Negotiating Intellectual Property, Staying Focused, and Making the Most of Mentors with Michal Preminger, Board Member at MassBio

Summary

In this episode of the podcast we are joined by Michal Preminger, Board Member at MassBio, who shares her remarkable journey spanning across academia, biotech, and global healthcare innovation. It all began with a deep responsibility to make an impact in the world, which led her into the field of healthcare. But she soon discovered that what kept her motivated wasn’t the end goal, but the process of developing and translating scientific ideas into real products and companies. 

Michal explains how her mindset of leaving a legacy has shaped her career decisions, and she offers practical advice for early stage scientific founders on how to find the right mentor and begin building their ideas. The conversation covers the many resources available to entrepreneurs through academic institutions and by organizations like MassBio and the Kendall Square Association.

Show Notes

Time Stamps

(0:55) Introduction to Michal’s background and her professional journey 

(7:58) How Michal leveraged tech skills to break into computational biology 

(13:15) Her experience at Compugen working on early AI-enabled drug discovery  

(19:52) Challenges startup founders face and strategies to overcome them

(25:19) Michal’s personal experience as a founder at Anima Biotech

(32:52) Resources available at academic institutions to support startups 

(40:15) How to successfully negotiate as a scientific founder

(46:51) Michal’s role at Johnson & Johnson

(53:13) Introduction to MassBio and their purpose

(58:35) Advice on networking and how to form meaningful partnerships

Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michal-preminger/

MassBio | LinkedIn

MassBio | 46,632 followers on LinkedIn. Massachusetts is the State of Possible - the #1 life sciences cluster in the world - and we plan to keep it that way! | MassBio, a not-for-profit organization that represents and provides services and support for the Massachusetts life sciences industry, is the nation's oldest biotechnology trade association. Founded in 1985, MassBio is committed to advancing Massachusetts'​ leadership in the life sciences to grow the industry, add value to the healthcare system and improve patient lives. Representing more than 1000 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, research hospitals, and service organizations involved in life sciences and healthcare, MassBio works to advance policy and promote education, while providing member programs and events, industry information, and services.

LinkedInMassBio

https://www.amazon.com/Exceptions-Nancy-Hopkins-Fight-Science/dp/1982131837

Kendall Square