Starting your own company is risky, and even more so when it is a life-science company. More and more women scientists are starting their own biotech companies, but they face many challenges in their transition to the business world. They often lack the business skills and networking savvy to obtain the resources needed to move their research from concept to product. Women In Bio (WIB) was formed to help budding entrepreneurs move from the bench to the board room and to help women advance in their life-science careers.

WIB offers networking opportunities, access to resources essential for business growth, and educational programmes on two tracks: corporate and professional development. On the corporate development programme, for example, our Entrepreneur and Executive Forum provides an intimate environment to meet with experts and have frank, open discussions on selected business topics, such as the role of the US Food and Drug Administration in drug development, potential liability for the life-sciences entrepreneur, and strategies for licensing of intellectual property.

The professional development programmes are aimed at building skills that may have an important impact on career advancement and career satisfaction. Workshops are open to women in all fields of life science and centre on enhancing communication and negotiation skills. The goal is to equip women to feel more confident about expressing themselves in their professional and personal lives. A recent workshop, “Speaking Your Mind and Getting Heard”, dealt with how to get one's ideas heard in meetings.

Networking is critical in career advancement and business growth. Networking events, such as an annual dinner, open up opportunities to meet women on different career paths and further explore the business world.

WIB members are entrepreneurs, executives, scientists, investors and professionals from life-sciences companies, academia, government and professional organizations across the United States. Most members live in Maryland and Washington DC and about a third are scientists, many at federal labs such as the National Institutes of Health, and include students and postdoctoral researchers.

One of our members, Mona Jhaveri, a cancer researcher, is starting up her own company to develop cancer drugs. She credits WIB for connecting her to other women who are now guiding her in her new venture.