This episode features Dr. Nina Tandon, CEO and co-founder of EpiBone, the world’s first company growing living human bones for skeletal reconstruction. Dr. Tandon has a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from the Cooper Union, a Master’s in Bioelectrical Engineering from MIT, and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Columbia University. She also received an MBA from Columbia University, which she pursued in parallel to her research as a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University.  Our conversation follows Dr. Tandon’s career from engineering human tissues in the lab to founding a company and how a business degree helped bridge the gap between the two. As our conversation continues, we learn from Dr. Tandon about the nature of working in a start-up company, different job opportunities within the company, and the challenges and thrills she experiences as a CEO.

Recommended reading material written by Dr. Tandon:

·       Super Cells: Building with Biology, a book that explores the new frontier of biotech. 

·       To MBA or not to MBA: is that the question?, an article that discusses the need to pursue an MBA in order to become a CEO.