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How Women Inspire: Invest, Lead, Give

How Women Inspire: Invest, Lead, Give sets out to bring the voices of empowered and inspiring women forward to share their stories of stepping into leadership positions. We aspire to share what is possible and encourage more women to leap, striving for these board and c-suite positions themselves to change the path towards a more inclusive future. This podcast will share stories on how women lead and how their leadership opens the doors for the greater value of opportunities for others. By listening to this podcast, listeners will feel empowered to level up themselves or invest in women-led and women-founded companies to change the world of business. Find out more about How Women Inspire at https://www.howwomenlead.com/

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How Women Inspire: Invest, Lead, Give

Transitioning from Academia to Startups with Grace Wei

July 16, 2025 • How Women Lead • Episode 177

Are you a woman leader or entrepreneur considering a career pivot, especially from academia to the dynamic startup world? Do you wonder how to navigate this transition, build crucial relationships, and drive innovation in a new industry? This episode of How Women Inspire addresses these very challenges, offering invaluable insights into making a successful leap and fostering meaningful connections.This week’s episode 177 of How Women Inspire Podcast is about transitioning from academia to startups!

In this episode of How Women Inspire Podcast, Grace Wei is sharing the importance of building relationships and maintaining connections with experts and mentors. and actionable steps you can take right now to build a team culture at your startup.

Grace Wei has held the position of COO at Encellin since 2016. Prior to that, Grace worked as a biologist at UCSF from 2005 to 2015. Grace Wei has a Bachelor's Degree in Human Genetics from McGill University and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Chicago. Grace also completed programs at Stanford University Graduate School of Business and Y Combinator.

Some of the talking points Julie and Grace go over in this episode include:

Why building and maintaining strong relationships is paramount for founders and leaders
The unique benefits of different accelerators and how they can provide access to experts, community, and professional coaching for your startup journey.
How transitioning from a specialized field like academia to a startup environment requires humility and a willingness to seek advice
The importance of team culture for startup success, and how that differs from academia.

What steps will you take today to cultivate your network and embrace new challenges?

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

Learn more about How Women Inspire at https://www.howwomenlead.com/podcast

CONNECT WITH GRACE WEI:

Encellin

CONNECT WITH JULIE CASTRO ABRAMS:

People on this episode

Julia Castro Abrams

Host