Biopharma Leaders of Color (BLOC)

Save the Date! Our BLOC at BIO Reception is back on Monday, June 16th in Boston—registration coming soon! As one of our signature events, BLOC at BIO brings together biopharma leaders to connect, collaborate, and celebrate diversity. We’ve been part of BIO International Convention for years because it’s where global leaders convene to drive innovation and shape the future of biotech. Along with JPM Healthcare Week, BIO remains one of the industry’s most impactful gatherings, making them the natural home for our flagship events. Stay tuned for details—we can’t wait to see you in Boston!

?????????????? ?????? ????????????????????: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals CEO Dr. Yvonne Greenstreet on her career path, the importance of diversity of opinions, and leading Alnlyam into a critical phase of growth. Interviewed by Biotech CEO Sisterhood editorial board member Sheila Gujrathi, MD, Yvonne Greenstreet describes her upbringing and early career as a physician in the UK, her decision to get an MBA, and the mentors who have impacted her path. She describes joining Alnylam in 2016, and the growth that has happened there since then. Plus, how being CEO has been different, and the values she prioritizes as a leader. Full video: https://lnkd.in/gspBbzfp BiotechTV is brought to you by: Mispro | Breakthrough Properties | HSBC Innovation Banking | Allucent | NYSE | Klein Hersh | Savills

Speaking grief out loud. There’s a memory that lives so vividly in my mind. One of my dad’s last wishes before he died. Almost every day in the hospital, he asked if he could go back to the Philippines. My heart would break, and then the planner in me would kick in. How feasible would it be to send someone with metastatic cancer on a long-haul flight home? The answer never changed. It wasn’t possible. But that didn’t stop him from longing for it. He loved his heritage and his home in the Philippines so much. There were only a handful of things he vocalized in those final months, and one of them was me and Scott visiting him in the Philippines for Christmas. We obviously couldn’t do that last year. His condition worsened, and we lost him on October 29, 2024. One of the promises I made to myself—and to my dad (a girl dad of four daughters)—is a commitment to uphold my culture. To stay proud of my heritage. To let being Filipino show up everywhere I can. So on this International Women’s Day, on a quick flight from SF to LA, I found myself at a special signing event for Mattel’s newly released Filipino Barbie. The event was hosted by the nonprofit Search to Involve Pilipino Americans, with a grassroots push led by Jennifer Taylor I almost cried watching little girls walk up to get their Barbies signed. Seeing their excitement, their pride—it was the representation I so badly wanted growing up. I didn’t always embrace my Filipino features as a young girl the way I do now. I didn’t always have the words to articulate why I felt different. But today, I celebrate that difference. I bought this limited edition Filipino Barbie for myself—because my younger self needed this. And as I held it in my hands, I thought: Why wait for representation when you can be it yourself? So on this International Women’s Day, I hope I can be that for young Filipino girls who love science and healthcare but don’t necessarily want to follow the paths expected of them. For those who dream beyond the roles they’ve been told are available. I was lucky to have strong women around me growing up—my three older sisters, my mom, my Lola—who showed me what resilience looks like. Today, I stand on their shoulders. And if there’s one thing I take with me from my dad’s unwavering love for the Philippines, it’s this: Our culture, our heritage. It’s something to be carried forward. Something to be proud of. Something to let shine. Happy International Women’s Day. To every young girl who needs to see herself in spaces she didn’t think she belonged, may you take up space, and may you never wait for permission. Here are a few pictures from the signing and the IWD event earlier this week where I intentionally wore the brightest bolero I could find. And because celebrating culture is also about enjoying the everyday moments, I have to mention—SFO has the best Filipino restaurant "Mama Gos" in the new Harvey Milk terminal. A perfect way to start the day before heading home. #IWD2025

Our corporate sponsor Genentech is looking for an intern to join their Health Equity team this summer! Check out the application details below. Mustafa Karim, PMP Jayson Johnson

Proud to see one of our long time #BLOC members, Sven Lee, appointed to the Board of Directors at GBI Bio Congratulations Sven from the whole team at BLOC! #BLOConBoards

One of the most serendipitous moments from our International Women's Day event last Thursday was discovering the unexpected connection between Mary Stutts, MHA and Shawnte Mitchell. When our team curated this panel on board service and investing, we focused on bringing together voices that could offer deep insight and inspiration. What we didn’t realize was how intertwined two of our speakers’ journeys were. Years ago, Shawnte had been the one to advocate for Mary’s first corporate board seat. The irony? The board was searching for a CFO profile, which Mary openly admitted she wasn’t. But through her extensive experience and storytelling, she demonstrated a value they hadn’t even realized they were missing. Another full-circle moment: Shawnte was recommended for this panel by Linda Sierra, and we were thrilled to have her join, especially after her recent appointment to Olema Oncology and her connection to our executive director, Stephen. And somehow, amid her global travels—just back from Spain and en route to SXSW—Mary was available to be with us in person. This is the magic of #BLOC. When we bring together the right people and create space for these conversations, we spark connections that open doors for the next generation of leaders. We are very fortunate to have both of these incredible, brilliant women part of our community and so grateful for their generosity and time in sharing their wisdom with our members last week. #InternationalWomensDay #BoardService #WomenInLeadership

Help us shape the content for our upcoming workshops and our programming for BIO International in June! We're designing value-driven content for our community, and we want to hear from you. What topics would be most valuable? If you don’t see your top pick, drop it in the comments!

We’re looking for a Marketing Specialist (Volunteer Role) at BLOC! ?? Biopharma Leaders of Color (BLOC) is growing, and we need a passionate, creative, and quick-learning volunteer to support our marketing and social media efforts! What you’ll do: ? Manage and create content for LinkedIn & social media ? Design marketing materials in Canva ? Support event marketing for major industry events like BIO, JPM, and the inaugural BLOC Gala ? Help run marketing campaigns, including the BLOC100 Initiative Who we’re looking for: ?? Someone passionate about our mission in biopharma ?? A fast learner who’s comfortable with Canva & ChatGPT (or willing to learn!) ?? A strong writer & storyteller with marketing experience This is an incredible opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a fast-growing nonprofit and work with industry leaders. Note: If you’ve applied to volunteer already, please use this application specifically for the marketing role. Thank you! Know someone who might be interested? Drop a comment or reach out! #volunteerwithus

?? Last chance! We’ve extended the nomination deadline for our inaugural BLOC100 list until tomorrow March 13th—so if you haven’t submitted yet, now’s the time! Don’t forget, self-nominations are encouraged—we love seeing women advocate for themselves and their impact in biopharma. Stay tuned for more details on how we’ll be celebrating this incredible group. It’s going to be something special! ?? Submit your nomination now!

The Alliance for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare (AAIH)?is proud to highlight?DeciBio's #InternationalWomensDay event, hosted in partnership with?Myriad Genetics?last week in South San Francisco. This gathering brought together over?100 women?from across the life sciences and biotech industries for an evening dedicated to advancing women into decision-making roles. Among the speakers was?Megan Nacar,?AAIH member?and?Vice President of Commercial at DeciBio, who shared her personal journey into board service. She discussed her recent appointment as a?Board Advisor for Helio Genomics, a company leveraging?artificial intelligence and next-generation sequencing (NGS) to enhance early cancer detection, particularly for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)—one of the most prevalent and deadly forms of liver cancer. Megan’s story underscored a key theme of the night:?women belong at the table where industry-shaping decisions are made. The event provided a platform for women across all career stages to engage in meaningful discussions, build connections, and gain insight into how they can step into leadership and governance roles. The AAIH celebrates initiatives like this that align with our mission to foster diversity and inclusion in AI-driven healthcare innovation. When women’s voices are amplified in biotech and AI, we move closer to a future where technology and medicine serve?everyone?equitably. To learn more about DeciBio’s commitment to elevating women in leadership, visit DeciBio’s LinkedIn page, or follow along with the AAIH for updates on how we’re supporting diversity in AI-driven healthcare!