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E12: MD Business Prosperity Summit with Christine Lee · Executive Alliance Podcast

• Rebecca Snyder: Welcome everyone. In the studio today, I have Christine Lee, who is an executive leader, a scientist, pharmacist, entrepreneur, and public servant whose career has focused on improving health outcomes and widening access to opportunity. So Christine, welcome to the program. Christine: Thank you, Rebecca. It's so great to be here today. Rebecca Snyder: Well and and it's especially fun because we both sit on the Maryland Commission for Women, so and you're an Executive Alliance member, so we have lots of great connections. and we also definitely want to talk about the small business prosperity event that you're coordinating. But when we take a step back and just think about all the things that you have done, you have a really wide career path, scientist, pharmacist, federal leader, you're an entrepreneur, you're an advocate for women women. do you those feel like separate chapters to you or is there a a an expression of the same thing or is there a through line for for you on that? Christine: Think that you know, if I look at my adult life, it's been pretty consistent. I think it's always been very mission-based, you know, very focused, much focused on elevating and amplifying voices of you know, communities that typically are not heard or don't have a seat at the table. And I've been so fortunate that through the majority of my career, in fact, my my first job opened, you know, my eyes to what we can do to make a positive impact with Our in our country, so that kind of like sparked, you know, something inside of me as a as a young person, and I always say, like, is a little addictive, like once you get you know to understand that you can use your brain and actually do good things, then you just keep trying to do it. So, yeah, so it's great. Rebecca Snyder: Absolutely. Well, take me back to that moment. It sounded like earlier in your career you had this kind of epiphany that it was about access and and reaching underserved people and amplifying voices. What was that moment for you? What happened? Christine: Well, so when I moved to the DC area, I didn't know too much about, you know, policies or, you know, impact. And when I started I accidentally fell into my first job, which was to work for HHS under the Secretary of Health and Human Services. And that is really where I got to see where you know, people coming together. really focusing Rebecca Snyder: Mm. Christine: on making a positive impact that it can happen and it does happen. And I think that, you know, as a young person in DC in the DC area, you really got to see that if you put enough energy towards something and with enough, Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: you know, people pushing against what I would like to call like a very sticky needle, you can push the needle. So that kind of got me hooked on like we can do it again. Rebecca Snyder: Well and and so actually I wanted to better understand because there's a difference between moving the needle and it's related to impact, but you know, s you're working in spaces that are sometimes a tough road to. I mean, science is a iterative process. It's not like, you know, anything's ever really definitive. And so could you explore a little bit more for you like moving the needle and impact, which was my word that when you were talking, I was thinking she's all about impact. But I feel Christine: Yes. Rebecca Snyder: like there's a little tension there between the two. Christine: So a lot of times, you know, I think that we like to talk a lot about a topic. And I actually don't call it a word cloud, I call it a word fog. Because I feel like at a certain point all the word clouds have collided together and we've lost sight of what we're trying to do because we're in a fog, right? So I do think that it's really important to be intentional with where you want to go and what direction you're going in. And I think without in a direction, you just end up spinning. So, one of the areas that, you know, in my past federal career that I've been able to, you know, been so fortunate to work in is, you know, really elevating the voices of underserved communities. And with that, Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: you know, the amplification of voices, it's important to amplify the voice, but then to really understand what that means. So I've always made it very intentional that whenever we had a meeting with our communities that we serve, that we always went back. To what was the top three things that each one of our communities were looking for? Whether it was a fellowship Rebecca Snyder: Mm. Christine: program, you know, advancing, you know, the younger populations into positions of leadership or, you know, scientific career paths, or whether it was, you know, addressing a terrible disease, whether it's lupus or cancer or whatever that was, I've always made it a point that. At the end of each meeting, that those were the three priorities. The next meeting we had, we would show. How we advanced those priorities. For example, setting Rebecca Snyder: Mm. Christine: up a fellowship program, setting up a series of round tables, you know, visiting our different, you know, communities so that we could better further understand the diseases that were important to the people that we talked to. So I think it's really important to always go back and assess how far you're going from that baseline. Rebecca Snyder: That feels like the scientific process, like in a nutshell that you're you know, you're putting out these are there's our goals or our our hypothesis, then we're progressing, checking, and and continuing on. Am I getting that right? Christine: In a way, yes, but in a way it's about you know s like if you say you're gonna do something, you should do it. Otherwise you lose trust, right? And people always Rebecca Snyder: Mm. Christine: wonder like why there's a problem with trust. I think a lot of times, you know, the frustration comes from when people show up and they share what is, you know, their biggest barrier, their biggest burden, and then you offer a sympathetic year, but it doesn't go beyond that. So I always say that you know sometimes we're very good at offering emotional support or psychological support, but does we really do also need additional support, whether that's resources, you know, moving a problem, you know, out of a problem area into more of a solution area. So I do think it's important to have have both, have that emotional support as well as understanding. where you're going, like those real resources, real capital, real investments into this area. Rebecca Snyder: So and and that makes perfect sense to me. I'm just curious because you have worked in, you know, big systems that perhaps have, you know, not lived up to their promise or or or have broken the trust of communities. And as a as a leader and someone who's really interested in amplifying voices and creating access, how do you how do you begin to rebuild that trust? Is it you know w how do you approach it? Christine: So I can say like, you know, most recently, you know, our office was dissolved, you know, in the the big system that we worked in. So I think there came a time when that happened, when it was being dissolved. I think I was most, you know, distraught about. It wasn't the fact that I lost my job or my entire office lost their job, but it was the fact that all of the work over the past two decades evaporated. So that was something that I could not live with. So what we did was that we tried to hot glue gun as many scraps together as we could. So all of those, you know, generational knowledge, you know, the science, the the education in the space didn't just evaporate. And that's, you know, what we are doing right now. We're just continuing the work because the work still has to go on. So that is something that I say like, you know, also builds that trust because you if you set off on doing something, it doesn't just evaporate because the environment wasn't, you know, a great environment. So we Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: just give up and just let everything disappear. I would say like, no, that's when you really have to like come together and make sure that all of that knowledge, all of those resources, those investments. Can continue to help people. Rebecca Snyder: Well and and like that idea of individual agency and sort of charting your own path and you are now the the propri like the CEO of your own your own business. Tell me a little bit about what you're doing now and how you're and and how that is working and what what you're doing. Christine: So like I mentioned a little bit before, you know, when everything evaporated, I really didn't think the mission evaporated with with everything else. So we continue on the mission to bring access, education, connections of clinical trials with communities that are typically left behind or historically forgotten. So we Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: continue that work, you know, in this space and I say that it is something that you need to put in energy and effort and you know intention into, otherwise it might just evaporate too. So that's just something that we have continued doing. Rebecca Snyder: And what does that look like in in the day to day? So are you connecting people with clinical trials or or or advising? What is that what is the work? Christine: So we actually, you know, do through multiple areas. One of the areas that we heard of, you know, working with our communities that we serve is that there is no pipeline. There is no pipeline for you know, communities that are forgotten. Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: whether they're working nurses, working clinicians in rural communities, you know, or in populations that we just forget about. And then also there's a lot of issues in a lot of our under resource communities where the young folks will leave the community because there's no jobs or there's no economic opportunity. So hearing, you know, that was a a big barrier when I was working in the government that I heard of. So we continue that work on the outside but providing training and activation of Communities so that they have the opportunity to take on additional jobs, so take on additional economic development. So, with clinical trials, the one thing that is really fascinating to me is that it's one of those very few sectors that does three things all at once: it generates jobs, attracts private capital to the host community, and improves health outcomes. What we do there is that we activate each community so that they have the power to make those decisions for their communities. So instead of having an outside entity go in, a foreign entity go in and you know conduct research, we actually train up the community so that they can take on the jobs directly and therefore make decisions for their loved ones. So and then also, you know, gain the economic benefits too at the same time through you know more job advancement. So that's Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: one area that we work in. The other area that we work in is that we do increase education and access to patient populations that may never have heard of clinical studies. So we currently right now are working in the Alzheimer's space, which is a terrible disease. and then we have our clinicians are able like you know talk to their patients populations so that they can further educate their patients and caregivers as clinical for clinical trials as an option. So those are like the areas that we work in. Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Well and and that idea of underrepresentation in in clinical trials, I feel like that has real material effects on how diseases are studied and what we know about disease. So can you Christine: Nice. Rebecca Snyder: tell us what you see as the effects of, you know, not including underrepresented communities in those in those research studies? Christine: So there's no, you're absolutely right, Rebecca. There's so many negative parts of not being inclusive in research. The first one is of course the lack of generalizability. So we don't know if the the therapeutic may work in you differently. So that's you know, an obvious scientific, you know, aspect too. But the other thing which I've noticed time and time again is that people are not given the option. To even think about this as an option for their loved ones, whether it is cancer or Alzheimer's or lupus or rare disease, the majority of the underserved communities are never given the option to even make that decision. That decision point was taken away from them upstream. So someone upstream made that decision and said that no, these communities do not need to know. about you know clinical studies because it's more work to you know engage with underserved Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: communities. We would have to make it more culturally tailored, you know, culturally you know you know maybe there needs to be more languages, etc. So there was a decision made upstream. So the communities are actually never given the opportunity to even make this decision. Rebecca Snyder: Hm. So I I think Christine: Mm-hmm. Rebecca Snyder: once you start looking for like who's not at the table, who who should be represented, especially in your field, do you start seeing that everywhere? Like does that become pervasive for you, or are you like, Okay, I tell me more about that? Christine: So I used to, you know, get a little bit frustrated with this, but yes it's pervasive, it's a little unfortunate, but the way that I see it is that it gives me more empathy, it gives me more perspective, it gives me, you know, the ability to understand that there are multiple barriers and that, you know, the system was not created for everyone equally. And I don't actually take it personally to be honest. I think it just gives me more perspective. Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. And so right now you you've undergone just a transformative change because you've come from Christine: Yeah. Rebecca Snyder: this really big system and now you're an entrepreneur. So what is it like going from that, you know, like Byzantine, huge bureaucratic system to kind of running your own show? Christine: so when I started, you know, this was something that I did not want to do, to be honest. being in a s a large organization, it's comfortable. Like, you Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: know, you it's a very comfortable system. You kind of understand the politics a little bit, but you have the security of a bi weekly paycheck. So this was something that actually my husband and my dad, you know, really wanted me to do because they're like, Christine, they're like you have all this passion and you know you this is something that you want to do is within your DNA and I don't and but I knew you know in me that starting a business is incredibly hard. You know, trying to create something that did not exist before incredibly challenging. You are this organization, this vision, this product didn't exist before, you know, this business came into, you know, life, right? So it is I and I had some idea of how how difficult it is, but it is probably one of like the most challenging things that I have ever done. But I wouldn't I would not say like, you know, I would I there's no regret. Like I love it. It's very hard. I feel like I'm able to live up to my full potential, which is something Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: that I think a lot of people don't get to do. whether it is because they're under you know, societal pressures or you know, society has said like, no, you it's good enough. This is good enough, right? you know, Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: being like average is good enough, or you know, where you're at is just good enough, right? and I think that a lot of times society kind of brainwashes us to think that, you know, just you know, this is enough, right? And I think that to do something like this, you have to really believe that there's something more, not for you, but there's something more that you want to give to your country, to your society, that you see a better vision that you can, you know, potentially. do and I think that goes back to my first job where you realize that you can move that needle and it is possible. And I think that belief is still here. And I I believe that we can still, you know, do do something that's meaningful, something that hopefully will provide benefit to people. So I think that's where it is. Like that something that's like bigger than yourself. And I think that's where where it's scary but very Fulfilling at the same time. Rebecca Snyder: Sure. It sounds like that passion really draws you through the this the fear and the discomfort of leaving those big systems. Christine: Yes. Rebecca Snyder: but what made it so challenging? Christine: It was well this is why, you know, I know we're gonna talk about the prosperity business event, but when you start down this path, you have a lot of people like my husband and my dad, right, and friends who are like, Christine, we believe in you, right? But I'm like, that's great. But I'm like, but what do I do next, right? So I think that that's a thing that was very difficult. Is that there's really no good roadmap to say like this is where you can find resources, this is where you can find, you know, help, this is where you can find mentorship. it's and I think that's where the tough part was. And what I always like to do is, you know, really understand the situation where it is challenging, but If we can somehow make it a little bit easier for people to understand how to navigate this very difficult thing, hopefully it makes their lives a little bit easier and can can really support them and accelerate them to whatever their vision might be. Because I know there's a lot of people out there, including women, who have a vision, right, of what they would like, you know, to do and offer you know, to society and I would love for more women to be able to do this to say like I have a vision, whether it is I want to, you know, make education better or you know, start up a series of bakeries or you know, whatever that vision is. I I truly believe that everyone should be supported in as much as much ways possible to reach their their vision and you know to have that achievement. Rebecca Snyder: And we'll get to the the small business prosperity event because it it in just a second, but before we do that, it feels like a lot of those barriers are sort of mechanical barriers. You know, like if you have the passion, then what's holding you back are maybe some of the technical things about like, okay, well how do I do this? You know, the knowledge aspect. Am I getting that right or okay. Christine: I think it's both. I think it's definitely both. I think that it is definitely a very psychological aspect to you. You have to have a lot of belief in yourself that you can do this. You don't have a system, you are the system, right? So you don't have a boss that tells you, Great job, Christine. Like there's no one telling you, Rebecca Snyder: Bro. Christine: Great job. There's no PMAP. There's no you know, colleagues that you work with. Well, I work with people but they're not like, you know, in the traditional sense as a big system, right? Y Rebecca Snyder: Right. Christine: it's like you're not you're not held Rebecca Snyder: If we know it. Christine: right, what do you do? Like you're not held to a system that has like and we're very familiar and it's very comfortable for us because as students we know we go from grade one to grade two to grade three, right? There's like check boxes that you kind of Rebecca Snyder: Uh-huh. Christine: like go through and exams and tests, right? There's nothing. There's like no one saying like, hey Christine, you need to like, you know, bring in three contracts for it to for you to move to the next level. Like there's there's no benchmark. There's no one telling Yeah, you have right. Rebecca Snyder: Right, you kinda have to figure it out on your own. So So what did you learn about yourself once you didn't have those sort of systemic structural supports around you? Like what did you learn about your leadership or your abilities? Christine: It's a lot of resiliency, actually. It's a l it's I always say that it is the the biggest challenge for me is in my head. It's Rebecca Snyder: Mm. Christine: you know not not letting any sort of like negative talk impact you, get really focused on what you want to accomplish. and understanding that you you may not be able to accomplish what you set out to do. Like there's always a a level of you know fear too. It's like maybe it doesn't work, right? Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: There is no blueprint, there is no roadmap that you're following. Rebecca Snyder: Right. Christine: You're just out there hopefully trying to make the world a better place, you know, hopefully trying to solve a big problem, but no one's gonna tell you. that it works until it works, right? And even if it Rebecca Snyder: Right. Christine: does work, it may malfunction. Right. There's you know, there's also that risks too. So I think a lot of it is just, you know, believing what you're doing is right, believing that it will solve a problem, believing that, you know, you can, you know, just take one step, you know, every day and then you'll, Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: you know, hopefully you're Heading forward and not backwards, like but you still there's no map, so you don't really know. You don't really know like are you even going in the right direction? Rebecca Snyder: Well, and you talked about your your husband and your dad and and some friends as sort of like the the anchor, the the sort of peer support group to do this. But do you do you have a way like can you talk a little bit more about what you think women need to successfully start their own business? And and I'd love to hear also more about what you're doing with the the small business event. Christine: Sure, so I think that it's it's not a path I would say is for everyone. Rebecca Snyder: Mm. Christine: but if it is, I think that it's really important to surround yourself with people who are positive and you know who are able to give you that real genuine feedback too. when I mean like positive, I don't mean like yes men. I don't mean that people just saying like Christine that sounds like a great idea. You want people around you that will give you real feedback and real support. I think the authenticity Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: of it becomes even more important. Rebecca Snyder: Yeah. And that makes a lot of sense. And and in your you know, in the middle of your your standing up this new business, you also rotated onto the Maryland Commission for Women. So you've had sort of a really systemic emphasis on women's leadership and and and women's rights. can you tell me a little bit about your work on the commission? Christine: Yes. So I've been on the commission for a couple of years now. it is such a great organization with fantastic leadership. for example, menopause has been something that i you know, the commission for women has really, you know, amplified and really pushed Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: for, you know, the bills to be passed and you know, us bringing awareness to this event. It's fascinating to me that menopause is talked about a lot now, but it's like it's a new disease almost or it's a new event. Rebecca Snyder: Right. Christine: Like it's so this is why it's so important to to keep doing things that require courage that you know that people might not have done before, like we didn't talk about menopause before, we didn't or at least at this capacity, we didn't really have that, you know, amount of support and awareness. But Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: those things didn't exist before. So to push something out there into existence does take a lot of energy and does take a lot of intent and courage. So I think that the Commission for Women is just one of the areas that I think has really been able hopefully to to you know make the environment, the society a little bit better. Rebecca Snyder: Sure. Well and and certainly the policy work that that goes on is is really kind of clicked into some of the things that you're doing on in your career level in in your professional life. but what are you learning about the lives of women in Maryland that you could through the through the commission that you couldn't really access in your professional life? Is has it changed your thinking in some way serving on that commission? Christine: Absolutely. I think that with each experience, good or bad, it has always broadened my my perspective. I think women in rural Maryland, we would think, at least I did. I thought that, you know, Maryland seems very progressive, right? Seems very, you know, advanced. But there's so many communities of women that we actually have forgotten. So I do think it is important that and being on the commission with so many diverse perspectives, I think it really does increase your awareness to that there are women Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: here that we may never have heard of or heard from before. Like their voices were never brought to the table. So that is something that definitely has opened my eyes. Rebecca Snyder: Yeah. Well and it feels like that access is such a through line for you. Christine: Uh-huh. Rebecca Snyder: and so I wanted to turn our attention to the small business event because in in addition to everything else you're doing, you thought, well let's just whip up you know, a a small event that's bringing a lot of of the elements of of business support from Maryland and and bringing it to people who need it. So tell us about the the event. It's coming up in September, right? Christine: So as I'm going through this whole journey, I I'm I was noticing that a lot Rebecca Snyder: Mm. Christine: of people wanted to do something, wanted to create something, wanted to you know, put out what was in their heads out into the world. And I just knew that you can't do that without capital. without investment, without you know, understanding where you can get subsidized resources, whether it's like free access to accounting and HR and you know you know other things that businesses need, but you're starting off, most businesses start off very small and resource limited. so really understanding how to gain access to state Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: subsidized products, resources, Gaining access to capital, mentorship, you know, assistance, any type of assistance that could really help you not give up because whether or not you're resource constrainted and then you give up, right? Or you're stuck and you need a mentor and you don't know where to look for one, right? Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: these are things that are real challenges and Knowing at least from my perspective, how challenging it was for me and how fragile the journey was at any point, it was easier for me to just find a job. Like it was Rebecca Snyder: Right. Christine: just like it was just so easy. Like to take that exit road out and say, like, okay, I'm just gonna go find a job, right? There's Rebecca Snyder: Yep. Mm-hmm. Christine: that just seems easier because this journey is such a fragile journey. It's such a an unknown journey with so much uncertainty. that you know you do need those resources that support in order for you to stay on this journey because hopefully at the end of the journey you're going to create something that is wonderful and is going to help a lot of people and didn't exist before but at any point you can break. So I think that was why I really wanted to you know, put all these resources together so that more people can at least be on this journey and not alone. Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Yeah. And why do you think it's important for for this like kind of level of entreprene entrepreneurship to be here in Maryland? Because you're right, it's it's easier sometimes to go and get a job, it's predictable, you have a rubric Christine: Yes. Rebecca Snyder: for success. so for you, why is it important that that this that people take that harder path? Christine: I don't I don't think it's for everybody, but for those that want to do it, I w for me the only reason why I'm here is because I had, you know, women help me like Burke Leerman, you know, Secretary Susan Lee, you know, all of these wonderful women leaders. Who were able to, you know, offer advice and resources and support, as well as like, you know, my husband and my dad, right? So all of these wonder like I've been so lucky to be able to have been guided to these resources. But what if you weren't, you know, able to understand where these resources are? And therefore you never started or you gave up before you really started. So as as I was learning about these resources and taking advantage of them, I was like, Well, this would be really good if other people also knew about this. And it's very interesting. So I sit on a nonprofit board also, and I Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: was explaining, you know, some of these resources like the bridge program and you know. TETCO and et cetera to the nonprofit board and they were like, Well, every year we have to like scramble and get very stressed out to find an accountant. Like how to be as we have to file our taxes, and we're very small nonprofits, like we run off of fumes. Like there's not a lot of resources. So just understanding how we can access, you know, state subsidized accounting services, that has been a huge relief. to our nonprofit organization. So these are things that I think that it's just a level of awareness and a level of, you know, connecting people to this opportunity. Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: And if they want to take advantage of it, they can. It's just there. It's just very similar in a way, actually if I think about it, similar to like clinical trials, right? Like our education about Rebecca Snyder: Mm. Tell me. Christine: clinical trials. Like it's there, right? Like if you want to learn about it, you can, right? And if it's not a good choice for you, don't worry about it, right? But at least you know that it exists. Rebecca Snyder: Right, right. So now what was most challenging for you you had said that there were resources that were really helpful to you. What what resources were most helpful to you in your journey? Christine: my accountant. Because I really did not know what I was doing, but I knew I could get into trouble. Right. So I really wanted Rebecca Snyder: Sure. Stakes are high. Christine: right, exactly. and I was spending a lot of money on an accountant that really didn't understand my business because they're Rebecca Snyder: Mm. Christine: really kind of like in a box, like those like accountants in a box. And you know, with the state subsidized, you know, accountant. She took a lot of time to understand my business, like really helped guide me through. additionally, like I think understanding the office space. So a lot of times as we grow, I did not want to, you know, spend a lot of resources on office space. So there's state subsidized office space that's you know starts at like two hundred dollars a month for office space, which is very reasonable. So Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: these are things that I think just allows me to know I can tap into them Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: when I need to tap into them. And each of the organizations, you have a POC or your mentor. So if you need anything, you just talk to them and they kind of help you figure out what the best you know solution is. So I think having that support too, that you have someone like in your corner, like rooting for you to succeed and trying to help you find. where you're kind of stuck and trying to find Rebecca Snyder: Right. Christine: like a solution that you know is either subsidi subsidized by the state or a very cost effective solution. I think that was very helpful. Rebecca Snyder: No, that that makes sense. And it feels like, you know, those resources almost were like acts of mentorship as well, because someone Christine: Mm-hmm. Rebecca Snyder: sat down and took the time to talk with you about your needs and advise as well. So could you tell me a little bit about kind of that role of mentoring for you? And could you you specifically called out Comptroller Leerman and Secretary Christine: Yes. Rebecca Snyder: Lee as people who are really important to your development. So d Christine: Yeah. Rebecca Snyder: What did what did that do for you? Christine: I have to say because of my role in the Commission for Women, I was I had access to Rebecca Snyder: Uh-huh. Christine: our you know state leadership and I've been able to work with our state leadership on you know other events too and I've really gotten to know them so therefore they've gotten to know me. and really and they actually I know they're very busy, but they've always have taken time to sit down with me. To you know understand where I wanted to go. They were not just a sympathetic listening ear, which they were, but they were very deliberate in you Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: know helping me understand that I needed to reach out to this person and that person and you know look here. Because even though we have this wonderful device called the internet, it's very big. So a lot of us you know where to look, sometimes you're just like and a needle in the haystack. So I say, like, you know, comptroller Leerman, Secretary Lee, like, they are just, I'm just so fortunate that I have been able to connect with them and they took the time to really, really support me. And I think that's what all businesses, all entrepreneurship people really need, that support, connection to resources, understanding how to take the next step. Rebecca Snyder: Mm. Well and and it feels like Christine: Yeah. Rebecca Snyder: just have you're paying it forward with this event. So and and some of the resources and and expertise that you were able to learn from, you're now kind of pushing out to the wider world. So this Christine: Absolutely. Rebecca Snyder: event is September twenty ninth, right, in Colombia. And Christine: Correct. Yes. Rebecca Snyder: w what can people expect to learn from their two hours? 'Cause it's it's in the morning, right? Christine: Yes, it's in the morning. And it's being held by my wonderful it's being hosted by my wonderful friend from Clove and Cardaman. So she has opened up her space for people to attend the event. so what I have done is that I've kind of consolidated everything together. So I call it kind of like Target shopping. So you when you go to Target or Target, right? Everything's there. You don't have to like, you know, go to other places. So I've put in like where you can access capital and investments. I've asked, you know, TEDco to come. I've asked the bridge program to come to provide, you know, how to access the the free accountant, you know, the HR services, like, you know, the other what they call I wanna get this wrong, I know. I think they call it like back office, like room in a box. So like everything Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Christine: that you would need to start up your business and keep it running. And then I've invited Hecta to come to provide information on the office space, say subsidized office space. how you know if you needed, you know, access to podcasting studios or video recording studios, like they have access to that too. So if you're a podcaster and you need like a you know, more professional area that Hecta will be there to answer questions. Rebecca Snyder: So what are you hoping people take away? Like do you think that this is for Christine: No. Rebecca Snyder: for people who have who are sort of midway through that process and maybe at loose ends or people who are thinking about it? What's your who are your target who would you like to have come to the event? Christine: I would like I think anyone who is committed to to their vision. I think that, you know, anyone who is committed to, you know, solving a problem for humanity, like, you know, c creating a a new product for for you know society to use, like whatever that is, I hope that Everyone who has this commitment comes because I think that we all know how how lonely sometimes this journey can be and how fragile it is. So that you know to understand how to access these free support or state subsidized support is very important. Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Well and and creating a community sounds like it's pretty important to you. And that's been something that's come up again and again in our conversation, like access and community. So Christine: Yes. Rebecca Snyder: I hope that that people come out will have the link in our show notes so people can can join because it's it's free to come, isn't it? Christine: Yes, it's free. Rebecca Snyder: So and so now what do you feel like this might be a annual event? Are you feeling like maybe one and done? What's what comes next? Christine: You know, it's very interesting because as you know, the Commission for Women and my other friends are, you know, helping me get the word out and the EA of course too, I've been asked to do this again. So like, you know, so this is something that maybe we can do every year. It's it's a great opportunity to you know, find things in one place. I would say like in two hours time you kind of learn about what your options are and then you can engage however way that you want to. Rebecca Snyder: And s and I think also like inviting people into rooms where you're you're providing that access and giving them the tools to achieve what they want feels very powerful and and what a great use of of your skills and ability. Christine: thank you. I just knew for myself it was so important. So I was like, well, if for me this was like make or break, right? I was like, well, maybe it's would be helpful for other people also. Rebecca Snyder: And so as you look forward to, you know, you you have a long trajectory in a lot of different spaces and and what is what's next for you? What do you hope to achieve in sort of this new new chapter? Christine: that's a good question. I have not really thought about that to be honest. to me, because I'm kind of in the trenches, I think I've been only taking it like one day at a time. but it would be great. I think my I had a an idea 13 years ago. And the idea, like, you know, I tried to have this idea happen you know, every year. Every year, like, you know. I wanted to bring the care clinicians, the care ecosystem closer to the clinical trial ecosystem. So the connection point, which maybe is my and Rebecca, it's so interesting that you called it up. Maybe that is part of my personality. Like I like to connect things, right? Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Absolutely. Yeah. Christine: so to me I saw that people were not getting access and it was just causing so much stress. because these two systems, these two giants, were not connected and talking to each other. So this is, you know, what I have wanted to do for thirteen years and have tried every year to every year like just bringing it a little bit closer. So that Rebecca Snyder: Mm-hmm. Christine: maybe one day they'll be like this. So so yeah, so that is what I would love to do. you know, before I leave this world. Like if I could do that, that would be wonderful. Rebecca Snyder: Well, and it it goes back to where we started with you being committed to moving the needle. And so each year bringing those two constituencies closer and closer together, for better outcomes and better health care for for the community at large. So it's Christine: Yeah. Rebecca Snyder: a I hope you are able to continue to to work in that space. and I hope that the Small Business Prosperity event goes wonderfully well. That's September 29th in Colombia. The link to to sign up is gonna be on our website and Executive Alliance is also really proud to support that work and get the word out about it. So thank you so much for coming to talk to me today. This was wonderful. Christine: Thank you for having me.