T2B Monthly | August 2025

New meetups, countdown to T2B Virtual Forum, recaps of August convos, and more!

I always think August is going to be a quiet month, but between coast-to-coast meetups, a brand-new masterclass, prep for September’s forum, and some memorable conversations over the past few weeks, this newsletter is packed!

We have a few “firsts," too: Our first Philly meetup, our first D.C. meetup, and a first look at how September’s Ripple Effect Forum is shaping up. And of course, plenty of recaps and resources if you missed anything while squeezing in some end-of-summer time off.

To our friends in the U.S., enjoy the holiday weekend, and we'll see you on the other side!

Today's email is 1,765 words, an 8.5-minute read.

🗓️ T2B programming snapshot

» T2Bmeet @ San Francisco | Wednesday, September 3rd @ 5 - 7 p.m. PT

To reach more of our Bay Area members, we’ll be crossing the Bay Bridge and doing our Q3 meetup in Oakland at one of our favorite outdoor venues, NIDO’s BackYard. Free for Pro/Student members. $30 for Basic members. Complimentary apps/Buy your own drink.

» T2Bmeet @ Philadelphia | Monday, September 8th, @ 6 - 8:30 p.m. ET

Don’t miss our first-ever Philly meetup at a fun Irish pub, located within walking distance of the Fierce Pharma Week events at the Philadelphia Convention Center. Free for Pro/Student members. $50 for Basic members. Complimentary apps and drinks provided.

» Q3 Professional Development Masterclass - Networking Redefined: Lead With the Value You Can Contribute | Wednesday, September 10th @ 12 - 1 p.m. ET

Our next masterclass will be facilitated by professor, consultant, and author Monique Kelley. ​Whether you like networking, cringe at the thought of it or already do it effectively, come learn something new about showing up for your network. Exclusive and free for Pro/Student members. (Basic members not permitted.)

» T2Bmeet @ Washington, D.C. | Wednesday, September 10th, @ 4:30 - 7 p.m. ET

This special-edition meetup (our first in D.C.!) is hosted by BIO in partnership with the National Pharmaceutical Council. Given the recent major shifts within HHS and the FDA, we’re making tickets to this come-and-go networking event free for all T2B community members.

» T2Bmeet @ Boston | Tuesday, September 16th @ 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. ET

We’re teaming up with local nonprofit WEST for a “career possibilities” panel on biopharma communications, followed by plenty of networking. Huge thanks to Syneos Health Communications for making this program possible. Free for Pro/Student members; $50 for Basic members. Complimentary apps and drinks provided.

» Virtual Biopharma Comms Forum: The Ripple Effect | Thursday, September 18th @ 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET

Our upcoming forum is centered around the big issues we are facing as biopharma communicators, from generative AI to boundary management to sustaining credibility under pressure. ​And we’re taking these conversations beyond tactics to explore how the way we respond to these challenges can create ripple effects that influence companies, teams, and ultimately how therapies reach patients. Free for Pro/Student members; $275 for Basic members.

» September Comm Convo | Thursday, September 25th @ 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. ET

Get a refresh on how to give (and receive!) tough but valuable feedback that protects relationships and strengthens your influence. September’s Comm Convo will also introduce “feedforward” — a future-focused approach to sparking change. Registration now open!

» T2BMeet @ San Diego | Stay tuned, details coming soon!

🎉 September T2BMeets: Mixers from coast to coast!

This quarter, we’re taking T2Bmeets coast to coast! We’re expanding beyond our usual hubs to bring more of our community together, with first-ever gatherings in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., plus meetups in the San Francisco Bay Area (Oakland), Boston, and San Diego.

Our first-ever D.C. meetup is hosted by BIO and the National Pharmaceutical Council – and free for all to join.

And for our Boston event, we’re partnering with local nonprofit Women in the Enterprise of Science and Technology (WEST) to host a panel focused on “career possibilities” in biopharma communications. And if you're reading this, there's a good chance you're a senior-level comms pro - this panel is for you, too, but applicable to those at all stages of their career. We’re grateful to Syneos Health Communications for their partnership in making this program possible!

For links, times, and registration info, please refer to the Program Snapshot, above.

🚀 Q3 Masterclass: Networking Redefined

As the saying goes, the best time to build your network is before you need it. Don’t miss our Q3 Masterclass, hosted by Monique Kelley, which is a reminder to take some time to focus on your professional network – how to build it, show up for it, and lean on it when you need it.

Monique is an associate professor at Boston University, where she teaches strategic communication. She also runs her own consulting practice, and her first book is coming out soon. She’ll give us strategies for how to swap the elevator pitch for practical tools you can immediately put into practice, from LinkedIn storytelling to making connections that last.

Whether you love networking, dread it, or just want to approach it more strategically, this session will give you new tools and confidence to build and show up for your network.

Hope to see you on September 10th, 12–1 p.m. ET — free for T2B Pro & Student Members (Basic members not permitted).

➡️ RSVP here.​

🌊 T2B forum: The Ripple Effect

We’re elbows deep in planning for our first virtual Biopharma Comms Forum, The Ripple Effect, and our prep calls are already sparking new ideas. This week, we had an awesome brainstorming call with with Nicole Leffer! We dug into how she’ll walk us through practical prompting techniques, and we aligned on a real-world AI use case for biopharma communicators that we can’t wait for you all to hear about during her interactive workshop, "AI Can Do THAT? A Communications Transformation," at our forum on September 18th.

June’s forum in Boston was about defining the modern biopharma communicator. Now, our September virtual forum will build from there to focus on the impact we create from that position: How our work shapes companies, partnerships, and ultimately how therapies reach patients. Expect candid conversations on cross-functional partnership, boundary management, credibility under pressure, and the role of comms in a more complex, AI-driven, resource-strapped environment.

We’re also looking forward to hearing from Andrew Blotky, who’ll be closing the day with a talk about showing up fully and avoiding burnout, before leading us through few deep breaths to help us all log off a little lighter.

More speaker announcements coming next week—stay tuned!

📅 September 18th | Register here.

🤖 Comms in the age of AI: Partnered seminar recap

What happens when algorithms, rather than editors, decide what audiences see? That’s the question we tackled in our recent seminar with Fullintel, a T2B Pro Perks partner. From Generative Engine Optimization (yes, GEO is the new SEO) to measuring “share of model,” we explored the many ways AI is reshaping life sciences communications, and how to leverage these constantly evolving tools to ensure your stories still break through.

Big thanks to Angela Dwyer and James Rubec for bringing sharp insights to this conversation. We walked away with fresh ideas for how to experiment, measure, and lead in this new AI-driven landscape.

If you missed this one, read the highlights here.

📚 Spotlight on IR Roundtable resource

One of the toughest parts of leading an IR or corporate comms team is making sure nothing slips through the cracks. Earnings calls, SEC filings, board meetings, medical congresses, employee updates… Everything has to line up, because consistency builds trust and misalignment erodes it.

This month’s IR Roundtable resource is a practical framework (and ready-to-use calendar template) for building an Integrated IR / Communications Calendar. It lays out what to include, and how to use it as a living document and planning tool. Think of it as a way to help you develop one central calendar to keep your communications consistent, compliant, and free of conflict.

Thanks to IR Roundtable member Monique da Silva for leading the charge on this one!

📄 Pro & Student Members: Download our new IR resource here.

A quick reminder that Pro Members can catch all monthly Roundtable resources via the member dashboard when logged into their T2B accounts—including our Biopharma Beats Bulletin, like the latest spotlight on Ryan Flinn of BiotechTV, and the Culture Connect Roundtable's monthly articles like August's "Communicating With Your Multigenerational Workforce" resource, authored by Mandy Zagar.

💫 August Comm Convo recap

Our August Comm Convo, "Maximizing Impact Regardless of Team Structure" with Roslyn Patterson, Suzanne Barston, and Robyn Malone, was a wide-ranging discussion on how comms teams can thrive in the life sciences ecosystem, no matter your company’s size or structure.

From proving advisory value to building trust early, framing needs in leadership’s terms, and finding creative ways to bridge silos, we surfaced 10 practical ways to gain and maintain influence across organizations.

Catch the replay and read our top 10 takeaways!

📌 September Comm Convo: Save the date!

One of the most important parts of our job as biopharma communicators is delivering tough feedback – to managers and the people you manage, to clients, and to members of the C-Suite. And that's not to mention receiving tough feedback, too...

In September’s Comm Convo, panelists at different places in their careers including Damaryan Benton, founder of The PR Habitat and one of PRWeek’s Pride in PR rising Gen Z voices, will lead us through a conversation about how to frame these conversations for maximum impact, and introduce us to the concept of “feedforward,” a future-focused alternative that sparks change without dwelling on past mistakes

Registration now open – sign up here.

👀 Seen on social

We love stumbling on fantastic resources on social media, and sharing them with you. This one comes from Adam Joseph, founder and CEO of Clipbook, and includes his list of the top 10 PR and communications podcasts. We’re adding them to our podcast app playlist, and think you should too! Check them out here. Happy listening!

Bonus post this month: How could we not include Aron Feingold's excellent analysis of Taylor's engagement... as it relates to biopharma comms.

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