BioPharma, Startups

Who taught you what it means to be an entrepreneur?

At the Idea Fest this fall, Roger Newton, founder of Esperion Therapeutics started his talk […]

At the Idea Fest this fall, Roger Newton, founder of Esperion Therapeutics started his talk by thanking his mentors. He started in college with the person who taught him bench science and named individuals who have helped him during his entire career.

Thanking people is often reserved for the end – of a book or a movie or a speech. I loved that Newton started with recognizing the people who shaped his life’s work and offered guidance along the way as he developed Lipitor, built, sold and then reclaimed Esperion.

We asked healthcare entrepreneurs about their mentors – who inspired them to start something new and then helped along the way. Here is who they chose and why. Tell us who your entrepreneurial mentor is in the comments or tweet it to @medcitynews.

 

 

Donn Rubin said the founder of BioStL (originally the Coalition of Plant and Life Sciences) Dr. William Danforth showed him the importance of gaining trust when building a coalition. He named John McDonnell, the chairman of BioSTL, as another inspiration.

“John is an unassuming, humble leader who has put resources to this effort,” he said. “Bill and John have been my mentors for more than a decade.”

 

 

Dr. Nathalie Majorek said two former colleagues inspired her to found MDCapsule and then supported her vision once she launched the new company.
Robert Fanning was her boss when she worked as a doctor of internal medicine.
“Robert tried to develop the ACO model within his organizations before anybody else thought of it,” Majorek said.
She also named transplant and vascular surgeon Dr. Peter Madras, a pioneer in personal health records and founder of Medical Record Bank.
“He was one of the first to think patients should have their own records,” she said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have learned a lot from all the entrepreneurs I’ve interviewed for MedCity News as well as my colleagues here. But there are two people who taught me the most about how to think creatively at work and pivot when necessary.
Paul Rieger first introduced me to the idea of a skunk works – which is the best way to experiment within a big company.
Ted Smith often gave me this advice: Steer into the confusion. This means seize opportunities wherever you see them and don’t wait for someone else to figure it out for you. Ted also helped me to focus on what’s next, instead of what’s right now. I have found both skills crucial for working at a startup.

[Mentor illustration from Bigstockphoto]

Veronica Combs

Veronica is an independent journalist and communications strategist. For more than 10 years, she has covered health and healthcare with a focus on innovation and patient engagement. Most recently she managed strategic partnerships and communications for AIR Louisville, a digital health project focused on asthma. The team recruited 7 employer partners, enrolled 1,100 participants and collected more than 250,000 data points about rescue inhaler use. Veronica has worked for startups for almost 20 years doing everything from launching blogs, newsletters and patient communities to recruiting speakers, moderating panel conversations and developing new products. You can reach her on Twitter @vmcombs.

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