Talent Therapy Podcast

In this episode of Talent Therapy, Chris welcomes back Kori, a seasoned leader who has spent her entire career inside life sciences — from recruiting at Novartis to early-stage company-building at Relay Therapeutics, and now leading talent and HR within the venture ecosystem at 5AM Ventures.

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Kori reflects on the evolution of her work and what surprised her about moving from “filling roles” to building companies from scratch. She highlights the thrilling — and humbling — process of identifying groundbreaking science, evaluating what deserves investment, and then assembling the human systems required to turn a promising idea into a living, breathing biotech company.

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Underneath the technical layers is a very human theme: people make or break the science.
Even the strongest technology can fail without a founding team that is emotionally mature, collaborative, and willing to learn.

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Kori shares lessons from working with founders — many of whom are deeply attached to their scientific inventions — and the compassionate conversations required to help them find the right role, the right timing, and sometimes the courage to let others carry the work forward.

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She opens the curtain on 5AM’s venture creation engine, which supports startups from incorporation all the way to team building, budgeting, and scientific de-risking.
Her reflections remind us that company creation is messy, exhilarating, vulnerable work — and that success isn’t just about data; it’s about trust, humility, and shared purpose.

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This is a story about science, but more than that, it’s a story about the people who decide to build something that could change lives.

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Main points:

• People are the differentiator, not just the data.
  Great science with a dysfunctional team rarely wins.
• Emotional intelligence matters at the earliest stage.
  Self-awareness, feedback skills, and humility are selection criteria — not “nice-to-haves.”
• Founders often face an identity crossroads.
  Letting go or shifting roles isn’t just a business decision — it can be deeply personal.
• Company creation is equal parts science, planning, and empathy.
  Investors don’t just evaluate ideas — they help shape people, process, and culture.
• Support systems change trajectories.
  Early-stage founders don’t need just capital — they need mentorship, structure, and partnership.

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Hear more great guests: https://www.ronanvancesearch.com/podcast