Her Story
About Jessica
Jessica Tam serves as Vice President of Strategy and Growth for Ambient Clinical Analytics, a growth-stage company developing software as a medical device technology to simplify complex care for critical care patients, with a focus on sepsis detection, management, and improved clinical and economic outcomes. She brings 9 years of experience in healthcare IT, with expertise in commercializing healthcare products and technologies, developing, scaling, and bringing innovations to market. Tam began her career at Baxter Healthcare in their R&D team through a rotational program, where she gained exposure across the company before transitioning into commercial and strategy roles, including corporate strategy focused on adjacencies, M&A, and digital health, followed by five years in global marketing and new product development. She earned her undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from Stanford University and completed her MBA in the evening program at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business while working. Tam is an advisor for the Chicago-based venture fund 2Flow Ventures and serves on the advisory board of the Sepsis Alliance, a nonprofit where she is also a board member. She attributes her success to a strong network of mentors and peers who provide transparent guidance, and she values trust, accountability, collaboration, diversity in thought and background, and open communication in both her professional and personal life.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jessica
01What do you attribute your success to?
My biggest thing I would attribute my success to are my mentors. I've really been able to build a great network of just people that I trust, and anytime I run into an issue or struggle with something, people who I can call and really without any filters just tell them here's what the situation is. They'll be really transparent and honest with me and real with me. A lot of the decisions I've made in my career I wouldn't have been able to make without my network of mentors and peers.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be open to new opportunities and new experiences that come your way. I had a plan coming out of college but realized the plan wasn't what I wanted. I've been more opportunistic in taking opportunities that have come my way, saying yes to things a mentor or peer tagged me for. Be open-minded and willing to say yes to things that maybe you hadn't planned for or didn't expect.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The pace of innovation can be really slow compared to other industries. Having to wait for FDA approval or longer sales cycles can be frustrating. But the upside is it's really rewarding because you feel like you can make an impact and the things we're bringing to market do save lives.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Saying what you're going to do and following through with it to build trust and accountability. I really value collaboration and getting multiple opinions and having others challenge my perspective. Diversity in thought and background. Open and honest communication especially when working as a team in a small company.
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