Home: Southlake, TX. Age: 45. Profession: Biotech/Pharma executive. Organization: Alpha Cognition and Alpha Seven Therapeutics. Title: Chief Operating Officer at Alpha Cognition, Inc. Significant other: My husband, Joey. Alma mater: Florida State (B.S.); University of Florida (MBA).
Current project: Completely renovating our home in Southlake. Recent recognition: Promoted to Chief Operating Officer and recognized on the 2023 PharmaVoice 100 Top Industry Leaders list. Latest accomplishment: Our company filed our NDA at the end of September after two and a half years of hard work by our entire team. Latest contribution to others: My #1 priority is raising loving, kind, productive children who contribute to the world and others. What’s been your big (or biggest leap)? In my early 30s, leaving a company where I had worked for ten years and moving cross-country alone. Hobbies: My husband and I just started playing pickleball; it’s so much fun! Recent travel or adventure: Having spent the past seven months renovating our new home, I need a vacation desperately! Last book read: The Lean Startup, by Eric Ries. Recently viewed and recommended: Yellowstone (Paramount+). Recent unique acquisition: A new kitchen. Something your colleagues don’t know about you? I am addicted to learning. I can’t stop.
Personality profile: Compassionate, kind, strategic, inspiring, smart, loyal. What one word would your closest friend use to describe you? Loyal. Moral compass: Self-awareness, integrity, respect for others, responsibility for our actions and words; humility, kindness, courage; honesty, fairness, justice. How do you define a perfect friendship? Someone who has your back, no matter what. How do you define an ideal business relationship? Mutually beneficial, authentic, invested. What is your greatest joy? My amazing family: husband Joey, son Reed, daughter Charlotte. What is your greatest fear? Raising spoiled brats. What is your guilty pleasure? A good love story. What word or phrase do you use far too often? Fake it until you make it. What natural talent have you neglected? Fashion. With the pandemic and working from home, I rarely wear my dresses and heels! What occupation, other than your own, do you most admire? Teachers and stay-at-home moms.
What three emojis best describe you? ❤️😊👨👩👧👦.
What is your favorite place (or way) to spend money? Decorating our home. What is at the top of your bucket list? Teaching a college course. How do you relieve stress? Taking a long walk; hiking. What is your go-to workout? Walking. What ingredient is essential to your perfect vacation? My family and good food.
What was your first paying job? Working in my dad’s office in the third grade. What was your favorite college course? Calculus. What was your favorite childhood toy or game? Cabbage Patch Kids, Rainbow Brite Doll, My Little Pony, Etch-a-Sketch. What book have you repeatedly read? Tuesdays with Morrie. What movie have you repeatedly watched? The Shawshank Redemption. What’s prominently featured on your home or office wall? Alexa Echo and my curved monitor. Besides your parents, who has had the greatest influence on your life? My grandmother. A strong woman who taught me how to survive without losing my compassion or sense of humor. What’s the best advice you received growing up? Be kind, always. What’s the best advice you received in your career? Don’t compare yourself to others. What modern technology innovation do you most appreciate? iPhone. What is your favorite app? The Weather app. Summers in Texas are HOT and you have to be prepared. What is your go-to source of creative inspiration? My children. Kids have such creative imaginations and see the world in fresh and innocent ways. What company or organization do you most admire? No Kid Hungry charitable organization. What personal circumstance has had the greatest influence on your life? My parents’ divorce.
What change are you working on to effect in your profession or field? I’m grateful to work in an industry that is challenging, dynamic and committed to helping patients live healthier, better lives. And so, it’s frustrating to hear the perspective that the pharma industry is “greedy” and “only about making profits.” I spend a lot of time educating others to help eliminate this negative perception. What change would you like to see in the world? That people would be more accepting of differences and kinder to one another. What message do you want to send out into the world? There is beauty in everything, even in silence and darkness. Focus on the beauty. What widely held belief do you reject? That your destiny, including success or failure, is predetermined. What mega-trend most excites you? Space travel. It’s a brave new world. What mega-trend most concerns you? Political polarization. A strongly divided country benefits no one.
What title would you choose for the movie about your life? Perfectly Imperfect. What actor would you choose to play you in the movie about your life? Jennifer Connelly. Who would you like to spend an evening with, in heaven? My dad. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? A news anchor, and ultimately, a Today show host. After your loved ones, what object would you first save from your burning home? My kids’ baby books. How would you choose to spend tomorrow, if you knew it was your last day on earth? Snuggling with my family on the couch. What advice would you give your younger self? Trust the process and don’t sweat the small stuff. What day in your life would you choose to re-live? My first child’s birth. What period in your life would you do differently, if you could? My thirties. I would have had a lot more fun!
Personal mission: A life devoted to spreading love, kindness, and unwavering support, with the aim of uplifting others and creating a world where everyone feels valued, understood, and cherished. Personal motto: If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. Favorite quote: “I always knew looking back on the tears would make me laugh, but I never knew looking back on the laughs would make me cry” (Cat Stevens). Desired epitaph: A soul whose light illuminated hearts, a mind that dared to dream and a spirit that soared with boundless curiosity. A symphony of kindness, a mosaic of wisdom, a beacon of love.
