In this episode of She Leads Biotech, I sit down with Elaine Hamm, PhD, scientist, founder, investor, wine bar owner, and Executive in Residence at Tulane University , for a refreshingly honest conversation about what really happens behind the scenes in biotech.
Elaine’s story is anything but typical: she started as a piano major, became a microbiologist (inspired by the film Outbreak, no less), and has since built, run, and shut down multiple biotech startups , gaining a reputation for her straight-talking, operations-savvy leadership along the way.
💬 “The startup bro life makes failure sound like a badge of honour… but no one talks about what it really feels like.”
We talk about:🔹 Her accidental pivot into science and how a burst appendix changed everything
🔹 What it takes to make hard calls, shut companies down, and start again
🔹 How she navigates fundraising bias as a woman in biotech
🔹 The difference between managers and leaders and why it matters
🔹 Her secret to building wine bars and biotech teams that actually work
This episode is a heartfelt, hilarious, and unfiltered look at what it takes to lead authentically — and why embracing failure just might be the secret to long-term success.
📌 Chapters / Timestamps
00:00 – Meet Elaine Hamm
01:00 – From piano major to microbiologist: the unexpected pivot
04:30 – Building startups in biotech... and in wine
06:00 – The hardest thing she’s ever done (and what it taught her)
09:00 – How failure shaped her leadership style
12:00 – Managing virtual teams as an introvert
16:00 – Talking about failure, fundraising, and female founders
23:00 – How to pitch (especially when you're not the default profile)
28:00 – Learning to storytell, and why it matters more than ever
30:00 – Hosting Bio from the Bayou and communicating science better
36:00 – Dog fostering, drug development, and finding your purpose
🎧 Listen now for a real-world masterclass in leadership, resilience, and unapologetic authenticity, from someone who's been through it all and still shows up with humour, heart, and a glass of wine.
#SheLeadsBiotech #ElaineHamm #WomenInSTEM #AuthenticLeadership #BiotechLeadership #FemaleFounders #StartupLife #ResilienceInBusiness #TulaneUniversity #CNAInternationalUSA
