Leading with passion and empowering the doers: a spotlight on Women of Avanos Empowered

For the last decade or more, those who study and survey large employers and their employees report more highly engaged employees drive stronger business performance than non- or lesser engaged employees. These employees are also generally ‘happier’ about their work and lives. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are a proven method to increase engagement.

 

WAVE – Women of Avanos Empowered – launched as Avanos’ first ERG in August 2021. The group emerged from the company’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Council, which was established to ensure Avanos employees felt valued, respected and heard.

 

“We knew there was a need for WAVE when over 500 employees joined our kick-off call on August 17th , 2021,” Jennifer Barrett told us.

 

Ms. Barrett, Interventional Pain Account Consultant, serves as WAVE’s President – one of the eight leadership positions created for individuals seeking to show and grow their leadership skills. Six WAVE chairs manage their committees’ quarterly schedule and budget, and each lead 7-10 direct reports.


In addition to Ms. Barrett, the WAVE leadership team includes:

  • Corinne Baker, Digestive Health Account Consultant (WAVE Vice President),
  • Rebecca Brown, Senior Packaging Engineer (WAVE Communications Chair)
  • Amber Buchanan, Digestive Health Senior Product Manager (WAVE Networking and Events Chair)
  • Hayley Dolan, Digestive Health Account Consultant (WAVE Working Parents’ Chair) 
  • Shalini Patel, Senior Supplier Quality Engineer (WAVE Topics of the Tide Chair)
  • Nancy Vanderoost, HR Director – Europe (WAVE Mentorship Chair)
  • Jennifer Davidenko, Interventional Pain Inside Sales Account Manager & Karla Middleman, Interventional Pain Clinical Educator (WAVE Community Service Co-Chairs)

 

Michelle Scharfenberg, Avanos Senior Vice President and Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, serves as the WAVE Executive Sponsor.

 

“WAVE’s creation was unique as we ‘let the data lead’ its formation,” Barrett said. “We surveyed all global Avanos employees and asked them what they wanted to see out of a women’s employee resource group. We received over 200 responses, the data from which helped us form our mission, vision, and committees to make sure that this group really is ‘for the people’ and ‘by the people.’ It even helped us select a name and create our brand.”

 

According to Ms. Barrett, WAVE’s mission is to globally connect, support, and develop women at all levels in their careers and lives at Avanos, by creating and sponsoring networking, mentoring, and career development opportunities.​

 

WAVE’s vision is to promote a culture that supports global Avanos strategic initiatives by:

  • Engaging employees through strengthening diversity and inclusion,
  • Fostering meaningful relationships to build supportive networks,
  • Driving talent management and retention, 
  • Supporting professional development, and
  • Creating opportunities for volunteering to support the community. 

 

“My personal favorite part is the ‘how’ we make this happen and that is through our six committees,” Ms. Barrett added.

 

Those committees include:

 

  • Topics of the Tide (TOTT): Panel discussions to delve into topics on the minds of employees. Since WAVE’s launch, TOTT has hosted seminars about Leading as a Female at Avanos, Personal Branding, and Breaking the Bias as a part of International Women’s Day. The impact has allowed leadership and professional development to be more personable and accessible, both in the office and remotely.

  • Mentorship: This committee has established two 12-month programs to help encourage collaboration, support, and personal growth. The Mentorship program pairs mentors and mentees together on a journey to support and elevate professional development. The Peer-to-Peer program connects employees with each other to act as accountability and support partners, while under the leadership of a professional coach.

  • Working Parents: This committee helped create “New Parent Kits” that are sent to Avanos parents in the US following the birth or adoption of a baby. They also hosted a session discussing the benefits of the company’s ON-Q* Pain Relief System following C-sections. ON-Q* is an opioid-sparing alternative that helps control pain while decreasing adverse effects such as over-sedation to both mother and baby.

  • Networking and Events: This committee came up with creative ways to connect employees across the globe, despite the challenges of the pandemic. One of their initiatives is a quarterly book club. They also hosted two large events in March, a welcome breakfast with a guest motivational speaker at the annual national sales meeting and an in-person networking session to celebrate International Women’s Day at the headquarters office.

  • Community Service: This is a newer team that is looking for ways to give back to communities around the globe. This committee so far has sponsored two donation drives, which allowed members to donate inspirational books for girls and gently used business-professional clothing to help women in need start their careers. They are also working to set up a sponsored fundraiser campaign through nonprofit “Project Hope” to aid the organization’s efforts in providing medical supplies and support for Ukrainian refugees.

  • Communications: This small but mighty team oversees WAVE’s brand and related  materials, communicates internally and via social media on WAVE events and activities, and keeps the group’s internal homepage up to date.

 

Since its launch, over 200 Avanos employees across the globe have joined as official WAVE members. The group has already hosted several seminars, in addition to introducing mentor and peer-to-peer coaching programs.

 

“We cannot wait to see what the future holds and what our WAVEs will do,” Barrett said. “While additional data on impact will take time to generate, people remember how you make them feel. We thrive on doing small things well and letting our passion lead.”

 

Surround yourself with the doers and let your passion lead

When asked what others can learn about the building of WAVE for their own, ‘like,’ initiatives, Ms. Barrett told Write2Market’s Paul Snyder, “Surround yourself with the doers, the people that will make it happen, and let their passion lead because seemingly small things need detailed time and attention. Get that passion into your life, into your work and focus on it. It will almost certainly make you and your colleagues happier and more excited about their team, their work and themselves.

 

“When it comes to resources, know that your boss is human, too. Ask for what you want and why you want it. Come with a plan and be open to feedback. If you come prepared and passionate, it’s hard for them to say no.

 

“WAVE has taken Avanos by storm, thanks in no small part to our leadership team including our CEO Joe Woody. Actions speak loudly. People are listening, learning and you never know just when, or in what amounts, you can inspire others.”

 

We thank Ms. Barrett for sharing this story with us, we thank Avanos for their support of WAVE’s powerful activities and mission, and for their support of Southeast Life Sciences.

 

About Southeast Life Sciences

SLS cultivates, convenes, and connects the Southeast entrepreneurial ecosystem to foster life science innovation & investment across the region. We’re the network that brings all southeastern life science innovation in one place, including our flagship event, AdvanSE. The 2022 edition of AdvanSE is May 25-27 at the Hotel Avalon in Alpharetta, Ga.

 

About Avanos

Avanos is a medical device company focused on delivering clinically superior breakthrough solutions that will help patients get back to the things that matter. We believe a difference in our products, combined with a difference in how we work, communicate and partner, can change the entire world.

Seeking high potential life science entrepreneurs – from startup through series B/C in the Southeast United States – for PitchRounds 2022 at AdvanSE

southeast life sciences pitchrounds

Southeast Life Sciences cultivates, convenes, and connects the Southeast entrepreneurial ecosystem to foster life science innovation in promising companies throughout the region from investors across the country. 

 

Our investor colleagues count on us to present to them the highest potential life science investments the southeast United States has to offer. 

 

For promising young companies from startups seeking six figures to more mature life science innovators seeking seven or eight figures, we introduce you to your next potential investors.

 

One of the key ways we do this is via PitchRounds at our annual flagship event AdvanSE. The 2022 edition is May 25-27 in Alpharetta, Georgia. AdvanSE is Southeast’s premier, must-attend event for the biopharma, medtech, diagnostic, digital health, and agriculture biotechnology industries wishing to do business in the Southeast region. AdvanSE attracts the best of the southeast’s innovation, research, and people.

 

PitchRounds 2022 at AdvanSE – APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 8.

 

We are ready for the most promising innovative life science companies – from startups seeking milestone-based funding at six figure levels from venture capital firms, corporate venture arms, family offices, and angel groups to more mature companies with institutional investors on board seeking future rounds at $1MM to $15MM plus – to apply for PitchRounds 2022 at AdvanSE.

 

Applicants should be planning to execute a funding round, supported by a strong commercialization plan and business strategy, within the next 12 months.

 

Why apply for PitchRounds 2022 at AdvanSE?

In the past 20 years, 501 PitchRounds presenting companies have raised $7.2 billion dollars. 70 companies subsequently executed M&A and IPO events and counting.

 

Kayla Rodriguez, MBA – Co-founder & COO, SweetBio

“Three weeks before the 2015 conference, SweetBio wasn’t even incorporated. Six months later, Innova and MB Venture Partners co-led a significant seed round to support FDA 510(k) clearance of our honey-incorporated advanced wound care product. From that first conference, gaining insights and feedback from Randy Scott, David Huizenga, Chris Hooper, and others helped shape our company. From investor insights to introductions to industry advisors and fellow peers, this event has us coming back year after year.” – Kayla Rodriguez Graff, Co-Founder and CEO, SweetBIo

 

“This conference provided us an incredible opportunity to connect with a large number of diverse life science professionals, which is not always easy to do for life science companies headquartered in the heartland. The exposure to investors and collaborators was instrumental to our early stage company.” – Vance Clement, CEO, Lineus Medical, Pitchrounds participant 2019 and 2021

 

“By attending AdvanSE, I get to meet some of the leading entrepreneurs and interesting companies in the Southeast.  AdvanSE offers exclusive opportunities to network with other investors and strategics and is the one-stop shop for innovation in the region.”  – Kyp Sirinakis, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Epidarex Capital

 

“HealthQuest partners are active participants in reviewing early stage businesses and investing across the healthcare spectrum – including medical devices, healthcare information technologies, diagnostics, novel delivery systems that improve patient outcomes and reduce costs. We find PitchRounds an early preview of companies that are rapidly growing and might become opportunities for investing as they seek growth capital.” – Tom Callaway, Venture Partner, HealthQuest Capital.


Who Will PitchRounds 2022 AdvanSE Presenting Companies Get to Meet?

  • Industry strategic partners (and acquirers) attending typically include AbbVie Ventures, AdvaMed, Amgen Ventures, Arbor Pharmaceuticals,, Avanos Medical, Braun Pharmaceuticals, Halyard / Owens and Minor, J&J, Lilly Venture , Medtronic, Merck, Moderna, Pfizer and Smith & Nephew.
  • Tom Callaway, Partner, HealthQuest Capital

    Recognized life science investors attending typically include Epidarex Capital, Foxboro Capital, Fulcrum Equity Partners, Hatch Medical, Hatteras Venture Partners, HealthQuest Capital, Kairos Ventures, Keiretsu Forum, Lumira Ventures, Mountain Group Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Osage University Partners, Pappas Capital, Solas Bioventures, Triangle Angel Partners, with top banks including Silicon Valley Bank, JP Morgan, Life Oak Bank, Pacific Western Bank, and large regional investors like CED (Center for Entrepreneurial Development), Georgia Research Alliance Venture Fund, NC Biotechnology Center, University Of Florida Innovate Venture, and UVA Licensing And Venture Group Seed Fund.

  • Top FDA consultants, intellectual property and business attorneys, the state BIOs of the Southeast, contract manufacturers, university tech transfer professionals from top southeastern universities, and more.

 

APPLY FOR PITCHROUNDS AT ADVANSE 2022 NOW – PRESENTING OPPORTUNITIES ARE LIMITED

 

For PitchRounds 2022 at AdvanSE we have 20 coveted spots available for young companies, 10 available for more mature innovators with at least one institutional investor on board.

Winners will pitch and compete against similar staged companies to an audience interested in your life science sector. No other programming, speakers, or panels will compete against the three pitch rooms running. Finalists in both early stage and late stage will compete in a “Shoot Out” before all AdvanSE 2022 patrons in attendance.

Companies selected to present during PitchRounds at AdvanSE 2022 further enjoy:

  • An assigned SLS board member or industry partner “guide” who will make critical introductions to investors, peers or solution providers based on need: think IP attorneys, design and development experts, industry leading preclinical service providers, business attorneys, FDA consultants, accountants and other aligned professionals in the ecosystem.
  • Focused attention – PitchRounds presentations will be the sole focus of morning sessions on May 25th and 26th. Presentations will not compete with any other conference programming. Finalists will compete in a “shootout” to determine the PitchRounds 2022 winners on the afternoon of May 26th. (Note: early stage companies will not compete directly with later stage companies.)
  • Investor access — In addition to the PitchRounds panel of judges, including a variety of qualified investors, we expect representatives from a variety of investor types including angels, VCs, institutional investors and a strong presence of strategics including J&J Innovations, Medtronic, Moderna, Pfizer and others.
  • A “Reality check” – Get feedback on your pitch content from neutral outside resources, especially for early stage companies – from a panel of experienced industry experts.
  • All access conference registration discount — you don’t have to pitch and run. Selected companies can extend their fundraising, networking and learning opportunities to the entirety of AdvanSE 2022 programming and events with all-access, 2 for 1, registration at the early bird rate of $549.
  • Awareness distribution of PitchRounds selection to more than 3,000 industry professionals in Southeast Life Science’s email CRM

Apply for PitchRounds 2022 at AdvanSE today.

 

We’re looking for the best the southeast life sciences’ innovation ecosystem has to offer. Apply for PitchRounds 2022 and your chance to accelerate your innovation’s pathway to commercialization today.

Header: Are race, social determinants or insurance types predictors of COVID mortality among hospitalized patients?

Jayne Morgan, MD, Executive Director, COVID Taskforce for Piedmont Healthcare and Southeast Life Sciences Board Member, along with Piedmont colleagues Jessica McCain, Xinyue Wang and Kate Connell sought empirical answers to these questions in a recently published paper in the Journal of the National Medical Association, “Assessing the impact of insurance type on COVID-19 mortality in Black and white patients in the largest healthcare system in the State of Georgia.”

 

From the paper’s key points:


Question: Does the relationship between race and COVID-19 mortality still exist when Black and White patients are equally insured?


Findings: In a retrospective analysis of hospital data for an equitably insured population, White and Black patients did not differ in odds of mortality from COVID-19. White patients were more likely to be older and on Medicare. Insurance type was a significant predictor in a logistic regression analysis, even when controlling for risk factors and laboratory results.


Meaning: Racial disparities in COVID-19 mortality in the US population may be partially explained by disparities in insurance.

 

Read the paper in its entirety here.

 

Jayne shared the following takeaway and action item for the Southeast Life Sciences community with Write2Market’s Paul Snyder.


What’s the one thing you hope readers will commit to memory? 


“That Social Determinants of Health also determine downstream effects such as what type and quality of insurance you have.  This can serve to dissuade participation in the medical system and in the advocacy of one’s own health because of out of pocket expenses, caps, limitations, and bureaucracy. With regard to Covid diagnoses, when insurance was equitable, the inequity in health outcomes was no longer significant and equalized.


What’s the top opportunity for the SLS community to influence positive change in response to the paper’s findings?


“Where you live and what you earn should not impact whether you have access to health insurance and accurate health information. One of the ways in which we can influence positive change is by ensuring that people realize that medical care can also be accessed via clinical trials, regardless of one’s  economic and/or insurance status. Clinical trials can serve as a gateway toward removing barriers and providing access to healthcare for many.”

Southeast Life Sciences would like to thank Jayne for her continuing support and leadership. 

Readers can keep up with the latest from Southeast Life Sciences by following us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

It’s a Big House and There’s Room for Everyone

Alexandria Henry-Smith, Morehouse School of Medicine researcher and PhD candidate on the southeast life sciences and Women@SLS community means to her, and can mean to others.

 

Alexandria Henry-Smith’s mother made a highly intentional effort to expose her daughter to science, including in her homeschooling through the third grade. Her pediatric dentist also went out of his way to demonstrate new tools, technologies and techniques during her visits.

 

While initial ambitions toward dentistry didn’t fully manifest, the intentional exposure to science, including new fields opened to her through a high school medical program, forged a foundation of knowledge and curiosity that made a career in the life sciences likely, if not inevitable. It’s a bit of a family affair as well. Her uncle is a biologist and currently the head of the environmental science department for a leading engineering company. 

 

Ms. Henry-Smith is now a PhD candidate in biomedical science with a focus on neurology at the Morehouse School of Medicine. Her research into ways of decreasing neural injuries covers zinc and its effects on ASIC during ischemic stroke.

 

In 2019, Ms. Henry-Smith discovered Southeast Lifesciences and Women@SLS (previously Medtech Women @ SEMDA) on LinkedIn, which she followed for awareness, networking and potential opportunities for operational roles in life science and biotech startups. When her research hit a ‘hard hold’ in early 2020, she found herself desperate for interaction with the southeast life science ecosystem. She found a piece of that in the 2020 Women @ SLS Annual Conference.

 


Discovering more of what’s possible

 

“I met women performing roles and doing work I had not yet realized was actually attainable or possible,” she told Write2Market’s Paul Snyder. “As the only graduate student in that virtual event, it turned into an incredibly valuable personal advice session.

 

“An undergraduate professor once said pretty women can’t be surgeons or leaders. While I was solid in my self confidence, for many women that was completely discouraging. But when we see women in leadership roles like so many in the Women @ SLS group, it shows an executive level career in life sciences is an actionable, attainable goal. It’s something you can really do. 

 

“It does take dedication, a competitive spirit and strong backbone to the rigors of scientists, researchers, but these women are proof that there are more roles and more routes to careers in the life sciences than legacy pathways to them.

 

“It’s also immensely valuable to pick the brains of women in life science leadership roles that have transitioned from academia to industry,” she said. “Their advice on specific activities like boards to join and introductions to others whose pathways look a bit like mine or those whose needs might align with my skills, research, knowledge and experience is invaluable as well.”

 

An environment and community of encouragement

 

She said the 2021 edition of AdvanSE reinforced the highly collegial spirit of the southeast life science community.

 

“In every conversation I had at the event in South Carolina, each person was happy to advise and encourage,” she said. “Everyone was very, very kind. This is not always expected coming from the highly competitive academic research side of the life sciences.”

 

She told Paul she aspires to be a chief innovation or operations manager officer for a startup or early growth stage life science entity.

 

“I would love it if that entity had a strong focus on neurologic disorders, but I have learned flexibility is key when things present themselves. It’s important to be ready to jump. Before getting more closely engaged and active within the Southeast Life Sciences and Women @ SLS communities, I would not have aspired so high.”

 

When asked why one should get actively involved with SLS and Women @ SLS, she said, “Whether you are focused on marketing, communications, research or development, there are connections to be made that are highly beneficial for the future. You may well speak to your next employer. If you are a young regulatory professional, for example, you will meet people doing that work, many in leadership or influential roles that can help you get where you want to go. You can find champions, those who advocate for you when you’re not in the room, and mentors, your advocates there for you when you are in the room. 

 

A big house with a place for everyone

 

“Young life science professionals, including startup founders, have so much to gain by engaging closely with the Southeast Life Sciences community. You can speak directly to those with the ability to advance or jump start your career in ways or places you might not have anticipated, especially because the pathway into these careers is not always clear.

 

“Engineering, marketing, operations, biomedical research, manufacturing… they’re all critical elements to the life science industry. It’s a very large house, and there’s so much to do in it, anyone can find their place.” 

 

We thank Ms. Henry-Smith for taking the time to share part of her story with us.

 

The 2022 edition of Southeast Life Sciences’ flagship event, AdvanSE, is May 25 – 27 at the Avalon Hotel and Conference Center in Atlanta. Follow Southeast Life Sciences on LinkedIn and Twitter for all of the latest including 2022 dates for the Women@SLS Conference.

Verily’s Dr. Vivian Lee Dissects the U.S. Healthcare Crisis and Possible Solutions in 2021 AdvanSE Conference Closing Keynote

The 2021 AdvanSE Conference by Southeast Life Sciences brought together key players in the Southeast entrepreneurial ecosystem and beyond to help further our mission of fostering life science innovation and investment across the region for the greater good.

The closing keynote for this year’s conference was presented by Dr. Vivian S. Lee, MD, PhD, MBA, President of Health Platforms at Verily Life Sciences, an Alphabet company. In addition to being a physician and healthcare executive, Dr. Lee also serves as a senior lecturer at Harvard Medical School. Her closing keynote presentation, The Long Fix: Leading Change Post-COVID, explored what moving to a better healthcare system might look like and the lessons that the industry has learned from the “epic stress” on the system caused by the Covid-19 global pandemic.

Verily asked Dr. Lee to join their team and “Do what’s in your book,” and leverage Alphabet’s proficiency in scaling solutions to affect powerful change where change is badly needed. This includes activating alternative business models of care including full financial risk models underpinned by Medicare and driven by value where value equals quality plus service divided by cost.

“The healthcare system is so broken, but it’s no one entity’s fault,” Dr. Lee shared in the Q&A session following her keynote. “I think we’re all responsible – that’s my view. So we all have a role to play. [And] if there is any silver lining [to the pandemic] at all, it is that everyone is a lot more engaged with their health.”

We invite you to watch Dr. Lee’s full keynote presentation on our YouTube channel. We believe it is well worth 30 to 45 minutes of your time.

Dr. Lee’s book, The Long Fix: Solving America’s Health Care Crisis with Strategies that Work for Everyone, explores this topic in much greater detail and can be purchased through Amazon and Audible.

Thank you to everyone who participated, both virtually and in person, in the 2021 AdvanSE Life Sciences Conference. We invite you to join us for the 2022 edition of AdvanSE that will take place on May 25-27, 2022 at the Avalon in Atlanta.

In the meantime, we encourage all members of the southeast life science ecosystem to explore and engage with Women@SLS, a group dedicated to enhancing opportunities for women in the medtech and life science industries. You can also help build our community by staying connected with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Opening the Door for Women Founders: AdvanSE 2021 Keynote by Kim Mackrill

Southeast Life Sciences was thrilled to return to an in-person hybrid event for the 2021 edition of our AdvanSE Conference, once again bringing together innovators, investors, corporate partners, and companies advancing our mission of cultivating, convening, and connecting the Southeast entrepreneurial ecosystem to foster life science innovation & investment across the region.

Kim Mackrill, COO at Mammoth Scientific, delivered the keynote – Stepping Up & Stepping Out: Moving Beyond the Hustle to Create the Innovation, Company and Future You Want – focused on the need for greater numbers of women founders and CEOs in the industry, exploring topics like the confidence gap and imposter syndrome as potential causes.

“Women-led startups, when they do get funded, are more likely to be successful,” Kim said. “They ultimately deliver higher revenue – more than twice as much per dollar invested. If you didn’t care because you don’t care about equality, you should care about the bottom line.”

View her presentation by visiting our YouTube channel.

You can learn more about Mammoth Scientific’s mission and Kim’s journey from nonprofit to venture capital in our recent Q&A with her on our blog.

And we encourage our entire community to explore and engage with Women@SLS, a group dedicated to enhancing opportunities for women in the medtech and life science industries.  https://southeastlifesciences.org/medtech-women-at-sls/

Southeast Life Sciences would like to thank everyone who attended this year’s conference, both virtually and in-person. As we start to return to our regular conference schedule, be sure to mark your calendars for the 2022 edition of AdvanSE that will take place on May 27-29, 2022 at the Avalon in Atlanta.

Opportunity Knocks: Expanding access to early stage life science investment opportunities and what Mammoth Scientific looks for in investable portfolio companies at Series A and beyond.

A Southeast Life Sciences Q&A with Mammoth Scientific COO Kimberly Mackrill. 

 

Mammoth Scientific occupies a unique position in the world of life science investing. Its founding team, which includes experts in medical, spinal, financial advisory and fintech all found venture investing cumbersome for most investors. Mammoth is built to fund quality companies, while seeking to provide a modern, transparent and quality experience to investors who previously found access to high potential, early stage life science innovators out of reach.

 

“Financial advisors are always looking for an edge to better serve their clients,” Mammoth COO Kimberly Mackrill told Write2Market’s Paul Snyder. “One way to do that is expanding offerings beyond what’s available in the public marketplace, especially in life sciences. Many of those opportunities don’t move into the public market because they’re ultimately acquired by large organizations who innovate through acquisition. But prior to that stage in their commercial life cycle, those companies are out there with world changing ideas and sufficient financial support to continue innovating and creating the future we want to live in.”

 

Essentially, Mammoth seeks to democratize early stage investment access, enabling wealth managers to access high potential VC opportunities in the life sciences. We hope you enjoy the following Q&A with Ms. Mackrill.

 

How did you get here?

I started in the nonprofit world, focusing on finding ways to motivate people without any financial compensation. I wound up working in marketing at a publicly traded company and then pulling back from working outside of my home while I had infants. I created my own boutique marketing firm and was highly selective about who I would work with during the early years of parenting. After my partner’s company was purchased by a PE firm, my partner and I founded Mineral – a fintech and financial advisory focused on design and marketing. Mineral received Best Advisor Innovation, Fuse 2017 and XYPN Fintech Award 2018 for software we created that helps advisors onboard clients. Mineral was acquired in 2018 by a national RIA. We worked inside their firm for two years – helping them redesign their client portal and accelerate their marketing offer. 

 

Our ability to brand build and create innovation technology contributed to over $3B in increased valuation across our portfolio of experience. 


Watching the impact of private equity on the firms we’ve served throughout our careers, gave us deep insight into the way both brand and technology influence valuations. We’ve seen how equity changes the game for both companies and individuals and believe that now is the time to bring the world of private investing – specifically venture capital, into this modern, accessible landscape.

 

Where is your sweet spot investment range?

Mammoth is built for accredited investors, qualified clients and the fiduciaries who serve them. We work with Registered Investment Advisors to help overcome the potential compliance hurdles and marketing pieces that their clients need to properly understand this level of investing and how it can impact not just their own portfolio, but the broader world for good. Additionally, Family Offices and Institutional Investors are all a part of the balanced mix of investment in our fund.

Mammoth is built to invest in innovative life science companies at the Series A level and beyond. We look for companies that have maturing revenue models and proven intellectual property who need to develop clear paths to regulatory approval and reimbursement. We currently do not invest with significance in the pharmaceuticals market, but everything else life science and medtech is in play with two surgeon GPs doing significant work in due diligence.

 

What are the should haves your invested companies bring with them?

Should Haves: A clear business model, quality research, a strong and experienced team and validated intellectual property.

 

Our Value Add: Our team includes members with extensive experience in FDA and EU regulation along with determining reimbursement pathways to help guide the long term market aspirations of our portfolio companies. 

 

What turns you off when exploring a new prospect?

  • Lack of a clear perspective and unfocused leadership,
  • Inability to drive revenue with their early stage business model, and
  • Lack of patience and grit necessary to build a lasting company. Being vulnerable, admitting non-alignment and a willingness to shift or pivot in order to move forward is an underrepresented strength in founders of life science startups that need help to realize their potential. Make-or-break activities and milestones like reimbursement pathways and strategies can take multiple rounds of discussions with regulators to advance. Ultimately, we feel success is rooted in a commitment to tackle adversity head-on. We all feel those moments of mettle testing. When teams successfully meet those moments to a positive result or outcome, it is powerful to witness them come through the other side.

 

What do you wish more founders knew? 

First, the amount of time it will take for them to achieve their long term goals. Depending on the technology, life science innovations can take several years and millions of dollars to realize their exit or commercial potential and the associated returns for investors.

 

Second, the dimensions they have to understand to really see the potential of their business. 

Pure startups using friends or family for branding is often not strong or specific enough, for example. Those startups have strength and early success in other areas, but that branding and marketing dimension often does not mature at the same pace as other pieces. As such, valuations suffer, or are not indicative of real potential, because branding and marketing is lacking.

 

We look at these dimensions for our portfolio companies and investors. What needs to mature, or ‘grow up’ to play in the same space as the rest of your life science technology has to offer?

 

What common mistakes have been around too long for life science startups seeking Series A investments and beyond?

  • Lack of unique research,
  • Underinvestment in marketing and brand,
  • Failure to build a strong advisory team, and 
  • Lack of detail in long term vision and strategic roadmap. At series A and beyond, we expect potential portfolio companies to have a well developed strategic road map including product market fit, IP, regulatory pathway confidence and in some cases a pre-submission meeting with, and feedback from, regulatory bodies like the FDA. Iterating and adjusting potential process and pathway refinements and acceleration is where we can come in. 

 

What are the hallmarks of young companies that should be getting to know you?

Proven leaders, deep research, a strong understanding of the health sciences market, protected intellectual property and a vision for building a strong business.

AdvanSE 2021 is fast approaching! Will you join us?

Southeast Life Sciences thanks Ms. Mackrill for sharing her insights with us. We look forward to her keynote presentation on Thursday, October 28th at AdvanSE. Come see the best of what the southeastern U.S. life science ecosystem has to offer at the 2021 edition of our flagship event October 27 – 29 in Charleston, SC.

 

About Mammoth Scientific
Mammoth Scientific is a venture capital company that specializes in health science and technology funds. Co-founders Dr. Jay Yadav, Tommy Martin, Kim Mackrill, Dr. Matthew McGirt and Jud Mackrill provide venture capital for health science and technology companies maturing beyond seed rounds. The Mammoth team includes seasoned physician entrepreneurs and highly successful operational managers, representing a twenty-year track record of creating and investing in multiple successful start-ups with large exits to major global companies (e.g., Abbott Laboratories, Boston Scientific, Johnson & Johnson) or to the public markets. To learn more about Mammoth Scientific and its $100 million Mammoth Health and Tech Fund, visit Mammoth.vc.

Pulling research out of higher ed and into a high potential commercial pathway: Q&A with Bayer’s Hanna Eilken

No matter the brilliance of the research, or researcher, life science innovation relies on a rigorous regulatory and commercialization pathway before its potential to improve lives can enter patient care, at almost any scale.

 

Universities rely on their technology transfer offices and commercial entities like Bayer to pull high potential research and technologies out of the academic or research environment into clinical utility.

 

Dr. Hanna Eilken, strategic alliance manager with Bayer, provides insights into her organization’s red flags, processes, requirements and what she wishes more researchers knew about Bayer’s methodology for pulling research out of a university setting and into your commercialization pathway in the following Q&A. 

 

Enjoy!

 

  • What attracts you to research coming out of a higher education setting?

 

Drug discovery and development becomes increasingly challenging with long development times, increasing costs, growing competition, and insufficient predictability of translation of preclinical data. Thus, engaging with universities and associated research institutions, to join forces and complement competencies is an important pillar to drive innovation in pharmaceutical companies. Academic research provides access to scientific excellence, disruptive technologies and cutting-edge approaches that are a source of creative solutions which are required to successfully develop effective treatment options, and to bring innovation to patients. 

 

Bayer has recognized that complementing its in-house expertise with the know-how of academic scientists is mutually beneficial for both partners. We set up and execute co-operations in a collaborative fashion with shared risks and rewards. For example, Bayer has established the Joint Precision Cardiology Lab with the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard which aims to combine Broad’s innovative methods for basic science discovery such as single cell sequencing and clinical expertise, with Bayer’s long experience in drug development to discover new potential therapeutics in cardiovascular diseases. Thus, we combine our expertise to jointly enable the development of new therapies for patients with cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure.

 

  • What are the top red flags when engaging with academic institutions?

 

Usually, scientists in a university setting have the same motivation as pharmaceutical companies: bringing innovative therapeutics to patients. However, bringing together academia and industry also means – for both parties – accepting different cultures, mindsets and approaches. Often, both partners have the same goals but different ways of achieving them. A red flag would be to not: be open for new ideas, willingness to adapt, constant alignment, collaboration and personal interaction on the scientist and leadership level. From my perspective, it is very important to invest time to understand each other and build a healthy relationship. 

 

  • Where do your interactions begin and how do they progress especially regarding the people and what you need from them? 

 

Interactions begin through various channels, e.g. through Bayer scientists, BD&L, Open Innovation and Leaps teams who are pro-actively scouting for technologies, assets and expertise that synergize with our in-house activities. In addition, we are often approached by academic researchers who wish to discuss their innovation with Bayer. We ask them to present their data and invite them to jointly discuss opportunities and potential challenges of the technology in non-confidential conversations. In the event there is mutual interest, we align on details of how a collaboration should look like and what partnership model we would pursue. 

 

  • At what point do you closely examine IP and what do you require to proceed?

 

Patent protection is a prerequisite for drug development in a company like Bayer, and it is essential that the patent term is sufficiently long after commercialization. We review the prospective patent portfolio early in the due diligence process. 

 

  • What do you wish more tech transfer officers knew about your methodology for pulling research out of a university setting and into your commercialization pathway? What do you wish more researchers in higher education knew about what’s needed to successfully transfer their work into a commercialization pipeline? 

 

While many scientists do have a basic understanding of the drug development process, it is important to understand how they need to tailor their program towards commercialization. Talking to investors, big pharma or other potential partners can help to resolve some of the open questions and better understand how these potential partners are thinking. Many Tech Transfer Offices possess a solid understanding of what big pharma is looking for and they work with their investigators to identify gaps and shape a program towards commercialization. 

 

Bayer has recently launched a few programs which are tailored to bring innovators from academia and young start-ups closer to big pharma, for example mentoring programs, Bayer-Access and the Center for Regulatory Excellence. In the Bayer Access program, Bayer offers expert guidance from multiple business and scientific perspectives, e.g. preclinical pharmacology, data science, drug discovery sciences, formulation and BD&L, and we jointly mentor the scientists, providing expertise and recommendations in a 1:1 session. 

 

The Center for Regulatory Excellence is a novel initiative by Bayer and MassBio enabling academic scientists and young start-ups to learn from regulatory experts. We offer Think-Tank, educational sessions where we share our knowledge, expertise and experience when working with the FDA and other regulatory authorities. In addition, innovators can also apply for a selective 1:1 mentoring session with Bayer regulatory experts to discuss their project-specific questions.

 

In depth conversations as described above are extremely valuable for scientists and help to understand the complexity of the drug development process.

 

AdvanSE 2021 is fast approaching! Will you join us?

Southeast Life Sciences thanks Hanna for sharing her insights with us. Come see the best of what the southeastern U.S. life science ecosystem has to offer at the 2021 edition of our flagship event, AdvanSE, October 27 – 29 in Charleston, SC. 

On “Optionality,” Exits and Giving Science the Best Chance to Save Lives

A Southeast Life Sciences Q&A with AskBio Co-Founder and CEO Sheila Mikhail

 

“The field of gene therapy was in a nuclear winter in 2001,” said AskBio Co-Founder and CEO Sheila Mikhail. 

 

Motivated by belief in the science of gene therapy in order to give the blind a chance to see or give more children a chance to live full, healthy lives, AskBio used creative financing, grants and selective scientific technology sales (or exits) to keep its vision and work alive. It would be more than 15 years later that the company took on its first round of funding, $235 million.

 

In October 2020, Bayer acquired AskBio in a deal worth up to $4 billion including potential milestones. As reported by BioSpace, “Under terms of the deal, Bayer will own full rights to AskBio’s pipeline of treatments for Pompe disease, Parkinson’s disease, as well as therapies for neuromuscular, central nervous system, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.”

 

The AskBio team does a much better job telling their story and explaining their science than we ever could. We encourage you to read the pioneering story of Jude Samulski story as published on their website.

 

What we at Southeast Life Sciences want to share with this community are Sheila’s insights into what mature, late stage life science “startups” need to know when an IPO or exit to a large “strategic” like Bayer looks like it could be the next milestone in the company’s journey. 

 

Sheila graciously shared her insights with Paul Snyder, VP of Healthcare for Write2Market. We hope you find these insights in the Q&A below informative and useful.

 

Q: How long had potential acquirers been looking closely at AskBio?

 

A: “We had long standing connections with large life science companies through collaboration or colleagues. Pfizer’s acquisition of Bamboo Therapeutics was a significant moment for us, and for gene therapy’s maturation into a new pillar of medicine.”

 

Editor’s note: Bamboo is an AskBio spinout focused on gene therapies for four severe diseases: 

 

  • Giant axonal neuropathy, a disorder of neurofilaments, the structural framework that helps define the shape and size of nerve cells.
  • Friedreich’s ataxia, a progressive degeneration of nervous tissue in the spinal cord.
  • Canavan’s disease, a progressive deterioration of nerve cells in the brains of infants.
  • Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a progressive degeneration of muscles.

 

“We realized in 2020 that we had to take more cash for the tools we needed to address the myriad varieties of complex diseases with the synergy of small molecules and gene therapy. Things heated up at JPMorgan 2020 because acquiring our technology and pipeline was almost certainly going to have a higher ROI before an IPO than after.”

 

Q: What can other innovators, including those that look like AskBio just prior to 2020, learn from your experience as Bayer closed in on acquisition?

 

A: “Investment bankers talk a lot about ‘optionality.’ It’s a key driver of transaction completion. You are more attractive with multiple options available like an IPO, multiple bidders, the ability to continue to go it alone if needed, or investors willing to put more money into the company.

 

“If you’re backed into a corner, desperately seeking an exit partner or seven-figure or greater investment, the transaction probably won’t happen. But if you do find yourself in a corner, learn how to bluff really well and never let them see you sweat.”

 

Q: What, if anything, do you wish you had known before?

 

A: “I wish I’d had a better idea of just how hard it would be. I kept thinking I might have been making a mistake, that I wasn’t experienced enough, that I wasn’t good or capable enough. But I believed in the technology’s life saving potential and had to give these transformative therapeutics a chance to make lives so much better.”

 

Q: What advice would you give aspiring women in life sciences, including students at almost any level or clinician innovators with ‘an idea?’

 

A: “Try to not spend time worrying about other people’s opinions. You will find yourself alone more often than you might like. Continue to advance your science, your therapies. Get them to the clinicians, watch the impact and keep your eyes on the objective. Be true to who you are and do the best you can by the science, by the patients, by the employees and by the science and technology.”

 

Southeast Life Sciences thanks Sheila for sharing her insights with us. We hope to see you at the 2021 edition of our flagship event, AdvanSE, October 27 – 29 in Charleston, SC.

Here are the Highlights from the Virtual 2021 SE Color Pitches/Women@SLS Conference

On Thursday, June 24, Southeast Life Sciences hosted the virtual SE Color Pitches and Women@SLS Conference that featured a dynamic group of presenters and speakers discussing some of the biggest challenges that women and minorities continue to face in the industry today. 

Here are some of the key insights and takeaways from this year’s event. 

 

SE Color Pitches Summary

Keynote with Dr. Melanie Ivarsson 

Dr. Melanie Ivarsson, Senior Vice President & Chief Development Officer with Moderna, kicked off the SE Color Pitch event in a fireside chat with Dr. Jayne Morgan, Executive Director of the Covid Task Force at Piedmont Healthcare. 

Melanie and Jayne started with an overview of Melanie’s career, spanning her childhood to her current position at Moderna. Melania recounts her childhood through her PhD and path to Moderna. She makes a note to compare her parent’s education opportunities, particularly for her mother, stating that education for women has moved “from a luxury, to being in the room but the minority, to where we are today.” 

The discussion then turned to Moderna’s path from a relative start up to creating one of the most important products in our lifetimes. When Melanie first started at Moderna she was told that she would work on a “side project” on Covid, but within three weeks it would become the focus of the company. 

Moving on, Melanie and Jayne discussed Moderna’s leadership role in health equity in their Covid vaccine clinical trial, finishing with the highest percentage of minority enrollment of any company. Melanie noted, “ you don’t have to be one of the big giants to be the one who changes the way we do things” 

There was much more to the fireside chat, so be sure to watch it all here. 

SE Color Pitches 

The meeting continued with seven presentations from minority-led organizations based in the southeast. The winner of the event and the $10,000 prize was TruGenomix, led by Charles Cathlin. You can see the TruGenomix pitch here. 

To view all of the presentations, check out our YouTube page. 

 

Women@SLS 

Mentorship vs. Championship

Deanne Kasim, Executive Director of Health Policy for Change Healthcare, touched on the key differences between having a mentor and having a champion in the workplace during her opening keynote. While mentors are always good to have, champions go above and beyond when it comes to your success. In addition to sharing advice and giving guidance as a mentor, champions are there to open doors for you and put your name in the running, playing a much more active role in your success. 

“Men have evolved into natural champions and I feel like they’ve had more opportunity to do so, while women have become aces at mentoring each other,” Deanne explained. 

So, how do we cross-pollinate these roles and connections between men and women? Deanne’s number one answer was networking, whether it be in-person or online. Opportunities are increasing for women in the life sciences despite the fact that it’s still a male dominated industry, so it’s crucial to continue moving forward and challenging biases by building a community of allies for the current and future generation of leaders. You can watch the opening keynote here. 

Finding the right seat at the table 

Tiffany Wilson, President & CEO of The Science Center, moderated the panel discussion on expanding the representation of women in the boardroom. Although there is some room for improvement in the number of women on life sciences boards, there are opportunities out there.

Tara Kochis-Stach, Slone Partners President, shared that networking is critical to find these kinds of opportunities. Being bold about what you want to do and reaching out to the people that can help you get there will create opportunities for yourself. However, making sure you’re joining the right board for you is just as crucial. 

“Don’t pick whatever board offers you a position just because you want to be on a board,” stated Valerie Darling, CEO & Chief Business Officer of Life Science Management Consultants. “It needs to match with your lifestyle and current job in terms of time commitment.” 

Arlene Morris, Board of Director Member for the MUSC Foundation for Research & Development, also suggested, “Interview with everyone on the board to make sure you gel with them and get along. If you know people on the board already, reach out to them to see what the environment is like.” 

Watch the full panel here. 

Identify the champions of your technology, and fast  

The panel discussion on what early-stage companies should know as they begin sourcing their first customers, moderated by Jesse Goodwin, PhD, featured insights from Vice President of Client Success at Pieces Technologies Lehanne Doyle, Senior Director of Clinical Operations at Moterum Technologies Lauren Rashford and ASKBio CEO Sheila Mikhail. 

Lehanne stressed the importance of finding several key champions in the facility to help support the change in process when your new technology is implemented. Identifying the procurement or IT personnel is also critical, as projects can easily fail because they weren’t involved early on. 

Lauren agreed that relationship management is key during this process. Finding these individuals that will be doing the day-to-day tasks and having their support will help leverage and drive your technology through the system smoothly. Click here to watch the full panel. 

Breast cancer treatment has come a long way, but there is always room for improvement 

This year’s conference ended with a closing keynote on the evolution of care and opportunities for improvement in breast cancer, featuring presentations from Regina Hampton, MD, FACS, Medical Director of Breast Center at Doctors Community Hospital, and Nikki Jensen, Vice President at Essentially Women. 

While Dr. Hampton illustrated the progress made in breast cancer treatment with the shift to patient-centered care and the passing of the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act in 1998, Nikki touched on some of the necessary steps that have not yet been taken when it comes to fully protecting and accommodating breast cancer patients and survivors. This includes breast prostheses and how they have not yet gotten the same treatment from the CMS that other breast cancer treatments have received. Watch the closing keynote in its entirety here. 

Southeast Life Sciences would like to thank everyone who participated in or attended this year’s SE Color Pitch/Women@SLS Conference, and the event sponsors who made it all possible. If you were unable to attend the live event, visit our YouTube channel to watch the recordings.