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From PhD to Career Success
Explore how PhDs from a variety of different
fields navigated the decision to leave academia.
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CEO & Co-Founder Builds Meaningful Relationships
Name: Elena Hoffer (she/her) PhD: Medical Sciences - Immunology, Karolinska Institutet, 2023 What was your main area of research? I...
Feb 172 min read
Founder Has Achieved Intellectual and Time Freedom
Name: Â Kaidi Wu (she/her) PhD: Â Social Psychology, University of Michigan, 2020 What was your main area of research? My main area of...
Nov 23, 20243 min read
Science Communication Consultant Also Founded a Company
Name: Â Stella Belonwu (she/her) PhD: Â Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics, University of California - San Francisco, 2021 What...
Oct 15, 20242 min read
Tenured Associate Professor Becomes a Founder
Name: Â Aditi Paul (she/her) PhD: Â Communication Studies, Michigan State University, 2015 What was your main area of research? I studied...
Oct 13, 20242 min read
From Archaeology to Owning a Business
Name: Â Elaine Massung (she/her) PhD: Â Archaeology/Computer Science, University of Bristol, 2010 What was your main area of research? My...
Oct 12, 20243 min read
Associate Director of Business Development Says to Be Bold
Name: Â William (Chip) Beckwith (he/him) PhD: Â Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, Wesleyan University, 2000 What was your main area of...
Oct 11, 20242 min read
Leaving Academia Was This Founder's Toughest Decision
Name: Â Lenny Teytelman (he/him) PhD: Â Molecular Biology, University of California - Berkeley, 2009 What was your main area of research? I...
Oct 10, 20242 min read
Scientific Director Forges Industrial and Research Partnerships
Name: Â Aditi Bhattacharya (she/her) PhD: Â Molecular Neuroscience, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 2009 What was your main area of...
Oct 10, 20242 min read
Chief of Staff Recommends Broadening Your View
Name: Â Orion Tong (he/him) PhD: Â Oncology, Oxford University, 2023 What was your main area of research? I did transcriptomic and...
Oct 1, 20242 min read
CEO Helping Women Get the Best Out of Academia
Name:  Jen Harrison (she/her) PhD:  English (Children’s) Literature, Aberystwyth University, 2009 What was your main area of research? My...
Sep 27, 20243 min read
CEO at the Intersection of Tech & Environmental Stewardship
Name: Â Joseph Kao (he/him) PhD: Â Materials Science and Engineering, University of California - Berkeley, 2014 What was your main area of...
Sep 24, 20242 min read
Principal and Owner Says to Do What You Love
Name: Â Carolyn Anderson (she/her) PhD: Â Organic Chemistry, University of California - Irvine, 2003 What was your main area of research? I...
Sep 21, 20243 min read
Running a Venture Capital Fund During Graduate School
Name: Â Tyler Benster (he/him) PhD: Â Neurosciences, Stanford University, 2024 What was your main area of research? I built silent speech...
Sep 21, 20241 min read
Founder Saw a Greater Need & Created Her Own Career
Name: Â Crystal Herron, PhD, ELS (she/her) PhD: Â Biomedical Science, Albany Medical College, 2011 What was your main area of research? As...
Sep 16, 20242 min read
Strategic Solutions Lead Reminds Everyone to Have Grit
Name: Â Rahul Mohan (he/him) PhD: Â Anatomy/Neuroscience, University of New South Wales, 2016 What was your main area of research? I...
Sep 13, 20242 min read
Medical Writer Runs Her Own Freelance Business
Name: Â Claudia Prahst (she/her) PhD: Â Cell Biology, University of Freiburg, 2008 What was your main area of research? I spent 12 years...
Sep 12, 20241 min read
Nanotechnologist Now Runs Medical Writing Company
Name: Â Mariana Dalagnol (she/her) PhD: Â Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Federal University of Santa Catarina (Brazil), 2016 What was your...
Sep 10, 20244 min read
Chief of Staff Helps Run a Biotech Company
Name: Â Akela Kuwahara (she/her) PhD: Â Developmental & Stem Cell Biology, University of California - San Francisco, 2020 What was your...
Sep 10, 20242 min read
Founder Emphasizes Perseverance & Determination
Name: Â Bonnie EJ Maven (she/her/they/them) PhD: Â Developmental & Stem Cell Biology, University of California - San Francisco, 2022 What...
Sep 6, 20242 min read
Freelance Medical Writer Loves the Freedom of Her Job
Name: Samantha Santangelo (she/her) PhD: Â Molecular Biology, King's College London, 2002 What was your main area of research? Human white...
Sep 3, 20245 min read
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