The 3.8 Initiative, named for the March 8 International Women’s Day, is a 10-month program dedicated to giving women leaders the tools and knowledge they need to become future board leaders. The three key pillars of the program include: a supportive network of women leaders in the life science, health tech community; a curriculum of startup board fundraising diligence and areas correlating with individual gaps in training, experiential opportunities for board readiness; and facilitation of board seat placement for our cohort graduates by working with local VCs and incubators. Each cohort participates in several workshops and engages with subject matter experts outlining content relevant to startup board governance and leadership seminars.
2022 candidates
The candidates selected for this year’s program are:
• Lora Allemeier, Mentor in Residence, Duke University
• Hortense Dodo, PhD, President and Senior Scientist, IngateyGen LLC
• Michelle Egger, Co-Founder and CEO, BIOMILQ
• Virginia Fitt, General Counsel and Compliance Officer, ChemoCentryx, Inc.
• Mary Gunn, Independent Board Director, Welwaze Medical
• Courtney Kamlet, Vice President, Group General Counsel & Corporate
Secretary, Vontier Corporation
• Heidi Kay, PhD, Founder and CEO, Jericho Sciences, LLC
• Cassandra Kennedy, Senior Vice President, Global Head Regulatory,
Compliance and Quality Assurance, Labcorp
• Pepper Landson, Co-Founder and CEO, Praetego Inc.
• Reed Loughrey, Vice President, Business Insights and Strategy, Syneos Health
• Christina Mack, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, IQVIA
• Tracy Raines, PhD, Chief Innovation Officer, AgBiome
• Katie Warner, PhD, Co-Founder and Vice President, RNA Biology, Ribometrix
“We are pleased to launch our WIB-RTP 3.8 Initiative to offer women leaders in the life sciences industry new pathways for expanding their own professional potential and the cumulative contributions that they make to growing bioscience and tech ventures across North Carolina,” said Shirley L. Paddock, Chair of the WIB-RTP Chapter and Senior Vice President of Clinical Development-Project Management at Syneos Health. “Our region is a hub of biotech and pharmaceutical innovation that benefits immensely from women who are pioneering new horizons in the field, and we look forward to working with a variety of partners to further equip these leaders to take next steps in making a strategic difference for companies and an economic impact in the state.”
The initiative is supported by KickStart Venture Services, a department and life sciences startup accelerator that is part of Innovate Carolina, the central team for innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. KickStart is working to build awareness about the 3.8 Initiative among women leaders in Research Triangle region, provide expert speakers, hone the program’s curriculum, and connect participants to startups seeking board members.
“We are excited and honored to partner with Women In Bio to support and announce this talented group of women leaders as participants in the inaugural WIB-RTP 3.8 Initiative,” said Mireya McKee, PhD, Director of KickStart Venture Services. “As we work together with this impressive and diverse cohort, we look forward to helping provide targeted education programs, skill-building sessions and enduring connections with life science startup companies, which will benefit immensely from the knowledge and experience that these women will bring to their boards.”
Three of the 13 participants selected to participate in the inaugural cohort are women leaders who work at UNC-affiliated life sciences companies:
- Christina Mack, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, IQVIA
- Tracy Raines, PhD, Chief Innovation Officer, AgBiome
- Katie Warner, PhD, Co-Founder and Vice President, RNA Biology, Ribometrix
Read the full news announcement and learn more about WIB-RTP’s 3.8 Initiative.
