🧬 Jason C. Foster - Part 2 | Manufacturing Brighter Futures | From Richmond to London: Building a Biotech Empire | Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast
January 30, 2025
Part 2 of 2: My guest today is Jason C. Foster, CEO and Executive Director of Ori Biotech. Ori is revolutionizing Cell and Gene Therapy manufacturing through the development of its proprietary platform, IRO®. By automating and standardizing Cell and Gene Therapy manufacturing, Ori and IRO® offer scientists the tools they need to streamline development and support widespread patient access to life-saving treatments.
Jason's experience prior to Ori includes more than 20 years of life science leadership in operations, sales, marketing, technology, and investing, during which he developed deep expertise in commercial strategy and a thorough understanding of healthcare markets across the UK, US, and EU.
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Part 2 of 2: My guest today is Jason C. Foster, CEO and Executive Director of Ori Biotech. Ori is revolutionizing Cell and Gene Therapy manufacturing through the development of its proprietary platform, IRO®. By automating and standardizing Cell and Gene Therapy manufacturing, Ori and IRO® offer scientists the tools they need to streamline development and support widespread patient access to life-saving treatments.
Jason's experience prior to Ori includes more than 20 years of life science leadership in operations, sales, marketing, technology, and investing, during which he developed deep expertise in commercial strategy and a thorough understanding of healthcare markets across the UK, US, and EU.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- Jason Foster's journey from Virginia to London
- The critical role of culture in company success
- Ori Biotech's mission to increase accessibility of cell therapies by developing scalable manufacturing solutions
- Challenges in commercializing cell therapies and the need to consider commercial viability alongside safety and efficacy
- Jason's leadership insights, including the concept of being a "trusted advisor" and the importance of transparency in team building
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Enriched Notes:
Topics Mentioned:
Ori Biotech https://oribiotech.com/
How to Spin Out of Academia https://www.excedr.com/resources/how-to-spin-out-of-academia-and-into-a-startup
How VC-Backed Startups Win When They Lease https://www.excedr.com/blog/how-vc-backed-startups-win-when-they-lease
Marketing & Sales Strategies for Startups https://www.excedr.com/blog/marketing-sales-strategies-for-biotechs
People Mentioned:
Farlan Veraitch https://www.linkedin.com/in/farlan-singh-veraitch-a677112/
Reed Hastings https://www.linkedin.com/in/reedhastings/
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
05:21 - Early days of expanding the business in Europe
10:37 - Reflections on entrepreneurship within a large organization
15:44 - The importance of culture in building a successful company
20:35 - Jason's journey to founding Ori Biotech
27:22 - Building Ori Biotech from the ground up
33:35 - The challenges and potential of cell therapy
39:51 - Ori Biotech's approach to go-to-market strategy
46:09 - The importance of being a trusted advisor to clients
51:10 - Hiring for cultural fit and building a strong team
55:17 - Future plans for Ori Biotech
57:59 - Shoutouts to mentors and supporters
1:00:05 - Advice to his 21-year-old self
1:02:48 - Outro
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