Brian’s passion for science started at a young age when he was lucky to be one of only 50 teens to spend a summer doing cancer research at the Roswell Park Cancer Center in Buffalo, NY. It was there that he fell in love with research, continuing his education at the University of Wisconsin, Cornell, and MIT with the intention of having an academic lab. Happenstance found him at MIT with none other than his research partner from all those years prior at Roswell Park, and it was then that the pieces of what would later become Ironwood Pharmaceuticals started to form.

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Brian’s life philosophy has been to engage in things that move you at your core, that you love, even if it’s not fun every day, because the impact will be transformative. He believes it’s essential for companies to engage with patients, to better understand their needs and serve as a reminder of why we are doing all this life-changing work.

Lessons he's learned from building a company and bringing a drug to market:

1. The right cultural fit is more important than the right specialty
2. Don’t let great financing make you complacent
3. Refine the art of listening to what investors are asking
4. Pay it forward

https://www.av.co/brian-cali-spotlight

​Every month we’ll share Pioneer Spotlights where we sit down with our network of accomplished industry veterans on what they’ve learned and advice for startup founders. We look forward to showcasing more of our ecosystem with you.