“My time here made me cherish respect for people’s differences. The spirit of this country has to be one of tolerance.” ~ Elizabeth Iorns, Founder and CEO of Science Exchange
Summary: Dr. Elizabeth Iorns is the Founder & CEO of Science Exchange, the Co-Director of the Reproducibility Initiative, and is a part-time partner at Y Combinator. Elizabeth has a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from the Institute of Cancer Research (UK), and before starting Science Exchange in 2011 was an Assistant Professor at the University of Miami (where she remains an Adjunct Professor). Elizabeth has received a range of honors and recognition, including the Kauffman Foundation Emerging Entrepreneur Award, one of Nature Magazine’s ‘Ten People Who Mattered’, and one of WIRED’s ’50 Women Who Are Changing The World’. Elizabeth is focused on the development of innovative models to promote the quality and efficiency of scientific research.
Nationality: New Zealander
Industry: Management & Technology
Q: What has been your biggest challenge as a woman entrepreneur? on huffingtonpost.com
A: In some ways, I have been very fortunate as a woman entrepreneur. My company has been relatively buffered from any discrimination because I have a male co-founder and in some cases, I’ve found being a woman entrepreneur an advantage, because you stand out from the crowd. However, I have heard a lot of stories that are not ideal and the disadvantages are real. For example, it is harder to build relationships with funders or other entrepreneurs if you are the only woman in that network.
