Made, Not Found: How Scientists Become Biotech Founders
Most trainees in Calgary are shown two paths: academia, or industry. The space between them — where research becomes a company — stays invisible.
This evening is about making it visible.
Four people who have each lived a different part of venture creation sit down together: the investor who funds it, the coach who runs it, the fellows who went through the program.
Expect a candid conversation about how biotech companies actually get built by scientists, and what it takes to decide that founding one is a normal career move rather than an exceptional one.
The evening opens with a short introduction to Nucleate Canada's Activator and Amplitude's Pre-Amp venture creation engine, followed by a moderated panel and networking.
On the panel
Logan Germain — Moderator. Nucleate leader, from the Activator team supporting early-stage teams in Toronto, and a PreAmp fellow.
JF Pariseau — Managing Partner, Amplitude Ventures. The investor's view on what makes a scientific founder fundable, and what Amplitude is building in Alberta.
Eric Desjardins — Venture Associate, PreAmp. Three and a half years coaching biotech venture creation, plus co-founder Stereo BioTherapeutics.
Katelyn Shewchuk — PreAmp Fellow, Calgary. What the programme looks like from the inside, and how she got there.
Who this is for
Graduate students, postdocs, and early-career researchers wondering whether there's a path from the bench to a company. Founders already in motion. Investors and ecosystem builders who want to see where the next Alberta biotech companies come from.
This event is powered by our Nucleate Canada Supporters:
Platinum: MNP, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute
Gold: Genome Alberta
Silver: Genome BC, Innovate Calgary, UCeed Startup Investment Funds, Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation
About the Host:
Nucleate is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the next generation of biotech leade