From STEM PhD and vaccine lab work to social entrepreneurship: how powering her own career change from academia to industry led Dr. Melina Gerorgousakis to tackle the Gender Brain Drain in the biomedical sector

🎙️ From PhD and Lab Work to Social Entrepreneurship: How Powering Her Own Career Change from Academia to Industry Got Dr. Melina Georgousakis to Challenge the Gender Brain Drain in the Biomedical Sector How community can address the women brain drain in academia🔍 What You’ll Learn:Why staying in academia isn’t the only way to make an impact in health and scienceHow to recognize the warning signs that a traditional path might not be right for youWhat the “gender brain drain” is—and how women are disproportionately pushed out of research careersHow to bootstrap a mission-led social enterprise while juggling a full-time job and kidsWhat makes a sustainable business model work in the women-in-STEMM space and strategies to make your finance worksWhy you don’t need to start big to build something meaningful—you need consistency and clarity🧠 About the Guest: Dr. Melina Georgousakis is the founder of Franklin Women, a social enterprise and professional community working to keep women in health and medical research careers. Starting out as a vaccine scientist with a PhD, Melina transitioned into policy, then corporate healthcare—each move revealing more about the gaps in support and career progression for women in STEMM. With no business training but a clear mission, she built Franklin Women into a national initiative that offers mentoring, workshops, and ecosystem partnerships to support women’s long-term success in science.📌 Episode Highlights:00:00 The spark moment on a plane—realizing the gap for women in health 03:00 Why she left academia—and what she learned in the lab 08:00 Translating science into public health impact 11:00 Moving to corporate: navigating fears of “going to the dark side” 14:00 Spotting the systemic issues pushing women out of research 17:00 Designing Franklin Women: vision, values, and sustainable funding 22:00 Why she named it after Rosalind Franklin—and what it means today 25:00 Choosing social enterprise over charity: making women’s issues profitable 29:00 Growing a business on the side of a full-time job (and raising kids) 33:00 The leap: going full-time without a salary and what made it possible 36:00 Funding the mission: balancing impact and income with boundaries 40:00 Mapping out business models, pitches, and social enterprise growth 44:00 Overcoming self-doubt, feedback loops, and founder fatigue 47:00 Building events for real accessibility—and learning from flops 50:00 Reflecting on privilege, bias, and the importance of allyship 53:00 Owning your hard work while acknowledging structural advantage 55:00 Final thoughts on joy, purpose, and trusting your own evolution🔗 Resources Mentioned:Franklin Women – Official WebsiteDr. Melina Georgousakis on LinkedInBoosting Female Founders Grant (Aus)Rosalind Franklin – X-ray CrystallographerShe Said That – Book of women’s speeches🤔 Reflection Time:Are you on a path by design—or just following the default?What’s one thing you’d build to solve a gap you’ve personally experienced?What would it take to make your passion sustainable—not just inspiring?Want to craft a career story that opens doors?I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you.📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn  ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their CareersIf you enjoyed this episode, please:✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.