Author: Andrei Bilog M.Sc., CAPM

A few days ago, I attended a Women’s Entrepreneurship talk, and one founder’s story stuck with me long after the event ended.

Her name is Lital Gilad-Shaoulian, the founder of Purpose Bio.

What stood out wasn’t just her company—it was how she got there.

She didn’t come from a traditional science background. No PhD. No years in a wet lab. What she had was curiosity and the willingness to act. She read a Nature article that sparked her interest, and instead of just saying “that’s interesting,” she reached out to the author—Elaine Hsiao, Ph.D., at UCLA.

That one action—sending a message—set everything in motion.

If you’re a student or a young professional in healthcare or biotech, you’ve probably felt this:

I’ve been there too.

About two years ago, I started exploring the business side of biotech. At the time, I didn’t have a clear roadmap. I wasn’t building a company. I wasn’t pitching to investors. I was just… learning.

Talking to VCs. Meeting founders. Connecting with lawyers. Volunteering. Observing.

And to be honest, there were moments where I questioned myself:

Here’s the part that shifted my perspective.

Learning by doing—what psychologists call experiential learning—is one of the most effective ways to build expertise (Kolb, 1984). It’s not just about consuming information; it’s about interacting with the environment, making decisions, and reflecting.

At the same time, research on self-efficacy shows that taking small, intentional actions builds confidence and competence over time (Bandura, 1997).

In other words:

👉 You don’t wait until you feel ready.
👉 You become ready by taking action.

Even in high-skill domains like biotech, early-stage exposure—networking, shadowing, asking questions—can significantly shape career trajectories (Thiry et al., 2012).

Listening to Lital’s story forced me to reframe my own.

I kept thinking I wasn’t acting with enough purpose because I hadn’t “launched” something yet.

But here’s the truth:

I am acting with purpose.

That’s not random. That’s preparation.

And preparation is not passive—it’s strategic.

Let’s say you’re a senior in college, pre-med or studying biology. You haven’t done groundbreaking research. You’re not published. You’re not founding a startup.

But you:

It might feel small.

But zoom out 12 months?

You now:

That’s how trajectories change—not overnight, but through consistent, intentional movement.

We often tie purpose to outcomes:

But purpose isn’t the end state.

It’s how you move.

Purpose Bio didn’t start with a perfect resume. It started with curiosity and action.

And for me—and probably for you too—this phase of learning, connecting, and exploring is the work.

You may not be building a biotech company right now.

You might be:

But if you’re taking steps—no matter how small—toward something that matters to you…

You’re not behind.

You’re building.

And that’s where real impact starts. 💡

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W.H. Freeman.

Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice Hall.

Thiry, H., Laursen, S. L., & Hunter, A. B. (2012). What experiences help students become scientists? A comparative study of research and other sources of personal and professional gains for STEM undergraduates. The Journal of Higher Education, 83(3), 357–388.

Disclaimer: This article was assisted by AI-based language tools (ChatGPT, OpenAI) for drafting and organization. All content was reviewed by the author, and all claims are supported by peer-reviewed sources.