Founder success is often framed around vision, grit, and innovation—but sustainable growth depends on how founders lead, make decisions, and build the foundation of a team and culture. Many founders start solo, wearing every hat and driving early momentum on their own. This webinar explores how founders evolve from doing the work themselves to leading the work—building the right systems, culture, and early teams to support growth. Speakers will share candid insights on early hires, leadership evolution, and practical lessons for founders preparing to scale their impact.

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Speaker Bios

Caralynn Collens, MD, CEO at Dimension Bio

Dr. Collens is the co-founder and CEO of Dimension Bio, a biotechnology company developing regenerative therapeutics that restore lost function due to disease, trauma, or aging. She is passionate about building teams and organizations that harness technology to drive transformational change and improve the quality of people’s lives. Previously, she was co-founder and CEO of UI LABS, a first-of-its-kind innovation collaborative that launched MxD, the national digital manufacturing institute. After starting her first company while a joint medical/business student, Caralynn spent her early career in venture capital and corporate finance, primarily focused on technology-based university spin-outs. In addition to her executive leadership, she serves as a board member and advisor to organizations dedicated to creating meaningful impact.

John Flavin, Founder & CEO at Portal Innovations, LLC

John is the Founder and CEO of Portal Innovations, a venture capital development platform focused on life sciences. Since founding Portal, John has successfully led the company to invest in 25 portfolio companies and grown the company’s footprint to seven U.S. cities, with more than 200,000 SF of lab space. John is a proven leader with a track record of bringing valuable corporate, academic, and civic enterprises from concept to reality, including MediChem Life Sciences (MCLS), Advanced Life Sciences (ADLS), MATTER, and the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago. John is also a co-founder and chairman of Pyxis Oncology (PYXS), executive chairman of ClostraBio, and a board member of Syntax Bio. Over the course of his career, John has successfully raised more than $450 million of private and philanthropic capital, including three NASDAQ IPOs, to fund the development of these transformative organizations.

Jessica E. Samuels, EdD, Chief HR Officer at Evolve Career, Moderator

Dr. Samuels is a Fractional CHRO and LinkedIn Growth Advisor to executives and leadership teams, as well as a Career and Business Coach. She brings over 20 years of experience across healthcare, life sciences, technology, and education. As the Founder and CEO of Evolve Career, she works with organizations, founders, and executives to strengthen leadership capability, expand strategic visibility, and position leaders for C-suite roles, board seats, and business ventures. Jessica has coached and advised leaders at organizations including Novartis, the American Heart Association, the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh, the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), Camden Health, and Evergreen Nephrology. She is recognized for delivering high-impact keynotes, executive development programs, and advisory support across leadership transitions and business growth. Her expertise spans LinkedIn branding, executive job search, and business launches, supporting leaders navigating high-stakes promotions, career pivots, and board pathways.

Amanda Schalk, PhD, Co-Founder and COO of Enzyme by Design

Dr. Schalk is a co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at Enzyme by Design and a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She completed her BS in biochemistry at Eastern Michigan University and her Master’s and PhD at the International Max Planck Research School for Molecular Biology in Goettingen, Germany. Her postdoc in Dr. Lavie’s lab at the University of Illinois at Chicago focused on developing protein-based anticancer therapeutics using structural biology. She worked 2 years off the bench as a virtual lab manager at Happilabs, supporting small biotechs across the country. In 2017, her team from UIC spun out their safer cancer therapeutics technology into the startup Enzyme by Design, where she is PI on their NIH small business grants and is enjoying the constant rollercoaster adventure of entrepreneurship.

Pricing Information

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