Women In Bio (WIB) Announces Launch of 14th Chapter: WIB-Connecticut

Sea Island, GA, March 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Women In Bio (WIB), a national organization of professionals committed to promoting the careers, leadership and entrepreneurship of women in the life sciences, is excited to announce the launch of WIB-Connecticut, the 14th WIB chapter in North America! The WIB board of directors voted unanimously on February 18, 2021, to grant chapter status to the vibrant WIB-Connecticut community.

Formerly an extension of the WIB-Metro New York Chapter, this region met all requirements to become an official chapter of WIB and was granted full chapter status by the board. Connecticut has become a nucleus of bioscience advancement, and over the past decade, Connecticut entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers and investors have contributed to innovative bioscience expansion.

“I am very excited to welcome the Connecticut chapter into WIB,” said WIB President and Board Chair, Kayla Valdes, Ph.D. “The Connecticut life sciences ecosystem has affirmed its footing in the biotech community, and the women who will be leading this new chapter have worked tirelessly to build a strong community of life science leaders with a bright future. The WIB board views the addition of this chapter as a valuable asset in our growing organization, which has blossomed to over 3,000 members within the past year.”

WIB Executive Director, Lisa Iadicicco agrees. “This milestone helps further our mission, moving the needle on equity and inclusion for all women in the life sciences and beyond. 25 accomplished and passionate women, from academia to industry, are volunteering their time to broaden WIB’s reach and engage, educate and empower the life sciences ecosystem in Connecticut,” she said.

Susan Sobolov, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer at Caelum Biosciences, is excited to be leading this new chapter as its Chair and working with the chapter steering committee to bring the mission of WIB to all women across Connecticut.

“When I started in the industry, I heard the statistic that only 20% of leaders were women. This was attributed to the low rate of women entering the field. A recent report showed about 46% of entering employees are now women, yet only 28% of leadership roles are currently held by women,” Sobolov said.

WIB-Connecticut will provide career and personal development programming to cultivate the pipeline of women scientists in Connecticut and support their advancement and retention in the state to supply the growing biotech industry.

“As the biotech industry continues to grow in Connecticut, our new chapter will build networks and foster women scientists, entrepreneurs, and executives, helping advance them in leadership roles both at academic centers as well as in the biotech industry,” Sobolov said.

WIB-Connecticut is proud to launch with the support of Founding Sponsors: Marcum LLP and Wiggin and Dana LLP. For more information, visit https://www.womeninbio.org/Connecticut.

 

ABOUT WOMEN IN BIO (WIB) 

Founded in 2002 to support women employed in the field of life sciences from the classroom to the boardroom, Women In Bio (WIB) is a multifaceted organization with 14 chapters across North America and Montreal. It offers an array of professional educational programs, peer to peer learning, mentoring and networking opportunities, and is the only organization for women that integrates all career levels and life sciences fields. WIB is funded by sponsors and partners dedicated to supporting women of all ages in their lifelong journey in the life sciences and beyond. Please visit http://www.womeninbio.org.

 

ABOUT WIB-Connecticut

Founded in 2021, WIB-Connecticut is committed to supporting innovation, networking, education, mentorship, and entrepreneurship by providing our vibrant bioscience community a platform that promotes collaboration and access to resources and events. For more information, visit https://www.womeninbio.org/Connecticut.

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Marsha Morgenstern
Women In Bio
(412) 223-7855
mmorgenstern@womeninbio.org

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