Diagnostic Guru

One of the things we’ve heard over and over again from the entrepreneurs we’ve interviewed is how hard it is to balance going all in on their businesses with no money, no time, and no energy.On today’s episode of Diagnostic Guru, we recap Season 3, sharing our own highlights from each interview. We also end the episode with a discussion of where we are with the podcast. Why, we too, feel the pressure of this no time, no money, no energy conundrum and where are heads are at going into Season 4.

Securing a seat on the Board for a Life Sciences, Pharma, or Biotech company is a logical next-step for many executives, but what does it take to be “Boardroom Ready?” The Boardroom Ready Program through Women in Bio was created in 2016 to assist executive women in the life sciences secure their first director role. The program is designed to enhance a woman’s opportunities of finding a board appointment through classroom education and applied learning sessions as well as networking, ongoing programming, and development opportunities to give participants every advantage in achieving their goal of board service. Our Host, Dr. Lesley Northrop, was a participant in the WIB 2025 Boardroom Ready cohort. Being around such accomplished women over the course of the Program was equally inspiring and intimidating. Implementing the DG mindset, Lesley saw an opportunity to share the stories of these women and their career journeys - the good, the bad, and the ugly - and to highlight the superpowers that got them here. In Episodes 22 and 23 of Diagnostic Guru, we hear from an array of members of the 2025 WIB Boardroom ready cohort, women who are ready to lead because of what they’ve learned along the way.

Securing a seat on the Board for a Life Sciences, Pharma, or Biotech company is a logical next-step for many executives, but what does it take to be “Boardroom Ready?” The Boardroom Ready Program through Women in Bio was created in 2016 to assist executive women in the life sciences secure their first director role. The program is designed to enhance a woman’s opportunities of finding a board appointment through classroom education and applied learning sessions as well as networking, ongoing programming, and development opportunities to give participants every advantage in achieving their goal of board service. Our Host, Dr. Lesley Northrop, was a participant in the WIB 2025 Boardroom Ready cohort. Being around such accomplished women over the course of the Program was equally inspiring and intimidating. Implementing the DG mindset, Lesley saw an opportunity to share the stories of these women and their career journeys - the good, the bad, and the ugly - and to highlight the superpowers that got them here. In Episodes 22 and 23 of Diagnostic Guru, we hear from an array of members of the 2025 WIB Boardroom ready cohort, women who are ready to lead because of what they’ve learned along the way. 

Guest Title: Moran Snir, Founder and CEO, Nest GenomicsWhen you reflect on your work over decades, do you ask “Am I doing the same thing?” or do you look for where the problem has evolved, and where you, and the work, has evolved to meet that new challenge?That mentality, and faith in the freedom of thought that drives imagination and innovation have shaped the success of our guest today. Moran Snir is the Founder and CEO of Nest Genomics, an AI-native platform designed to implement genomics at scale, but she is also a serial entrepreneur, the daughter of a medical geneticist, and the mom of three boys for whom she is modeling the normalcy of women in the C-seat. Her humility and thoughtful nature bely her mammoth success, and she is the first to tout her team and her community as the real rockstars.Moran has devoted her career to one mission— using technology to make genomic health and precision medicine accessible to all. Prior to Nest, she founded Clear Genetics, including the GIA™ chatbot platform, which was acquired by Invitae (NVTA) in 2019. At Invitae, she led the Software and Data organization. Her first company was MorNetware, which developed Genometer—a platform that supported ethnicity-based carrier screening for more than 90% of pregnancies in Israel for over two decades. Moran served as an officer in the Israel Defense Forces’ elite software unit and holds a B.S. and M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Tel Aviv University, as well as an MBA from the Wharton School. She is a two-time Y Combinator alum.

Guest Title: Christine Knapp, Founder, MindWire: Coaching with ChristineWhat if leaving that bad job or escaping the money pit or breaking into that new role was really just one decision away? As a NeuroCoach, Christine Knapp believes that it can be, with a little bit of positivity and some practical brain rewiring. A recovering perfectionist and people-pleaser herself, Christine gets what it means to live on autopilot—and how powerful it is to finally break free. In July 2023, Christine made a bold leap—leaving her role as Performance Coach Manager of a national franchise to launch MindWire: Coaching with Christine, her own coaching practice rooted in brain-based transformation and personal alignment.Christine works with high-achieving women who are ready to break free from overthinking, burnout, and impostor syndrome. In this episode, we talk about her own experience with imposter syndrome, and the silver linings she’s so famous for finding. Christine brings a science-backed, deeply human approach to helping her clients rewire limiting beliefs, lead with clarity, and reignite their energy around a life and purpose that truly fuels them—mentally, emotionally, and professionally.

Guest Title: Julia Duran, Founder and CEO, South GeeksWhat happens when you’re outvoted on naming your own company? When you’re Julia Duran, you roll with it, because you trust that your team delivers such high quality work that it doesn’t matter what your name is. On today’s episode, we talk with Julia about what it’s like to work in an international space, how she became a solo CEO, and why she believes things are shifting, for the good, in the AI and technology spaces. We also hear about the routines, practices, and habits that have helped her build a company where she is not the only one working hard for its future.Julia Duran is the CEO and founder of South Geeks, a technology company focused on building high-performance teams and long-term partnerships. With a background that includes roles at IBM, Verizon and Hewlett Packard, Julia combines enterprise-level rigor with a people-first, pragmatic approach to leadership. Originally from Argentina and shaped by years working in the United States, she is now based in The Netherlands, bringing a global perspective to her work connecting top tech talent with forward-thinking companies worldwide.

Guest Title - Michele Colucci, Founder & Managing Partner, DigitalDx Ventures“It’s the inspiration to move mountains that moves mountains.”Michele Colucci has always been a woman moving mountains, from being a single parent raising four children to building a venture capital firm with a focus on the intersection of AI and healthcare, she believes that inspired work is work that pays off. In this episode, we talk with Michele about how the current financial environment is impacting her business, the mentality needed for sound investing, and how we can pull more women into investing. Michele is a venture capital thought leader, lawyer, investor, serial entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She has authored five patents in the technology space and founded companies in the legal, technology, retail, and entertainment spaces. Her extensive experience operating in highly regulated verticals has focused on issues from management to legal. As a venture capitalist focused on med tech, Colucci is committed to impacting the health field by investing in companies that enable doctors to make better diagnostic decisions through the application of AI and big data.

Guest Title - Helen McKeon, Founder, I’m All OutBurnout. According to a McKinsey report, 43% of women leaders experience burnout compared to just 31% of men. Now, the fact that at least ⅓ of the population is experiencing burnout is a serious issue. But, for women, it’s becoming an epidemic.Our guest today has experienced the fallout from burnout. From her time at lululemon in multiple markets across the globe to her experience in several start ups, she’s seen the impact of no boundaries, no compassion, no mercy. And she thinks there’s a better way.  Helen McKeon spent over 15 years leading culture, people, and community strategy at companies like lululemon, Rivian, and Rally Pickleball before founding I’m All Out—a consulting practice and evolving movement reimagining how we work, lead, and sustain ourselves. She’s passionate about helping women navigate high-performance environments without losing themselves, and about rebuilding how we work and live—through breathwork, connection, and creativity.

Guest Title - Dr. Lesley Northrop, Founder, LDGI and Host, Diagnostic Guru PodcastWait! I recognize her. Isn’t she the host, not the guest? Normally, yes, but not today. On an all new episode (and Season!) of Diagnostic Guru, we take a step back to fully introduce you to our host, Dr. Lesley Northrop. In the current economic environment, it’s tough being an entrepreneur in biotech and no one knows that better than Lesley. She is the Founder and Managing Partner of Laboratory Diagnostics & Genomics Innovation, LLC and the Founder and Host of the podcast, Diagnostic Guru. Voted as a Top 100 Innovator in 2025 by Redwood Media Group, Dr. Northrop is an expert at helping companies take their diagnostic products from ideation to implementation, leveraging her clinical and scientific expertise as well as her business acumen to drive commercial success. On the show today, Lesley gives her perspective on how the biotech industry has changed over the last 10 years, what scares her most about the current state of affairs, and what advice she would give anyone looking to invest. Oh, and she shares her own good, bad, and ugly. You won’t want to miss that!

Well, that’s a wrap! Season 2 of Diagnostic Guru has come to a close, and there’s SO. MUCH. TO. TALK. ABOUT!On today’s bonus episode of Diagnostic Guru, Host, Lesley Northrop, and Producer, Jess Greenwood, hop on with each other to talk through their favorite moments of Season 2, what surprised them from each guest, and where the show is going for Season 3. If you’ve been listening week by week, consider this the final exam cram, where we put all the pieces together and start to see the big Diagnostic Guru picture.

Guest Title - Stephanie Espy, Writer and Executive Director, STEM Gems BookAstronaut? Doctor? Engineer? These are the generalized career paths we often hear about when programs are pushing young girls to consider a STEM path, but what about a Social Robotics Engineer or an Atmospheric Scientist? Real jobs held by real women. That is one of the goals of our guest today, to highlight the full range of roles that are available to women through the STEM path and to represent all of the many different women who fill those roles. Stephanie Espy is the originator and writer of the STEM Gems book. A Chemical Engineer herself, and graduate of MIT, UC Berkeley, and Emory University, Stephanie’s approach with this book is to share the inspiring and diverse stories of 44 women in STEM, the challenges these women faced, their tremendous accomplishments, and actionable steps that girls and young women can take to set themselves up for success. She believes that STEM isn’t a special brain, and it doesn’t come from a life of privilege. STEM is simply an exposure to what is possible and an internal belief that anyone can be a STEM Gem. Stephanie Espy is the Founder and CEO of MathSP as well as Founder, Writer, and Executive Director of STEM Gem. Through her work, she aims to empower the next generation of STEM leaders. Her for-profit company, MathSP, transforms the lives of its students by unlocking their potential, imparting a methodology that centralizes problem solving and critical thinking. STEM Gems is a nonprofit organization committed to excellence in STEM education by building a stronger, more inclusive STEM pipeline where girls and young women of all backgrounds are empowered to explore, pursue, and excel in STEM. Core programs include the STEM Gems Club, STEM Gems Summit: Women Empowering Girls, and the STEM Gems Summer Camp. To find out more, visit www.MathSP.com and www.STEMGemsBook.com

Guest Title - Megan Scherer, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Worth the WaitCOVID turned the world upside down for all of us, but not all of us decided during COVID to turn our personal experience into a business. But that’s exactly what Megan Scherer and her husband, Mike, did when they leveraged their experience of infertility following Mike’s testicular cancer into the basis of a new non-profit organization, Worth the Wait.  Megan Scherer is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Worth the Wait. Megan advocates for patients and oncofertility nationally as a speaker and patient advocate. She enjoys the personal relationships she forms with young patients Worth the Wait assists and loves providing hope and inspiring others with her story as a caregiver, infertility patient, and mom to son Elliott. Before co-founding Worth the Wait in 2021, Megan held marketing communication leadership roles in the health insurance industry. On today’s episode, Megan shares what it was like to move from the corporate world to her own non-profit and some critical advice she learned along the way. She also talks about the “ugly” of working with her husband, a new venture for both of them.

Guest Title - Barbara Zehentner, COO, Molecular Testing LabsWhen you start your career with a “No” in the 4th grade, what do you do with that? If you’re Barbara Zehentner, you turn all of the No’s in to one big fat “Yes” and bet on yourself.  Dr. Barbara Zehentner is the COO of Molecular Testing Labs, with over 25 years experience in molecular diagnostics and clinical laboratory management. She holds a PhD in Molecular Biology and an MBA, and is a certified high-complexity clinical laboratory director. Her leadership experience includes roles at Roche, GSK, HematoLogics and Adaptive Biotechnologies, and she’s come a long way from that dairy farm in Germany.On today’s episode, Barbara shares why it's so important for us to take gender out of science and math, to pay attention to the little things we say and do that communicate to our next generation of women that they can’t or shouldn’t. Barbara also takes us through her own journey of “No’s” and how she broke through that to become the scientist and leader she is today.  

Guest Title - Desiree Hollemon, Vice President of Clinical Affairs, Aerin MedicalWhat lessons would you share with your 25-year old self? How do you pick a company? What are your non-starters? When do you let go? These are all the lessons our guest this week appreciates being able to share with her own daughters and her younger colleagues. A self-declared “innovation addict”, Desiree Hollemon is a seasoned Clinical Affairs leader with over 20 years of experience developing novel medical devices, diagnostics and therapeutics. She started her career as a critical care nurse and sees herself as always working at the intersection of the product and the patient. Desiree is currently the VP of Clinical Affairs for Aerin Medical. On today’s episode, Desiree shares how she made the leap from clinical care to clinical research and why she values the wisdom she’s gained and the position she’s in to share it. She talks about the price women pay during their career when they are denied direct feedback, and why the companies she chooses to work for have to have the sweet spot of innovative science and transparent people and nothing less. 

Guest Title - Susan Tousi, CEO, DELFI DiagnosticsWhat advice does a woman whose professional pedigree includes leadership roles at three of the most dominant companies in their respective markets? “Enjoy the journey. Don’t rush.” Susan Tousi started her career in engineering with Hewlett-Packard. As a technologist, she worked her way up into management positions there and at Eastman Kodak before making the leap to the life sciences. In her decade-long tenure at Illumina, Inc. Susan spearheaded the engineering and launch of several of Illumina’s most impactful and well-recognized products, and served as Chief Commercial Officer before joining DELFI Diagnostics as their CEO in 2024. On today’s episode, Susan shares what it was like rising through the ranks at her first two companies and how she grew by building relationships and establishing a community. She shares how she made the transition to life sciences, even taking a step back on her career journey in order to learn the technology and lexicon so she could be more adept at the business. Susan’s optimism and insatiable desire for betterment are the cornerstone of her career…and her approach to life.

Guest Title - Dina Greene, PhD, DABCC, Founder, Evergreene LabsDina Greene navigates difficult spaces by being relatable. It’s what’s allowed her to become a pioneer in her work in gender inclusive laboratory medicine. She’s also a powerhouse in the clinical laboratory medicine space, having published over 140 scientific papers. Her clinical research studies explore the application and effects of laboratory diagnostics, with an emphasis on how social demographics impact clinical outcomes.  In line with her clinical focus, Dr Greene is passionate about designing operational strategies for more inclusive laboratory medicine. On today’s episode, Dina shares how she got involved in her work with the LGBTQ+ community, and why she is constantly asking herself, “What is my privilege here?” any time she encounters oppression. Dina’s passion is obvious, but so is her authenticity and her genuine likeability. This is the kind of DG you want to have in your corner.

Guest Title - Carrie Haverty, Vice President of Product, MirvieDon’t let perfect get in the way of good. That’s the motto Carrie Haverty learned when she pivoted her career from clinical genetic counseling to Product Management and took a job she really didn’t know how to do. Having faith in herself and her transferable skills, Carrie has built a successful second half of her career in Product Management and currently serves as the Vice President of Product at Mirvie, where she directs the development of the company’s product portfolio focused on driving biological insights in pregnancy to advance the delivery of predictive maternal care. As the recently named President-Elect of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, Carrie shares her perspective on women in leadership and why, on occasion, she likes being the “dumbest person in the room.”

Guest Title - Marcy Ewald, COO, ThinkNimbleMarcy Ewald is a master at seeing patterns and applying those patterns to new problems. It’s been the superpower fueling the success of this multi-time founder. However…its also her nemesis.Marcy is the co-founder of ThinkNimble, a product and engineering studio that helps early-stage and mission-driven startups build with speed and intention. Lately, her work has been centered on expanding access to entrepreneurship and demystifying tech for people who’ve historically been left out of the room. She’s especially interested in how we build tools, companies, and work structures that let more people get a real shot at building something of their own.On today’s episode, Marcy shares the good, the bad, and the ugly of her career but also of tech in general and why she sees tech as being the key facilitator to helping women consolidate their power.

Did you have a favorite episode from Season 1? How about a knowledge bomb that stuck with you from a particular guest? We certainly did!On today’s bonus episode of Diagnostic Guru, Host, Lesley Northrop, and Producer, Jess Greenwood, hop on the show to debrief all of Season 1. The biggest takeaways, the funniest one liners, and the nuggets we didn’t catch the first time but are certainly glad we caught the second go ‘round.

Guest Title - Andrea Mohamed, CoFounder, QuantumBloomWomen are clearly limitless, so how do we nurture their confidence, intellect, and self-assurance to prepare them for a career in STEM so the industry itself doesn’t spit them out? That’s the premise behind QuantumBloom, the company our guest today co-founded to create environments where women early in their STEM-careers can authentically thrive. Andrea Mohamed is a transformative leader and courageous disruptor with over two decades of experience driving organizational growth and systemic change. Drawing from her own journey as a first-generation college graduate who rose through corporate America, Andrea brings a unique perspective on breaking barriers and building belonging. She knows that as women, we have to stop waiting to be chosen and instead go out in the world and just take it.In this episode, Andrea shares her own experience of floundering early including quitting her PhD program and then stumbling her way into the corporate world. Her success there is evident, but it wasn’t an easy path, and as she and her Co-Founder began to understand the reasons why women are leaving STEM careers in droves, she knew she was capable of building something better to address that. Andrea talks openly about the good, the bad, and the ugly both in her corporate career and in the start-up world and why she thinks modeling courage is so important. SPECIAL ADDITION - Stay tuned for the outtakes at the end. The conversation after the official recording ended was so good, our Producer just had to share some of it with you. Be warned, though, there is some explicit language so cover any ears that need covering.

Guest Title - Jodi Neuhauser, Founder & CEO, In Women’s HealthWhat happens when we work together to create cultures and organizations where women don’t have to shrink to survive?Jodi Neuhauser is a visionary executive and women's health leader with 19+ years of experience building and scaling B2B and B2C consumer healthcare brands. As a leader, she has scaled and managed teams of 2 to 200+ and generated over $1B+ in new business. She is passionate about fixing consumer healthcare one day at a time and empowering women to live healthier lives. A 3x, VC-backed founder in women's health, Jodi is currently building In Women's Health, the first careers platform for women's health. She is also a board member, angel investor, public speaker, and community leader in the women's health and consumer health space, and was recognized as a "Top 10 Inspiring Healthcare Entrepreneur to Watch in 2023" by Entrepreneur.Even Jodi’s intro makes me tired! She is all energy, but that go-go power is fueled by self care. In this episode, she talks about what happened when she didn’t take the time to take care of herself and how that hurt her personally and professionally. Jodi is an ecosystem builder, and there’s nothing she’s more excited about than harnessing the power of women to push their agenda forward. In this episode, we talk about her groundbreaking work with the Women’s Health PAC, and why she feels it's time for us to lean into our collective political power. 

What happens when a genetic counselor takes those skills to industry, nerds out on billing and reimbursement, and then starts a podcast about genetics? Kate Wilson is what happens.Kate Wilson is a podcaster, educator and consultant. She specializes in oncology genomics and has over 15 years' experience in product management, laboratory genetic testing, and clinical genetic counseling. She is a nerd about billing and reimbursement and loves science communication. Kate is passionate about access to genetic healthcare and precision medicine for all. She serves as adjunct faculty for the Emory University Genetic Counseling Program and currently hosts and produces the All Access DNA podcast and DNA Dialogues podcast.Today, we talk with Kate about her earliest career successes and why she left the clinical world to pursue a career in industry. We drilled in on her good, bad, and ugly and found out more about the origin of her podcasting career. And given Kate’s background and her work with genetic testing, we asked her opinion about the recent funding cuts to work that supports genomic research as well as her perspective following one of her own recent podcasts on the 23andMe data privacy scandal. We could talk to Kate forever, and you will want to as well after hearing this episode. 

“If you show up as an engineer, people will treat you that way.”What a powerful lesson from our guest this week - aerospace engineer, corporate trainer, motivational speaker, and comedian, Shayla Rivera. Starting her career at NASA as an aerospace engineer (who does that?!?), Shayla spent five years working on the space shuttle and space station programs. She left to pursue psychology, trying to understand what makes people tick, first working in environmental systems sales and then moving on to corporate training. She found her niche as a motivational speaker. Her love of words and natural ability to not take herself or the world too seriously finally led her to comedy. Currently, Shayla serves as Director of ENGR[x] at Texas A&M University, her alma mater. This new program is designed to provide undergraduate engineering students with professional skills and experiences beyond their engineering degree requirements, making them more attractive to employers.Shayla is one fascinating woman with a down-to-earth attitude and infectious enthusiasm for life. In this episode, she offers sound advice for how to avoid the common pitfalls that plague some women going into science and technical fields and how to follow your curiosity. The question, she says, is not “What do you want to be when you grow up?” but “What do you want to be first?”

Is taking a career detour the same as failure? Our guest today certainly doesn’t think so.Lena is a physician-turned-marketer with over 20 years of leadership experience across startups and established health-tech companies. She has a proven track record of scaling successful brands and defining new categories that set disruptive companies apart from the healthcare status quo. She’s currently the co-founder of Best Friend Jack, a boutique marketing and branding agency serving health-tech companies.Lena’s transition from clinical medicine to marketing serves as the backdrop for a bold career, one that has allowed her to serve healthcare in a much bigger way than one patient at a time. In this conversation, she talks about how she decided to make this shift, what she thinks are still challenges for women in leadership, and how she got involved in investing in women-led businesses herself.

Throughout her career, Courtney Tate has often had to deal with being the “only” in the room, but that has never stopped her. She is a proven healthcare leader with more than 20 years experience in the diagnostic laboratory industry. Following completion of the Masters in Genetic Counseling Program at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Courtney initially accepted a clinical based genetic counseling position but quickly stepped out of the traditional 'box', and took a new role in sales with Myriad Genetics, becoming one of the first genetic counselors to work in an industry setting. Later, Courtney continued to expand the box, pursuing an MBA from the Executive MBA program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Courtney's functional roles have included Sales, Medical Affairs/Clinical Specialist, Marketing and Managed Care/Payor Access. For those who may be familiar with the series, "Scandal", Courtney is often thought of as the "Olivia Pope" within organizations because of her ability to assess a situation, understand the contributing factors, work cross-functionally to develop solutions, and execute and produce results.In this interview, we dive into how this Diagnostic Guru made the jump from Clinical Genetic Counseling to Sales to Marketing, the “good and bad” of her experiences in leadership roles, and what advice she has for the next generation of women in science. Courtney leaves us with her superpower, a unique skill that is a lot harder than it sounds.

In our inaugural episode, we are joined today by Dorottya Nagy-Szakal, MD, PhD, the Chief Medical Officer at Biotia. In her current role, she is responsible for implementing novel genomic-based technologies, providing clinical implementation of microbiome and virome data, and engaging healthcare leaders using novel sequencing-based and AI-driven technology in infectious disease diagnostics. During the COVID-19 pandemic response efforts, she drove strategy and communication with the FDA, CDC, NYS DOH, and NYC Health and Hospitals and currently works to support the adaptation of novel diagnostic tools for global pandemic preparedness. Dr. Nagy-Szakal is the President of the New York Hungarian Scientific Society and passionate about mentoring women and minorities in the scientific field and startup world.On the show today, we talk with Dr. Nagy-Szakal, “Dora”, about what it’s like to lead a team during a crisis like COVID-19, how her work has impacted public health, and how she personally has struggled both as an immigrant and a woman in a field dominated by men. Dora emphasizes the importance of teamwork, emotional intelligence, and what she sees as her super power. Listen in now!