115 Vicki Sato: A Pioneer In Science And Business, How A Quest For Balance Led To The White House

The Unlock Moment: find your purpose for leadership and life

One of the reasons why I love the world of ballroom dancing is because it connected me with an amazing global network of friends who, off the dance floor, come from all walks of life. Almost twenty years ago I met my wife Mildred through dancing, and through Mildred I met today’s guest and a very good friend over many years, Vicki Sato.

When she’s not competing in and winning pro-am dance competitions with her professional partner Nazar, Vicki is a world leader in the field of pharmaceuticals and biotech.

She has been fascinated by the interface of science and entrepreneurship for a long time. Having started out as an academic scientist at Harvard, she transitioned into the biotech industry with future stars of the sector Biogen and Vertex, where she spent 25 years helping to lead great teams, making medicines and building companies. Together those two businesses are now worth over $100 billion.

Later Vicki returned to Harvard to become a professor teaching both science and entrepreneurship at Harvard University and Harvard Business School. She met a lot of talented young (and less young) people and mentoring young entrepreneurs remains something she loves to do.

She has served as a corporate director of major companies such as BristolMyersSquibb and BorgWarner and growing companies in cool areas of science such as Denali, VIRbio and Allogene. Molecules and therapeutics developed under her leadership have become critical treatments for HIV, cystic fibrosis, inflammation, multiple sclerosis, and hepatitis C.

In her latest adventure she is learning about and contributing to science and public policy by serving on President Biden's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) and the Committee on Science, Technology and the Law for the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. She’s the first guest I’ve had on The Unlock Moment who has her own page on the White House website!

I’m looking forward to digging in to Vicki’s journey, to understand The Unlock Moments of remarkable clarity that guided her path. And I’m always fascinated to hear her wise take on finding intentional balance to shape a life you love and that connects deeply with your values and purpose.

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https://www.whitehouse.gov/pcast/members/vicki-sato/

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The Unlock Moment podcast is brought to you by Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD. Downloaded in over 115 countries. Sign up to The Unlock Moment newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/ywhdaazp Find out more at https://garycrotaz.com and https://theunlockmoment.com