We saw this coming.
More than a decade ago, we started tracking a shift that most business leaders hadn't noticed: Biology was becoming a technology platform. Not just in pharma—in materials, food, energy, packaging, agriculture, consumer products. Everywhere petroleum had built the modern economy, biology was beginning to replace it.
We built Messaginglab around a simple conviction: The companies leading this shift would need a new kind of strategic partner. Not a PR firm. Not a marketing agency. A team that could sit at the intersection of deep scientific literacy and narrative craft—and help companies get the brand right at the moments that define their trajectory.
Today, Messaginglab works with biotech founders and Global 2000 operators at those inflection points: category creation, product launches, rebrands, partnerships, and raises. Our clients include PepsiCo, Pfizer, Novartis, and BCG. Our podcast, Grow Everything, has hosted nearly 200 conversations with the people building the bioeconomy.
Biology is technology. We help the companies proving it tell the story.
Karl Schmieder, M.S./M.F.A.
A rare combination of scientist and award-winning copywriter, Karl has a long tenure working with both startups and Fortune 10 life sciences companies developing technologies that disrupt markets.
Karl has counseled multiple startups, launched major pharmaceutical brands (Risperdal, Januvia, Lucentis), and created thought leadership programs for executives at GSK, Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics, and PAREXEL. He served as Chief Marketing Officer at One Eleven Software and Chief Strategic Officer at Medikly. He is the co-author of What’s Your Bio Strategy? a book on the impact of synthetic biology on all business. Connect with Karl on LinkedIn or Twitter.
Erum Azeez Khan
Brings 15 years of experience in healthcare, life sciences, technology, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Prior to Messaginglab, Erum co-founded healthcare tech company Soundmind, where she led the successful fundraise and exit as CEO.
Erum studied Forensic Chemistry at West Chester University of Pennsylvania and started her career as an analytical chemist at GSK then J&J developing therapeutics. Erum left the pharma lab when she received a position at the University of Pennsylvania to work with the Dean of Sociology on special projects. After getting married in 2010, Erum lived internationally and found her calling in developing startups and tech ecosystems while working alongside TED, Singularity University, Google, and the UN before founding Soundmind.
Erum lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and son. She enjoys exploring the “Brooklyn” of different cities, supporting startup founders, and discovering the infinite possibilities of biotechnology and computation. Connect with Erum on LinkedIn or Twitter.
Lizette Couto, Ph.D.
A neuroscientist, science communicator, and content strategist with a background spanning research, biotech, and public engagement. At Messaginglab, Lizette develops science-based content across the podcast, newsletters, and social media, helping make complex scientific ideas more accessible and engaging for broader audiences.
Lizette earned her M.S. in Biomedical Sciences from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and her Ph.D. in Biology/Neuroscience from the Graduate Center, CUNY, where her research focused on drug-induced DNA damage in substance use disorder.
Beyond the lab, she has been involved in science outreach and education through Harlem Biospace, the World Science Festival, and mentorship initiatives supporting students in STEM. She enjoys creating music, playing card games, and conversations about the future of biotech and science storytelling. Connect with Lizette on LinkedIn.
Kathy Vincent
Kathy is an accomplished marketing communications strategist with nearly 35 years of experience in global and domestic branding and public relations, with a concentration on healthcare PR and internal/employee communications. Kathy has extensive experience working with Fortune 500 companies and venture capital firms including Novartis, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmith Kline, Genentech, Roche, Amgen, Anheuser-Busch, among many others including startups and foundations. Kathy previously held senior positions at Chandler Chicco Agency, Ruder Finn, Ogilvy Public Relations (New York, Los Angeles), Presence, and EURO RSCG. Kathy graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts in art history.