Kaitlin Toney, MBA

Resilience, at its core, but if I'm being honest, it often looks a lot like stubbornness. I’ve been fortunate to have strong role models who showed me what it looks like to keep going, even when things don’t go as planned. There have been moments in my career and personal life where the easier choice would have been to stop, to settle, or to take the safe path. I didn’t, not because I was always confident it would work out, but because I wasn’t willing to quit on myself. I’ve had to bounce back more than once - from a company shutting down, to navigating a health diagnosis, to starting over in a new city more than once. Each time, I had a choice. And each time, I chose to keep going and find opportunity in the disruption.

The best career advice I've received came from my dad. He built his life from the ground up through sheer determination, and he always told me: have a Plan A, a Plan B, and a Plan C.

At the time, it felt like practical advice. But looking back, it was really a mindset. It’s not about expecting things to go wrong, it’s about being prepared enough that no single setback can define your path. My career has reflected that. Plan A hasn’t always worked out, and I’ve found myself pivoting more than once. But those pivots weren’t failures, they were redirections that ultimately led to better opportunities than I originally thought.

My advice to young women entering this industry is to stop waiting until you feel ready. Truthfully, I’ve never felt fully ready, and I’ve often wrestled with doubts about being qualified, prepared, or settled enough. The women who succeed are the ones who move forward despite fear - they take action even when it feels uncomfortable. My approach has been to find the right people to support me, protect my energy, and keep building, even if things aren’t perfect. Progress comes from persistence, not perfection.

Biotechnology is evolving rapidly, creating tremendous opportunities for innovation in patient care. I believe the greatest opportunity lies in strengthening collaboration between scientists, business leaders, and patient communities to ensure that medical breakthroughs translate into meaningful, real-world outcomes.

Equity and growth and I'll tell you where both come from. Equity I learned from my Dad. He started with nothing and built his life through hard work, and that stuck with me. I've carried it into everything - into how I think about operations in biotech, and into how I show up for people around me. I don't like when the playing field isn't level. It bothers me enough to want to change it. Growth is more personal. I don't want to be the same person I was five years ago. I want to be better, smarter, more self aware. I need to keep growing, which is why I went back for my MBA.