Embracing Womanhood in a Male-Dominated Industry

Starting a business in a male-dominated field was no easy feat. In the world of biopharma, I often found myself as the only woman in the room, navigating spaces that weren’t necessarily designed for me. Early on, I learned that resilience, adaptability, and being able to assert myself were critical to being taken seriously. So, I adjusted.

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I would walk into RFP reviews and seat myself front and center - back straight, chin up, head high - making sure I took up space physically, even as a petite Asian woman. I learned to project my voice, lowering its naturally high pitch to command authority. I grew thick skin because competitors would make up negative rumors about my business practices in an attempt to block me from gaining clients.  

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Throughout the startup of my firm, femininity wasn’t the ideal characteristic for success in my field. The expectation was to assimilate, to adopt traits that signaled strength and authority in traditionally masculine ways. But over the years, I came to realize that the qualities most often associated with women—intuition, vulnerability, empathy, compassion, and leading from the heart—weren’t weaknesses; they were strengths. These very traits helped me grow my business and lead with authenticity.

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Success in business isn’t just about planning, strategy, and execution. It’s about resilience, flexibility, and interpersonal skills. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, I hope my journey inspires other women in life sciences to walk into intimidating rooms with confidence, take up space because you belong, and speak up when it matters. And most importantly, I encourage women to embrace their full selves—empathy, vulnerability, kindness, and compassion included. Because this doesn’t have to be a man’s world. It can be ours, too.

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