April Bauer, Ph.D.

Curiosity, and persistence! I've always been curious, asking lots of questions, mixing together random things in the bathroom and kitchen hoping for a cool reaction, and building science contraptions as a child. As I matured, I gravitated towards science due to the opportunities to solve puzzles and understand the fundamental building blocks of life. Progressing through academia and industry, that curiosity meshed with my desire to innovate in science and impact the scientific community to facilitate the advancement of humanity. This has required persistence through school, challenging projects, and learning new areas to move from science to business.

Clarity is kindness. Whether you're supervising a team or working on a product roadmap, understanding why we do what we do and the impact of our activities is crucial to motivation and productivity. I do my best to be clear in my expectations for teams, and I take the time to ask for clarity when I need it for myself, I have found this leads to the best outcomes for all involved. I never want to restrict creativity for teams so providing the parameters through clearly defined objectives keeps activities on task while allowing for innovation.

Build your tolerance for discomfort. Mastery and growth require us to be able to sit with discomfort. Not every choice you make must be challenging, and it wise to apply yourself carefully, but don't shy away from things you're not "good" at yet. A growth mindset will get your farther than inherent talent.

AI and disruptive technologies. Learning to utilize AI, where appropriate, isn't a nice to have skill, it's a requirement now. Discernment around how to apply AI is the critical factor.

Honesty, Integrity, Curiosity, Adventure, Empathy, and Humor.