Mitra.Timestamps: 00:28 Intro 02:10 Leaving P&G, joining different boards, and honing in on a new role 05:49 Shekhar’s goals while working with breakthrough ventures as an advisor 07:45 Shekhar and his wife’s involvement with the Cincinnati Art Museum 14:50 Co-founding the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) 19:18 Shekhar’s mission as a SASE co-founder 22:08 Creating new opportunities for jobs, training, and intrapreneurial roles 26:46 Future plans for InnoPreneur, new learnings as an advisor, and Shekhar’s involvement in developing drugs from natural sources 31:55 Closing questions: Shoutouts and advice to 21-year old self 40:35 OutroFind Our Guest, Shekhar Mitra, at this link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shekhar-mitra-ph-d-4b427b47/Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.comSocial & 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:P&G: https://us.pg.com/Cincinnati Art Museum: https://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/Proclaim Health: https://proclaimhealth.com/M12: https://m12.vc/Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE): https://www.saseconnect.org/Intrapreneurship: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/intrapreneurship.aspGuide to the FDA Drug Approval Process: https://www.excedr.com/blog/fda-drug-approval-process-guidePeople Mentioned:A.G. Lafley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ag-lafley-2381b3201/Mike Hanuschik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhanuschik/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.

Shekhar Mitra, former Senior VP of Global Innovation at Procter & Gamble and founder of InnoPreneur, shares valuable insights from his remarkable career. He discusses the establishment of the first innovation center in Asia, navigating personal and professional challenges. Mitra highlights the sacrifices of entrepreneurship and how diversity and emotional connection can drive innovation. He emphasizes the role of technology in enhancing brand experiences and the power of emotional branding in differentiating products.

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 Shekhar Mitra, former Senior Vice President of Global Innovation and Chief of Innovation at Procter & Gamble and current President and Founder of InnoPreneur, a strategic advisory firm that enables development of innovation capabilities, ideation, and organizational development for Fortune 500 corporations and new ventures. Prior to InnoPreneur, Shekhar spent 29 years at Procter & Gamble where he worked his way up from staff scientist to Senior Vice President of Global Innovation and Chief of Innovation, becoming a part of P&G's top leadership team and a member of the CEO's Global Leadership Council. Shekhar’s time at P&G paints a successful entrepreneurial road map for those looking to learn, grow, and innovate within large corporations. Post retirement from P&G, Shekhar spent several years as a board member and strategic adviser to several Fortune 500 corporations, new ventures, and private equity companies developing transformational new ideas, business strategies, and organization capabilities to drive growth.Join us this week and hear about:Shekar’s time at Columbia and Yale collaborating with top-notch physicists, and his involvement in the Jane Coffin FellowshipHis move from Academia and laser light studies to Procter & GambleNavigating the challenges, failures, and successes along the wayHis experience leading key clinical investigations and working with the FDAShekhar’s an expert with an exceptional track record in creating and developing game changing technology platforms and formulating disruptive innovation strategies, whose extensive background in R&D offers unique insights that listeners can benefit from. Please enjoy my conversation with Shekhar Mitra.Timestamps:00:28 Intro 01:46 From Colombia to Yale, the Jane Coffin Fellowship, and help from grants and Professors06:02 Collaborating with top-notch physicists; on track to become a faculty member 10:18 Lessons in innovation breakthroughs and the importance of multi-functional teams 13:10 Leaving academia for Procter & Gamble 18:50 P&G’s impressive research and enzyme engineering prowess; the application of research in everyday life 23:26 Navigating challenges and successes at Procter & Gamble 30:34 Learning from mistakes and getting encouragement at the right moment 34:00 Collaborating with Barry Marshall, Nobel Laureate, and leading clinical investigations 37:37 The importance of having the opportunity to take big swings in research 41:52 Consumer is the boss, but so is the FDA: Shekhar’s experience working with the agency 47:29 The value of listening to and empathizing with those around you 50:48 OutroFind Our Guest, Shekhar Mitra, at this link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shekhar-mitra-ph-d-4b427b47/Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.comSocial & 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:Columbia University: https://www.columbia.edu/Yale University: https://www.yale.edu/Procter & Gamble: https://us.pg.com/Jane Coffin Fellowship: https://www.jccfund.org/Hammett Award: https://www.chem.columbia.edu/content/graduate-awardsEnzyme Engineering: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/enzyme-engineeringX-ray Crystallography: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1186895/Computational Biology: https://cbd.cmu.edu/about-us/what-is-computational-biology.htmlBioinformatics vs. Computational Biology: https://www.excedr.com/blog/what-is-bioinformatics-and-computational-biologyProtein Folding: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK9843/Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, 2005 (Barry Marshall): https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2005/7693-the-nobel-prize-in-physiology-or-medicine-2005-2005-6/Bismuth: https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/pepto-bismol/about-pepto-bismol/People Mentioned:Richard Bersohn: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_BersohnDon Prothero: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_ProtheroBarry Marshall: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Barry-J-MarshallJohn Pepper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-pepper-b0a80868/Jon Moeller: https://us.pg.com/leadership-team/jon-moeller/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.

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 Shekhar Mitra, former Senior Vice President of Global Innovation and Chief of Innovation at Procter & Gamble and current President and Founder of InnoPreneur, a strategic advisory firm that enables development of innovation capabilities, ideation, and organizational development for Fortune 500 corporations and new ventures. Prior to InnoPreneur, Shekhar spent 29 years at Procter & Gamble where he worked his way up from staff scientist to Senior Vice President of Global Innovation and Chief of Innovation, becoming a part of P&G's top leadership team and a member of the CEO's Global Leadership Council. Shekhar’s time at P&G paints a successful entrepreneurial road map for those looking to learn, grow, and innovate within large corporations. Post retirement from P&G, Shekhar spent several years as a board member and strategic adviser to several Fortune 500 corporations, new ventures, and private equity companies developing transformational new ideas, business strategies, and organization capabilities to drive growth. With over 50 patents awarded in different fields, Shekhar’s an expert with an exceptional track record in creating and developing game changing technology platforms and formulating disruptive innovation strategies, whose extensive background in R&D offers unique insights that listeners can benefit from.Join us this week and hear about:Shekhar’s upbringing in a multigenerational household and the values that instilled in himHis journey through graduate schoolThe groundbreaking research he conducted investigating complex biological systemsHis diverse experiences in New York City from intense lab work to exploring the city’s vibrant cultural sceneAnd much more!Please enjoy my conversation with Shekhar Mitra.Timestamps00:28 Intro02:40 Episode starts, early years, growing up in a joint family of immigrants09:38 Lessons learned about leadership from managing family relationships and experience in sports 12:23 Attending the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Kanpur and focusing on biophysical chemistry, undergraduate lab experience at IIT17:43 Decision to move to New York City from India to pursue a Master’s and PhD at Columbia University, experiences in a new city as an immigrant24:57 Appreciating the difficult moments and finding joy in all circumstances in both life and business30:01 Experiences and opportunities working in the lab at Columbia studying biological proteins in cells38:58 Taking risks and being willing to fail in order to grow and make a meaningful impact43:07 OutroFind Our Guest, Shekhar Mitra, at this link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shekhar-mitra-ph-d-4b427b47/Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.comSocial & 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:Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpurhttps://www.iitk.ac.in/Columbia Universityhttps://www.columbia.edu/National Academy of Scienceshttps://www.nasonline.org/Journal of Biological Chemistryhttps://www.jbc.org/Lab Equipment for Biochemistry Research https://www.excedr.com/blog/lab-equipment-list-for-biochemistry-researchWhat is DNA Extraction?https://www.excedr.com/blog/what-is-dna-extractionWhat Types of Equipment is Used in Molecular Biology Research?https://www.excedr.com/blog/what-type-of-equipment-is-used-in-molecular-biology-researchThe 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.

Nathan Clark, founder and CEO of Ganymede, discusses the transformative power of data integration and automation in life sciences. He shares insights on creating tailored solutions for wet lab data and navigating the complexities of biotech data management. Nathan emphasizes the importance of streamlining workflows through automation to enhance efficiency and productivity. Drawing from his extensive background in machine learning and data systems, he provides a vision for the future of Ganymede and addresses the challenges faced by biotech companies in managing large data sets.

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 Nathan Clark, Founder and CEO of Ganymede. Ganymede is the modern cloud data platform for the life sciences and manufacturing. Their Lab-as-Code technology allows you to quickly integrate and harmonize lab instruments and app data, automate analysis, visualize all your data in dashboards built over a powerful data lake, and ultimately speed up your operations to accelerate science or production.Prior to founding Ganymede, Nathan was Product Manager for several of Benchling's data products, including the Insights BI tool and Machine Learning team. Before Benchling, Nathan worked at Affirm as a Senior Product Manager and was also a Trader at Goldman Sachs. Nathan’s extensive background in machine learning and data systems across financial and lab technology and knowledge of their applications in the life sciences offers unique insights for founders to benefit from.Join us this week and hear about:Parallels between Benchling and SalesforceHow solving problems his customers didn’t even know were there encouraged them to fully adopt his productsThe importance of managing the writhing snake of data for scientistsGanymede’s journey to achieving escape velocity type growthAnd much more!Please enjoy my conversation with Nathan Clark.Timestamps00:28 Intro01:51 Episode starts, working as a product manager at Benchling, Benchling vs Salesforce08:21 How spending time seeing what customers built helped to identify their critical pain points11:31 Showing customers things they didn’t realize they wanted and other tactics to encourage customers to fully adopt your product 17:05 The original spark behind Ganymede and the importance of managing the “writhing snake of data” for scientists23:19 Watching people rebuilding the exact same tech stacks in labs over and over again inspiring Nathan to create Ganymede26:33 Ganymede finds product resonance and reaches escape velocity growth 28:25 OutroFind Our Guest, Nathan Clark, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-clark-4b850134/https://www.ganymede.bio/Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.comSocial & 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 NotesTopics Mentioned:Data Stack fore Scientists https://blog.ganymede.bio/the-essential-lab-data-tech-stack-for-every-stage-of-drug-development/ Open Source Data https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_data Wet Lab https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet_lab Lab Equipment for Synthetic Biology Research https://www.excedr.com/blog/lab-equipment-list-for-synthetic-biology-researchLab Equipment List for Forensic Analysis https://www.excedr.com/blog/lab-equipment-list-for-forensic-analysisLease Financing vs. Debt Financing https://www.excedr.com/blog/lease-financing-vs-debt-financingThe 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 2 of 4. My guest for this week’s episode is Nathan Clark, Founder and CEO of Ganymede. Ganymede is the modern cloud data platform for the life sciences and manufacturing. Their Lab-as-Code technology allows you to quickly integrate and harmonize lab instruments and app data, automate analysis, visualize all your data in dashboards built over a powerful data lake, and ultimately speed up your operations to accelerate science or production.Prior to founding Ganymede, Nathan was Product Manager for several of Benchling's data products, including the Insights BI tool and Machine Learning team. Before Benchling, Nathan worked at Affirm as a Senior Product Manager and was also a Trader at Goldman Sachs.Join us this week and hear about:Nathan’s move from Goldman Sachs to a Product Management role at AffirmHis experience managing several data products at BenchlingThe importance of understanding user needs, aligning product development with real-world problems, and accelerating scientific progress by addressing the challenges researchers face today.Nathan’s extensive background in machine learning and data systems across financial and lab technology and knowledge of their applications in the life sciences offers unique insights for founders to benefit from. Please enjoy my conversation with Nathan Clark.Timestamps:00:00 Intro: Recap & Episode Overview01:51 Nathan's realization at Goldman Sachs; transitioning to Affirm04:05 Discussion on securitization and capital markets06:28 Differences between Fintech and Wall Street10:31 Nathan’s introduction to product management and data infrastructure14:18 Understanding user needs; aligning product development with real-world problems18:14 Nathan’s decision to leave Affirm19:35 Frustration with scientific progress; wanting to help accelerate Biology research24:28 Joining Benchling: new responsibilities and experiences26:33 OutroFind Our Guest, Nathan Clark, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-clark-4b850134/https://www.ganymede.bio/Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.comSocial & 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:Goldman Sachs https://www.goldmansachs.com/Affirm https://www.affirm.com/UC Berkeley https://www.berkeley.edu/Benchling https://www.benchling.com/Collateralized Loan Obligations (CLOs) https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/clo.aspCapital Markets https://www.stlouisfed.org/education/tools-for-enhancing-the-stock-market-game-invest-it-forward/episode-1-understanding-capital-marketsSecuritizations https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/securitization.aspProduct Management 101 https://www.atlassian.com/agile/product-managementMoore's Law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore%27s_lawAutomated Liquid Handling https://www.excedr.com/blog/guide-to-automated-liquid-handlingFunding Markets & Stages https://visible.vc/blog/startup-funding-stages/Product-Market Fit & Solving a Problem https://stripe.com/resources/more/what-is-product-market-fit-what-startups-need-to-knowThe Slowing of Scientific Progress https://phys.org/news/2023-01-scientific-breakthroughs.htmlCost of Developing a New Drug https://vial.com/blog/articles/drug-development-costs-explained-why-is-it-so-expensive/ People Mentioned:Patrick Collison (Founder of Stripe) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_CollisonThe 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 Nathan Clark, Founder and CEO of Ganymede. Ganymede is the modern cloud data platform for the life sciences and manufacturing. Their Lab-as-Code technology allows you to quickly integrate and harmonize lab instruments and app data, automate analysis, visualize all your data in dashboards built over a powerful data lake, and ultimately speed up your operations to accelerate science or production.Prior to founding Ganymede, Nathan was Product Manager for several of Benchling's data products, including the Insights BI tool and Machine Learning team. Before Benchling, Nathan worked at Affirm as a Senior Product Manager and was also a Trader at Goldman Sachs. Nathan’s extensive background in machine learning and data systems across financial and lab technology and knowledge of their applications in the life sciences offers unique insights for founders to benefit from.Join us this week and hear about:Nathan’s childhood and the influence of his entrepreneurial fatherHis experience studying business and finance at the University of North Carolina at Chapel HillHis role at Goldman Sachs and the importance of liquidity, risk management, and attention to detail in the fast-paced trading environmentTransferable skills and lessons that can benefit entrepreneurs in any industryAnd much more!Please enjoy my conversation with Nathan Clark.Timestamps: 00:28 Intro2:18 Episode starts, early years, the influence of his entrepreneurial father, understanding there is no secret to business besides putting the work and effort in7:23 The decision to move from a traditional career path to building a startup, developing a passion for life sciences and biology11:19 Decision to attend University of North Carolina and focus on business finances15:34 The fundamentals of trading and the role of working as a trader19:53 The intricacy and importance of liquidity to both early-stage ventures and corporations 25:52 Experience and opportunities while working at Goldman Sachs and the importance of transferable skills31:37 Working in the fast-paced environment of bond trading while evaluating risk management 35:42 OutroFind Our Guest, Nathan Clark, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-clark-4b850134/https://www.ganymede.bio/Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.comSocial & 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:OpenWorm Sciencehttps://openworm.org/science.htmlThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hillhttps://www.unc.edu/Goldman Sachshttps://www.goldmansachs.com/index.html Bonds 101 https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bond.asp Are Bonds a Good Investment?https://www.goldmansachs.com/intelligence/pages/as-bank-stress-mounts-are-bonds-a-good-investment.htmlLab Equipment for Synthetic Biology Researchhttps://www.excedr.com/blog/lab-equipment-list-for-synthetic-biology-researchLab Equipment List for Forensic Analysishttps://www.excedr.com/blog/lab-equipment-list-for-forensic-analysisLease Financing vs. Debt Financinghttps://www.excedr.com/blog/lease-financing-vs-debt-financingThe 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 4 of 4. My guest for this week’s episode is David Li, CEO and co-founder of Meliora Therapeutics. Meliora's goal is to develop life-saving cancer therapies using cutting-edge science and machine learning. The company derives a comprehensive picture of how drugs interact with cancer biology by combining biofunctional readouts from numerous modalities using advanced machine learning and other computational techniques. Before Meliora, David was Chief Business Officer at Everest Detection, an early detection liquid biopsy startup, and led commercial operations at Benchling, a life sciences software platform valued at $6 billion with over $500 million in funding.David started his career in Goldman Sachs Healthcare Investment Banking Group and KKR's Private Equity Group, advising and investing in transactions exceeding $10 billion. His diverse financial and life sciences background offers valuable insights for founders.Join us this week and hear about:David’s transition from private equity to co-founding Meliora and using AI/ML in drug developmentHis fundraising experiences for Meliora and current outlook on the fundraising landscape in 2024 His advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and reflections on “thinking big” in biotechIdentifying mischaracterized mechanisms of action and establishing Meliora as a drug development company and computational platformPlease enjoy my conversation with David Li.Timestamps: 00:28 Intro 02:00 Jason Scheltzer identifies mechanisms of action, the beginnings of Meliora 05:08 David meets Jason Scheltzer, forming Meliora with a thesis, as David becomes founding CEO and initial fundraising begins 07:20 David’s serendipitous meeting with Jason, getting on board as more than an investor09:16 Building the early founding team at Meliora, establishing Meliora as a drug company12:05 How Meliora is disrupting the status quo in drug discovery and development 17:24 David’s approach to building an internal pipeline and BD partnerships 19:49 David’s experience fundraising and his outlook on fundraising in 2024 22:21 Meloria’s 2-year vision, transitioning from Seed to Series A 24:03 Shoutouts and advice to 21-year old self 26:23 OutroFind Our Guest, David Li, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-li-9aa210bhttps://www.melioratx.com/Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.comSocial & 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:KKR https://www.kkr.com/Benchling https://www.benchling.com/Meliora Therapeutics https://www.melioratherapeutics.com/Everest Detection https://everestdetection.com/AstraZeneca https://www.astrazeneca.com/Tagrisso https://www.tagrisso.com/Drug candidates that were mischaracterized https://ergobio.substack.com/p/meliora-therapeutics-is-buildingSeed Rounds https://www.excedr.com/resources/seed-round-funding-explainedSeries A, B, & C Rounds https://www.excedr.com/resources/series-funding-explainedBiotech Fundraising https://www.excedr.com/resources/biotech-startup-funding-optionsComputational Platforms in Biotech https://www.nfx.com/post/bioplatforms-computational-biologyPeople Mentioned:Jason Sheltzer https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-sheltzer-ba0086234/Joan Smith https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanclarasmith/Claudio Chuaqui https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudio-chuaqui-5612381/Andrew Coopersmith https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-s-coopersmith/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.