The Circle of Advisors is the expert network behind the Studio. It is how a resident company gets access to senior operators, scientists, and investors it could never assemble on its own. And it is how experienced leaders stay close to the most promising bio-convergence companies without a heavy time commitment. This section is for both: founders who want to know who stands behind the program, and prospective advisors deciding whether to join.
What the Circle brings founders
Every company in the Studio draws on the Circle, not as distant names on a page, but as people in the room.
- Subject-matter experts: advisors are connected to you based on your specific gaps, whether that is regulatory strategy, clinical operations, capital markets, or commercialization.
- Speaker sessions: advisors lead sessions for the cohort in what they know best, turning decades of experience into something you can use now.
- Hotseat guests: advisors join the group-session hotseats to pressure-test a real company challenge live.
- One-on-one advising: where there is a genuine fit, an advisor works directly with a founder on a specific problem.
- Face time at Operant Fest: once a year the Circle and the cohort meet in person in Phoenix, where a hallway conversation becomes a lasting relationship.
Becoming an advisor: a low-lift role with real impact
We designed the advisor role for busy, senior people. Engagement is fractional and matched to your availability. You choose how you show up:
- Speak: lead an occasional session for the cohort in your area of expertise.
- Advise: take a one-on-one conversation with a founder when there is a real fit.
- Join a hotseat: drop into a group session to work through a live company challenge.
- Meet founders in person: connect with the cohort at Operant Fest each year in Phoenix.
- Stay in the loop: the full Circle comes together once a quarter in an advisor meeting, where we share where the Studio is headed and answer your questions.
That is the whole commitment. No fixed hours, no standing obligations. You give what your schedule allows, and it compounds across the network.
Who is in the Circle
The Circle is 60+ members deep, and its collective track record speaks to the caliber:
- 60+ members, deployed fractionally against each company's needs
- $500M+ raised collectively across the network