Don’t Wait for Permission: The Scientist-Founder Shift | Elena Itskovich

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In this episode of the Bio Founder GPS Podcast, I’m joined by Elena Itskovich, PhD, Founding General Partner of Nest Catalyst, an entrepreneurship program helping scientist-founders make the leap from the lab to company creation.

Elena has a unique view into the scientist-founder journey. She has lived the transition herself from PhD and postdoc training to biotech BD and ecosystem building, and now works with founders while their companies are still taking shape.

We talked about what that transition really requires: not just learning fundraising tactics or polishing a pitch deck, but stepping into the founder role, choosing the right first path for the company, building the right community, and understanding when you’re actually ready to raise.

In this conversation, we cover:

• Why scientist-founders may be more prepared for company-building than they realize

• The identity shift from scientist to founder

• Why community can be such an important catalyst in that transition

• How to think about your first market, application, or opportunity

• When to start investor conversations — and when to actively fundraise

• Why investor fit matters more than simply building a long target list

• How Elena thinks about platforms vs. assets, AI-bio, grants, patient organizations, conferences, and more

If you’re a scientist-founder building your first biotech company, this conversation is a helpful look at the messy but important stage before the story is fully polished — when the company, the strategy, and the founder identity are all still forming.

Learn more about Nest Catalyst: https://nestcatalyst.com/

Connect with Elena: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-itskovich/

Subscribe to Bio Founder GPS: https://biofounder.io

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