08 Aug WisBusiness: the Podcast with Jessica Martin Eckerly, Forward BIOLABS
Jessica Martin Eckerly, CEO and co-founder of Forward BIOLABS
This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: the Podcast” is with Jessica Martin Eckerly, CEO and co-founder of Forward BIOLABS in Madison.
She discusses a new state-backed initiative called Forward Memberships that aims to help more entrepreneurs in the biohealth sector advance research and develop their companies. Thanks to $190,000 in funding from WEDC, the lab is providing year-long memberships to startups with different options for companies with varying needs.
“It’s nice to be able to provide a variety of the memberships that we offer, and to be able to cover the cost of those with the grant,” she said. “What this does is enable startups to stretch those invested dollars … because they don’t have to kind of factor in the cost of our membership for the year.”
The nonprofit Forward BIOLABS offers a fully equipped scientific facility with tools for cell cultures, proteins, genomics and more, along with infrastructure and operational support. These resources help early-stage companies hit the ground running rather than spending large sums on this equipment and a facility lease.