🧬 The Outsider Mindset Behind Successful Biotech Founders | David Li Rerelease (1/4)
August 3, 2026
In this part of the podcast, David shares how the Roy Vagelos Life Sciences and Management dual degree program at the University of Pennsylvania opened his eyes to the possibilities of combining scientific discovery with business acumen. A pivotal summer internship with Arie Belldegrun at UCLA—during which Kite Pharma was born—planted the seed for his future in life sciences entrepreneurship. He also discusses his transition into finance, landing at Goldman Sachs, and the lessons learned from sitting in boardrooms alongside C-level executives at critical moments in companies' life cycles.
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"It's a tricky balance. You kinda have to be both an oddball out, but it's the combination of the two that's important. Being able to think independently is perhaps oftentimes the harder one to get right because you're growing up, you wanna fit in and have friends and be popular. But channeling that into a way that is really laser-focused on ultimately what you wanna do and the impact, those are things I think about all the time."
"It's a tricky balance. You kinda have to be both an oddball out, but it's the combination of the two that's important. Being able to think independently is perhaps oftentimes the harder one to get right because you're growing up, you wanna fit in and have friends and be popular. But channeling that into a way that is really laser-focused on ultimately what you wanna do and the impact, those are things I think about all the time."
David Li's journey begins in Wuhan, China, and takes him to Louisville, Kentucky, at age three, where he learned what it meant to be an outsider. Moving from one culture to another at a formative age taught him adaptability and self-confidence—qualities that would later define his approach to leadership and entrepreneurship. His early fascination with science, from reading biology textbooks cover to cover to conducting research at the University of Chicago while still in high school, set the stage for a career at the intersection of science and business.
In this part of the podcast, David shares how the Roy Vagelos Life Sciences and Management dual degree program at the University of Pennsylvania opened his eyes to the possibilities of combining scientific discovery with business acumen. A pivotal summer internship with Arie Belldegrun at UCLA—during which Kite Pharma was born—planted the seed for his future in life sciences entrepreneurship. He also discusses his transition into finance, landing at Goldman Sachs, and the lessons learned from sitting in boardrooms alongside C-level executives at critical moments in companies' life cycles.
David's experiences as an immigrant, researcher, and financier shaped his perspective in biotech. He reflects on the importance of being comfortable as an outsider, the value of mentorship, and how each step of his journey contributed to his eventual path toward co-founding Meliora Therapeutics.
Key Topics Covered:
- Childhood in China and Kentucky
- Early passion for biology and chemistry
- High school research at the University of Chicago
- UPenn Life Sciences and Management Program
- Kite Pharma internship with Arie Belldegrun
- Investment banking at Goldman Sachs
- Leadership and being comfortable as an outsider
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Find our guest, David Li, at these links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-li-9aa210b
Website: https://www.melioratherapeutics.com/
Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee/
Learn more about Excedr:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/
Website: https://www.excedr.com
Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:
Website: https://flow.page/kyojin
Resources & Articles:
Early Childhood Leadership: https://etd.ohiolink.edu/acprod/odb_etd/ws/send_file/send?accession=akron1744394447429272&disposition=inline
Biology Research: https://biology.stanford.edu/academics/undergraduate-program/doing-research/biology-summer-undergraduate-research-program-bsurp
UPenn Roy Vagelos Program: https://lsm.upenn.edu/curriculum/dual-degree
Science to Investment Banking: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012160619305640
Life Sciences Entrepreneurship: https://wewillcure.com/insights/entrepreneurship/how-to-start-a-biotech-company
High School Research: https://med.stanford.edu/genecamp/process
Companies, Universities, & People Mentioned:
Goldman Sachs: https://www.goldmansachs.com/
Kite Pharma: https://www.kitepharma.com/
Merck: https://www.merck.com/
Everest Detection: https://everestdetection.com/
Benchling: https://www.benchling.com/
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:50 Childhood in China and Kentucky
05:13 Early Passion for Science
06:54 High School Research and Competitions
07:39 Parents' Influence on Science
09:23 Being Comfortable as an Outsider
10:12 UPenn Life Sciences Management Program
11:22 Kite Pharma R&D Internship
13:22 Choosing Finance and Goldman Sachs
15:50 What Is Investment Banking
17:11 How to Enter Investment Banking
19:24 Valuation Lessons for Biotech
20:36 Balancing Innovation and Value Creation
28:43 Outro
The Biotech Startups Podcast gives you a front-row seat to the business and science of building a biotech. Hosted by Jon Chee, CEO of Excedr, the show features honest conversations with founders, execs, and investors about their work, their companies, and how they got there. From scientific breakthroughs to startup lessons, each episode explores what it really takes to grow a life science company—from pre-seed to IPO.