At ttopstart we work in an international team of creative innovators. In our series ‘Meet the ttopstart team’ we introduce you to our colleagues. We interviewed Sanne and Viktorija about their passion for science, love for their job and their values.
Since the beginning of September, both Sanne and Viktorija started working for ttopstart.
When did your love for science and innovation start?
Sanne: ‘I have always been curious about how things work, this let me to wanting to understand the human body in great detail. This let me to study Biomedical Sciences. While I enjoyed working as a scientist I discovered that I got really excited about helping to get these inventions to the market. At ttopstart I can make this come true.’
Viktorija: ‘I always liked tinkering with things and trying to understand the underlying principles behind the processes around us, so studying physics was a natural choice for me. For the last years of high school and the first three years of my undergraduate studies I was dead-sure I will become a physicist. However, in my final year I had a course about biophotonics. I was so fascinated by it that I decided to do a PhD in biophysics and never looked back.’
What is something biomedical innovators (people in your industry/niche) have to deal with that you want to fix?
Sanne: ‘How to go from an idea to a reality? I love helping clients structure their vision into actionable plans and discussing the path to mature their innovations, ultimately having impact on society. ’
Viktorija: ‘Securing funding is a universal challenge, but it does not have a universal solution. I strive to become a team with my clients, to understand their unique situation. This way we can work together to find the best strategy for obtaining funding to transform their innovative ideas into a market-ready product.’
What are your credentials/past experience, for working in your position?
Sanne: ‘I obtained a BSc and MSc in Biomedical Sciences at Leiden University. Here I focused on malaria and cancer immunology with a minor in Science Based Business. Next, I performed my PhD research in the field of immunology, focusing on kidney transplantation at the Leiden University Medical Center. This project aimed to reduce the need for immunosuppressives after kidney transplantation by infusing mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). I studied the immune system of these kidney transplantation patients and their response to MSC therapy.’
Viktorija: ‘I have a strong scientific background with Master’s in physics and PhD in molecular biophysics. I started working on grant applications during my postdoc and then left academia to apply my knowledge and skills in a more translational aspect of research and innovation. Fun fact: I grew up with a medical professional in the family, an the experience and insights I gathered during the years proved very useful in helping my clients.’
What’s your background?
Sanne: I grew up in an agricultural entrepreneurial family cultivating flowers, cucumbers and tomatoes. As I saw the dedication needed to produce food up close, I greatly appreciate these people and get excited about new innovations in this field. ’
Viktorija: ‘I grew up in Lithuania, the northern city of Šiauliai. Growing up I attended music school, flute being my specialty. I always remember the advice my teacher gave me to help with memorizing the pieces: Remember the chords between notes, remember the key notes, and everything else will fall into place. I follow this advice in my daily life and my work to this day – once you nail down the fundamentals, the details become much easier.
The ttopstart values are Teamwork, Taking Ownership and Passion, how do you personally relate to these values?
Sanne: ‘I love that we work together with the client as a team. Together we make ideas a reality. I’m proud when I see the ideas come to life in the real world and benefitting everyone. Yes we did it!’
Viktorija: ‘Personally, I feel that these values are intertwined and are the cornerstone of working successfully in life science/biotechnology consulting. Taking ownership is hardly possible without being passionate, and teamwork is at its best when each team member takes ownership of their work in the team. ‘
Thanks, Sanne and Viktorija!
Would you like to know more about them visit the team profiles of Sanne and Viktorija.
Do you want to become a ttopstarter as well?
Are you interested in joining our team? Check out our career page! We are always looking for talented and motivated people.
“From day one, ttopstart made us feel like a part of the family. We look forward to contributing our skills and expertise to our collective success and growing with ttopstart in the months and years to come. Thank you for this fantastic opportunity, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for all of us!”
– SANNE AND VIKTORIJA– CONSULTANTs AT TTOPSTART