Empowering Venture Capital Associates
Nandita Shangari didn’t plan to end up in venture capital. She was a toxicologist at Novartis, and said yes to one unplanned opportunity after another, until she’d worked on Kymriah (the first FDA-approved CAR T therapy), ran the Novartis Venture Fund, and ultimately landed at RA Capital Management, where she’s now Managing Director.
In this episode, Jen and Mike trace that path with her and get into what she’s learned along the way about the “performance equity” that opens doors, how RA’s incubator builds companies fast, and the real story behind Capstan Therapeutics’ pivot from oncology to autoimmune disease. They also ask her what separates scientists who thrive in venture from the ones who struggle.
Mike is a partner in the San Francisco (SoMa) and San Diego offices of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. He has provided strategic intellectual property counseling to hundreds growth enterprises in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, both venture-backed and public companies. His expertise includes patent strategy, prosecution, and diligence (both buy and sell side) for venture financings, public offerings, mergers and acquisitions.
Jennifer is a partner in the Boston office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. She helps innovative startups grow into successful enterprises by providing counsel to the founders, management teams and boards and by handling the legal and strategic business issues and transactions that arise at each stage. She is a member of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) General Counsel Advisory Board and is a frequent speaker.
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