Authentic leadership | Research, commercialisation & real-world impact | April Van Der Kamp

In this episode of the Bee Formless™ Flow Driven CEO Podcast, I reconnected with April Van Der Kamp, PhD doctoral researcher and MedTech Co-Founder, nearly a year after our original interview was lost. In many ways, the timing couldn’t have been better.When April and I first met, she was trying to fit inside what she called the “box of professionalism.” Like many researchers, she believed credibility meant leaving little room for the person behind the science. Over the past year, I’ve watched her discover that authenticity doesn’t diminish credibility, it strengthens it. Along the way, we explored networking beyond traditional résumés, the role of AI in recruitment, the value of feedback, and why embracing our own weirdness is often where authentic leadership begins.April’s research began from something deeply personal. After both she and her PhD supervisor lost family members to diabetic foot ulcer infections, they set out to develop a bacteriophage hydrogel that could offer clinicians and patients a new way to treat infection. Along the way, April uncovered a much bigger challenge: brilliant science alone doesn’t change lives. It must also navigate commercialisation, regulation, intellectual property and industry before it can ever reach the people it was designed to help.Together, we discussed the gap between research and real-world impact, why universities and industry need stronger connections, how commercial thinking can amplify scientific discovery, and why the future belongs to researchers who can move confidently between the laboratory, leadership and entrepreneurship.As April says: “Never be afraid to be authentically you.”THE SHAPE SHIFT IN MOTIONAt the heart of this conversation was a shift from hiding inside professionalism to allowing our ideas, identity and ambition to create meaningful impact.Through the Bee Formless™ methodology, this shift came to life.LEARN (LETTING GO)✨ Brilliant research doesn’t automatically reach the people who need it.✨ Professionalism shouldn’t require hiding who we are.✨ Feedback is one of our greatest tools for growth.UNLEARN (CREATE, REIMAGINE & RESHAPE)✨ Build stronger connections between researchers, clinicians, universities and industry.✨ See commercialisation as an extension of impact, not a compromise of science.✨ Allow intelligence and authenticity to exist together.RELEARN (TEST & IMPLEMENT)✨ Share your work before it feels perfectly polished.✨ Build relationships that create opportunities beyond any application system.✨ Develop the commercial, leadership and communication skills that move ideas into the real world.ACTIVE RECOVERY (REFLECT & RESET)✨ Where am I trying to fit into a system instead of bringing more of myself to it?✨ What idea is ready to move beyond research and into real-world impact?✨ How could one conversation change the trajectory of my work?🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilvanderkamp🌐 http://www.aprilvanderkamp.com💭 What part of yourself, or your work, is ready to be seen?If something is shifting in your life, leadership or business, book a Strategic Shape Shift Diagnostic:https://calendly.com/beeformless/strategicshapeshiftdiagnostic#beeformless #flowdrivenceo #authenticleadership #medtech #commercialisation #research #entrepreneurship