She Leads Biotech

In this episode of She Leads Biotech, I sit down with Georgie Kovacs — founder of Fempower Health and a powerhouse in the women’s health space to talk about fertility, diagnostics, and why solving for passion isn’t enough.

Georgie spent years in commercial leadership roles at top biopharma companies before launching a women’s health startup inspired by her own struggle with unexplained infertility. When the business model proved tou...

In this episode of She Leads Biotech, I’m joined by Denise Dajles, President & CEO at Cytrellis Biosystems, Inc. who has built her career at the dynamic intersection of engineering, medical devices, and executive leadership.

Denise’s story starts with curiosity in Costa Rica and takes us through academia, entrepreneurship, and boardrooms across the US. She shares how being “naively fearless” helped her navigate male-dominated sp...

In this episode of She Leads Biotech, I sit down with Maria Haugen, founder of Foxx Health a new app designed to help women take control of their health journey and walk into appointments prepared, confident, and heard.

Maria’s story began when she experienced terrifying heart symptoms and felt dismissed and misdiagnosed for months. Out of that frustration, she decided to build what she wished she’d had: a health companion app that ...

In this episode of She Leads Biotech, I’m joined by Dr. Maija Cheung, a Yale-trained surgeon and now Chief Medical Officer of Kids Operating Room, a global nonprofit bringing surgical care to children in the world’s most underserved regions.

Maija’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary. From operating rooms in Connecticut to refugee camps in Kenya, she’s traded prestige for purpose , and is now leading efforts to build pediatri...

In this episode of She Leads Biotech, I sit down with Elaine Hamm, PhD, scientist, founder, investor, wine bar owner, and Executive in Residence at Tulane University , for a refreshingly honest conversation about what really happens behind the scenes in biotech.

Elaine’s story is anything but typical: she started as a piano major, became a microbiologist (inspired by the film Outbreak, no less), and has since built, run, and shut do...

In this episode of She Leads Biotech, Sharron Cox sits down with Lusine (Lucy) Abgaryan, PhD, MBA, Co-founder of GrittGene Therapeutics, to talk about rare diseases, scientific serendipity, and what it really takes to launch a biotech company from the ground up.

Lucy’s journey is anything but typical. Raised in an Armenian observatory town by astrophysicist parents, she studied physics before diving headfirst into biology, earning h...

In this episode of She Leads Biotech, Sharron Cox sits down with Christin Godale, Executive Director of LifeSciKY and her journey is nothing short of extraordinary.

From New York fashion model to neuroscience PhD, Christin’s life changed after a seizure landed her in the hospital and sparked a fascination with the brain. That moment of disruption launched a career that’s taken her from the bench to venture capital to launching Kentu...

In this episode of She Leads Biotech, Sharron Cox sits down with Giana Jarrah, Founder & CEO of with Meraki Co—a company breaking barriers in women’s health with science-backed supplements for urinary, vaginal, and reproductive wellness.

Giana’s story is one of resilience, purpose, and the power of following your “why.” From her mother’s cancer diagnosis to her own health battles with chronic UTIs, Giana turned frustration into ...

In this special roundtable episode, we sit down with a group of inspiring women from Arbor Biotechnologies to explore their personal and professional journeys in the life sciences. From navigating male-dominated spaces to building confidence and finding authentic leadership voices, these leaders share candid insights into what it means to thrive as women in biotech. They reflect on the power of mentorship, the importance of communi...

In this episode of She Leads Biotech, Sharron Cox speaks with Beth San Segundo, CEO of OriGen Biomedical, a pioneering medical device company fueling innovation in cell and gene therapy.

Beth shares her remarkable journey from pre-med student and cleanroom technician to leading a 200-person company that helps patients walk away from cancer in durable remission. What began as “just a job” at her father’s company became a calling — an...

In this episode of She Leads Biotech, Sharron Cox speaks with Margo Harrison MD MPH, Founder & CEO of Wave Bye Inc. , a trailblazer in women’s intimate wellness, combining innovation and purpose to address a topic most would rather whisper about.

Margo shares how a deeply personal experience drove her to create Wave Bye , a biotech startup developing a safe, effective solution for treating recurrent UTIs and supporting vaginal h...

In this episode of She Leads Biotech, Sharron Cox speaks with Liia Ramachandra, CEO and founder of EpilLynx — a clinical pharmacist, global pharma leader, and bold entrepreneur who's turning personal health challenges into industry-shifting innovation.

Liia shares how she went from VP in big pharma to building a clean, allergy-safe skincare line from her basement — now available in over 500 retailers across the U.S.

She opens up abou...

In this episode of She Leads Biotech, I speak with Jessicca Rege, CEO of SUS Clinical — a scientist, mom, and startup leader bringing innovation to the world of cancer drug development with genetically modified OncoPIGs.

Jess shares her unconventional path from big pharma to biotech, how she’s navigating leadership as a woman in science, and why authenticity and curiosity are her most powerful tools.

Chapters with Timecodes:

00:00 — I...

What drives someone to challenge the status quo inhealthcare—and keep pushing, even when the door is slammed shut?

In this episode of She Leads Biotech, we sit down withJuliana Elstad, CEO of Vibrato Medical, whose personal story is as powerful as her professional mission. From growing up in the Soviet Union and watching her sister battle a chronic illness, to navigating bias in corporate boardrooms,Juliana shares how loss, grit, an...

In this episode of She Leads Biotech, Sharron Cox sits down with Wendy Winckler, a pioneer in cancer genomics and a leader at the forefront of early cancer detection. From her first spark of scientific curiosity in preschool—dreaming of the stars—to a transformative summer that led her to genetics, Wendy shares a powerful journey shaped by passion, perseverance, and the power of collaboration.

Wendy walks us through her career—from ...

In this episode, Suzanne shares how her first job supporting a physician-researcher at a cancer center sparked a passion that led to a career in biotech leadership. With a sociology and economics degree in hand, she taught herself how trials worked from the ground up — navigating protocols, patient care, operations, and regulatory realities.

Today, she’s an influential voice in clinical development, fractional leadership, and indust...

In this episode, Adrienne Mendoza shareshow a deeply personal loss drove her to pursue a mission-led career in blood banking and regenerative medicine. With hands-on experience in quality and regulatory affairs, she made the leap to operations leadership as SVP at BioBridge Global and ultimately stepping into the role of Chief Operating Officer at BBG Advanced Therapies.

Chapters

00:00 Weather Talk and Introductions

02:42 Adrienne...

Todays episode features Alyssa Waid, a natural storyteller (well, she is in global marketing!) whose passion for cell and gene therapy is surpassed only by her dedication to women's health and empowerment.

As the founder of Her Collective, Alyssa has built a community focused on fostering meaningful connections, amplifying women's voices, and creating spaces where they feel seen, supported, and unstoppable.

Today, we discuss the powe...

Get ready for a conversation that’s anything but conventional. Dr Nicole Paulk’s journey to biotech leadership didn’t follow a straight line—it sprinted, pivoted, and leaped across disciplines.

From aspiring athlete to CEO of Siren Biotechnology a cutting-edge gene therapy company, Nicole’s story is a testament to resilience, reinvention, and the power of bold decision-making.

In this episode, she takes us through her evolution—from...