Nora R.
5.0
Studied at Harvard Business School
Works at Addition Therapeutics
Available tomorrow at 5:00 PM UTC
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
About Nora
My name is Nora, and I hold an MS/MBA (2022) from Harvard Business School in Biotechnology and Life Sciences. My passion for healthcare began when my family emigrated from Syria to the U.S., and we faced the challenges of navigating the healthcare system as non-citizens. This experience motivated me to pursue a career focused on expanding access to life-saving therapies. I studied biology at Cornell University, where I became interested in drug pricing and pharmaceutical management. After graduating, I joined Roivant Sciences, where I worked with families of children with ultra-rare diseases like Tay-Sachs. These conversations taught me the importance of listening to patients and families to drive meaningful innovation. I further honed my leadership skills by pursuing a dual degree MS/MBA at Harvard, where I interned at Genentech on the commercial marketing team for rare neuro diseases. Currently, I’m the Director of Strategy & Operations at a biotech startup in San Francisco, where I lead efforts to develop gene therapies for serious liver diseases. On the side, I am also an RYT-200 certified yoga teacher and practice meditation daily (shout out to Sam Harris's Waking Up App!)
Why do I coach?
I'd love to help people break into biotechnology or MBA prep because I understand how challenging it can be to navigate these fields and how transformative the right guidance can be. Having personally transitioned from a background in biology to a career in biotech, and later pursued an MS/MBA at Harvard, I know the value of mentorship and the impact it can have on career growth. I’ve experienced firsthand the complexities of entering these industries and overcoming barriers like imposter syndrome or uncertainty about the right path forward, especially those who rely on financial aid or identify as lower socioeconomic status. By coaching others, I hope to share the insights and strategies that helped me along the way, empower individuals to build confidence, and help them find their own unique path to success. I’m passionate about making these fields more accessible and helping others achieve their full potential in the process.
Work Experience
Director Strategy and Operations
Addition Therapeutics
April 2024 - Present
Associate, Corporate Strategy
Alector
June 2022 - April 2024
- Commercial Strategy and Planning - Business Development - Patient Recruitment Strategy
Marketing Summer Associate
Genentech
May 2021 - August 2021
Commercial Strategy Associate
Roivant Sciences
August 2019 - February 2021
Roivant subsidiary Sio Gene Therapies (formerly Axovant)
Commercial Analyst
Roivant Sciences
February 2019 - August 2019
Investment Banking - Analyst
MTS Health Partners
July 2018 - January 2019
Education
Harvard Business School
MS/MBA Dual Degree in Biotechnology
Activities and societies: Robert S. Kaplan Life Sciences Fellow; Shumway Fellow Inaugural cohort of the MS/MBA Biotechnology joint degree (Harvard Business School and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences)
Cornell University
Bachelor of Science (B.S.), summa cum laude: Biology and Society, Minors in Health Policy and Science and Technology, Biology
Nora was also personally admitted to
Princeton University
University of Pennsylvania
University of Chicago
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