Building a health venture without losing yourself
An honest talk from AstriVax co-founder and CEO Hanne Callewaert on the human reality behind building a science-driven health venture.
Behind every health venture sits a human being carrying more than a business plan.
And that is certainly the case for Hanne Callewaert, co-founder and CEO of AstriVax.
She will reflect on what it really takes to build a science-driven health company. AstriVax is developing a vaccine and immunotherapy platform based on technology originating from KU Leuven’s Rega Institute, and raised a €30 million seed round in 2022.
So, what does it ask of a founder to lead when science, financing, team, market and private life all keep moving? How do you make decisions when the stakes are high, the pressure is constant and the path is never as straight as it looks from the outside? And how do you remain a person, parent and leader while trying to build something that demands almost everything from you?
This will be an honest story about ambition, responsibility, resilience and the invisible work behind entrepreneurship in health tech.