Women entrepreneurs in the sciences are building some of the world’s most innovative and impactful companies, but they continue to face unique barriers to funding, visibility, and leadership opportunity. In this session, serial entrepreneur Dr. Andrea Wagner shares candid lessons from founding, growing, and successfully selling two sterile fill-finish companies and from her current work leading an engineering services firm supporting pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Andrea will explore why science-based businesses are powerful investment opportunities, the risks and operational challenges women founders face, and how to avoid common pitfalls (including some of her own). She will also cover systemic obstacles that limit women’s access to funding, mentors, and respect along with practical strategies to overcome them. Attendees will learn what it truly takes to succeed as a business owner in the sciences and leave with actionable guidance on how — and where — to start.
Topics covered include:
• Why science-based businesses make strong investments
• The challenges and risks unique to running a technical company — and how to avoid common mistakes
• Barrier's women founders face and strategies to overcome them
• What you truly need to succeed as a business owner in the sciences
• Where to begin — practical first steps for starting a science-driven company