Breakthrough science doesn't speak for itself. Developing your positioning and narrative and getting the right people to understand it — and believe in it — is where I come in.
Biotech companies are doing important work: discovering new medicines and changing what's possible for patients and families. But great companies are more than great science. The ones that earn lasting trust with investors, partners and patients learn to translate what they're building into something those audiences can believe in.
Hi, I'm Kari. I've spent nearly 30 years helping life science companies. Whether you're telling your story for the first time, preparing for a major data readout, raising capital, or navigating something unexpected, I'll help you find the right approach to move forward with confidence.
Before I recommend anything, I want to learn about your science, your goals and your culture. What are you trying to accomplish? Who do you need to reach? What keeps you up at night? That listening is what allows me to develop focused strategy that's tailored to your situation.
A few principles shape how I work
The best work I've done for clients has been about solving real problems. Positioning a company to attract the right partner. Helping a leadership team stay aligned when a trial result surprises everyone. Building the kind of narrative discipline that makes investors want to follow your story over time.
Every communication decision I help clients make comes back to two questions: does this advance our goals, and does this protect — or build — our credibility? Transparency matters enormously, but so does timing and consistency. I'll help you set realistic expectations and hold to them.
When a challenge calls for expertise beyond mine — graphic design, patient advocacy, public affairs, specialized investor relations — I'll connect you with trusted people who can help.
My work is driven by what clients actually need, not a fixed menu of services. That said, a few situations come up again and again:
I've spent almost 30 years advising life science organizations at every stage — from pre-clinical startups to commercial-stage companies, hospital systems and nonprofits. My particular expertise lies at the intersection of communications and business strategy, translating scientific and clinical complexity into narratives that build credibility with investors, partners, and patients, and aligning communications strategy with the broader business objectives of a company navigating change.
Earlier in my career, I co-founded MacDougall Advisors, which became one of the leading biotech communications firms in the country. Building that company taught me as much about how organizations grow and lead through change as it did about communications — and I carry both perspectives into my work today.
As leader of MacDougall's public relations practice, I served as trusted strategic counsel to more than 75 companies and executive teams on matters including clinical trial initiations and outcomes, crisis response, corporate positioning, emerging company launches, IPO preparation, M&A transactions, and scientific publications. I helped grow the agency from the ground up to a team of more than 30, shaping its culture and vision, driving business development, and leading senior-level recruitment along the way.
My path to biotech communications was a little unconventional — an art history degree from Williams College alongside pre-medical studies. I've always thought that combination explains something about how I approach the work: with genuine curiosity about the science, and a commitment to making it accessible to the people who need to understand it.
Whether you're preparing for a big moment or just starting to think about your story, I'd love to hear about it.
or write to kari [at] owlsheadstrategies [dot] com