T2B Monthly | May 2026

Hi!

I'm on a plane right now to Chicago on my way to our second annual T2Bmeet @ ASCO this Sunday! Finalizing Biopharma Comms Forum details with Michelle, getting ready to "fear less and flow more" at next week's masterclass, launching Year 2 of our IR Roundtable, opening up Cohort Lead applications for our next cycle of T2B's signature peer-coaching program... More below.

I sincerely hope at least one program or resource will resonate with you. We are building this community to serve communicators across the whole life science ecosystem, no matter where you're at – in your career, or in life.

Today's email is 2,580 words, a 9-minute read.

🗓️ T2B programming snapshot

» THIS SUNDAY!! T2Bmeet @ ASCO / Chicago | Sunday, May 31st @ 8-10:30 a.m. CT

We’re in Chicago during ASCO to host a casual breakfast at Spoke & Bird, a 15-minute walk from McCormick. Whether you're in town for the meeting or are a local Chicagoan, we invite you to join fellow biopharma communicators. Thanks to Weber Shandwick for hosting!

Sign up here. | Complimentary for T2B Pro and Student members. | $50 for Basic.

» Q2 Masterclass: Thriving Beyond Limits: Fear Less & Flow More | Tuesday, June 3rd @ 12-1 p.m. ET

Much of our work as communicators is outward-facing. This session turns the lens inward. Ashley Paré (Own Your Worth®, ex-Novartis) explores the patterns behind overthinking, overworking, and hesitation, and shares practical tools to help us stay clear under pressure, communicate with confidence, and make decisions without burning out.

Sign up here. | Free and exclusive to T2B Pro and Student members (Basic members not permitted).

» 2nd Annual T2B Biopharma Comms Forum: Clarity at the Flashpoint | Thursday, June 11th (Full Day) in Boston

The theme for T2B’s 2026 Forum is Clarity at the Flashpoint. Because there will undoubtedly continue to be more flashpoints, and we communicators need to bring, and be, that clarity. This year’s Biopharma Comms Forum will gather our community for a full day of programming and connection as we examine how senior communications leaders navigate uncertainty, build influence systems that endure budget cuts and leadership changes, orchestrate complex stakeholder dynamics, and lead with authority.

Waterhouse returns as a partner, with support from Addison MacLeod and Jett Communications.

Full agenda available + register here! | Complimentary for T2B Pro and Student members. | $875 for Basic.

» Q2 T2Bmeet @ SF | Tuesday, June 16th @ 4:30-7 p.m. PT

We’re back in the Bay Area for our Q2 SF meetup, hosted by Mirum Pharmaceuticals. Join us for a come-and-go evening of networking, conversation, and connection, as well as a partnered giveback activity with Life Science Cares.

Sign up here. | Complimentary for T2B Pro and Student members. | $50 for Basic.

» Q2 T2Bmeet @ San Diego / BIO reception | Tuesday, June 23rd | 4.30 p.m.-7 p.m PT

Our Q2 T2Bmeet in San Diego is taking place during the week of BIO! The venue, Union Gaslamp, is within walking distance of the San Diego Convention Center. Hope you can make it to this special-edition meetup, hosted by LifeSci Communications.

Sign up here. | Complimentary for T2B Pro and Student members. | $50 for Basic.

» Q2 Media Minds Roundtable Event – From Newsroom to Newsletter: Why Healthcare’s Top Journalists are Going Independent | Wednesday, June 25th @ 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ET

Healthcare and biotech journalism is undergoing a major shift as respected reporters leave traditional outlets to launch independent platforms on Substack and beyond. This panel brings together journalists who've made that transition to discuss what’s driving the change, how subscription-supported models are influencing coverage, and what communicators need to know about building relationships today.

Sign up here. | Free and exclusive to T2B Pro and Student members (Basic members not permitted).

» June 2026 Comm Convo: Fluent in Finance, Science, and Strategy | Tuesday, June 30th @ 12-1 p.m. ET

Communicators advise on issues spanning science, finance, and business strategy, but there is no roadmap for building this expertise. This Comm Convo explores how communicators develop cross-functional fluency, earn credibility across the organization, and become more effective strategic partners.

Sign up here. | Complimentary for T2B Pro and Student members. | $40 for Basic.

🎥 ICYMI: Recent event replays

We aim to record most T2B virtual programs so you can revisit useful discussions or catch up when schedules get busy. Recent replays are available to T2B Pro and Student members on our Dashboard page.

• ​May 2026 Comm Convo: Reaching and Valuing Every Generation​
• ​Q2 Digital & Social Media Roundtable Event: How Influencers, Social, and Forums Are Shaping AI Search Results​

(Our "Who Owns Culture?" session from T2B's Culture Connect Roundtable was not recorded due to the nature of the topic, but you can find our top takeaways below.)

🎤 The Countdown is on! Biopharma Comms Forum on June 11th

In less than two weeks, you will find me fangirling as we welcome senior communicators from Moderna, Takeda, Genmab, Sarepta, Apellis, Flagship Pioneering, Schrödinger, and Charles River Laboratories – among others – to the stage.

And we won't be shying away from the hard topics; these accomplished comms and IR leaders will be sharing how they navigate uncertainty, build influence across stakeholder groups, and create clarity when the path forward is anything but obvious.

​DETAILS + RSVP HERE. (Free for T2B Pro and Student members)

🥂 Upcoming biopharma comms mixers - including ASCO this Sunday!

We’ll be on both coasts and the midwest in the weeks to come, and we’re looking forward to seeing all of you! This Sunday we'll gather in Chicago during ASCO (though an ASCO pass is not required to attend our event!), followed by meetups in Boston, San Francisco, and San Diego in June.

These events are intentionally informal. They're an opportunity to step away from the day-to-day, reconnect with colleagues, meet new people across the industry, and strengthen the relationships that make this profession such a small world:

• Chicago / ASCO — Sunday, May 31st @ 8-10:30 a.m. CT (hosted by Weber Shandwick)
• Boston / T2B Biopharma Comms Forum – Thursday, June 11th @ 5-7 p.m. ET (join for the whole day, or come for the reception only)
• San Francisco — Tuesday, June 16th @ 4:30-7 p.m. PT (hosted by Mirum Pharmaceuticals)
• San Diego / BIO — Tuesday, June 23rd @ 4:30-7 p.m. PT (hosted by LifeSci Communications; BIO pass not required)

Sign up for upcoming T2Bmeets here. These all free if you're a Pro or Student member (log into your T2B account to get your promo code).

📣 Next week’s Q2 masterclass - Thriving Beyond Limits: Fear Less & Flow More

Much of our work as communicators is focused outward: managing stakeholders, navigating uncertainty, and helping others move through change. But in this environment of constant pressure and competing demands, even experienced practitioners can find themselves stuck in cycles of overthinking, overworking, or second-guessing their judgment (hi, it's me!).

In our next interactive masterclass, executive coach and Own Your Worth® founder Ashley Paré (formerly of Novartis) will lead a conversation about how to recognize the patterns that keep people from operating below their potential and the shifts that can help you move forward with greater clarity and confidence.

Join us on Wednesday, June 3rd from 12-1 p.m. ET. Register here (free and exclusive to Pro/Student members).

📝 2H26 Peer Learning Practicum Cohort Lead applications open

We're looking for experienced biopharma communicators to volunteer as Cohort Leads for the next cycle of T2B's Peer-Learning Practicum (PLP).

The PLP goes beyond traditional networking. Unlike mentoring programs that struggle with imbalanced ratios and leave mid-level professionals in limbo (too junior to mentor, too senior to be mentored formally), our peer-coaching model has become a hallmark T2B offering.

Members are thoughtfully placed into small cohorts where they build genuine connections that extend far beyond the program. I think deeply about each cohort's mix – the goal is for everyone to learn from each other!

If you have 10+ years of life science communications experience, enjoy facilitating discussions, and want to help strengthen our profession through peer learning, we'd love to hear from you. Enrollment for PLP participants will open separately in July for T2B Pro and Student members.

​T2B Pro members may apply to be a Cohort Lead by June 15th.

🤝 IR Roundtable Year 2 members

Join us in welcoming the Year 2 members of the T2B Investor Relations Roundtable. This next term will build on a strong inaugural year.

The group hit the ground running, delivering substantive resources and programming, including a fundamentals refresh on IR practice and terminology, a practical guide to managing ESG communications, a field-tested resource for navigating IR at medical meetings, and a framework for developing integrated IR/communications calendars (all available to Pro members in your Dashboard).

Year 2 programming will deepen this work, with a continued focus on the practical, real-world challenges that IR and communications professionals face.

This year’s IR Roundtable members:

• David Connolly - VP, IR and Corporate Communications, Rhythm Pharmaceuticals (returning member)
• Rachel Goberstein - Founder & CEO, Raygo Strategy
• Elizabeth Higgins - Executive Director, IR and Corporate Communications, CellDex (returning member)
• Arne Naeveke - Owner, AN Communications, LLC
• Sri Ramaswami - Founder and Principal, SriSpoke Communications LLC
• Chair: Deborah Elson - Senior Director, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations, Tonix Pharmaceuticals

🎙️ Q2 Media Minds Roundtable panel: Why Healthcare’s Top Journalists Are Going Independent

As newsrooms have consolidated teams and the healthcare and biotech journalism landscape has shifted, many respected reporters have left traditional news organizations to build independent, subscriber-supported platforms.

Join us on June 25th for a discussion about how independent journalists are reshaping coverage, audience engagement, and relationships with comms professionals.

Our panel features:

• Liz Kelly Nelson, founder of Project C and former newsroom leader at Vox, USA Today, Gannett, and AOL
• Tara Parker-Pope, founder of One Day Better and former founding editor of Well at The New York Times and Well+Being at The Washington Post
• Brian Reid, founder of Cost Curve, principal of Reid Strategic, and former health science and policy reporter for Bloomberg News
• Ellen Murphy, Head of Corporate Media & Executive Visibility, Syneos Health, and T2B Media Minds Roundtable member (moderator)
• Stephanie Stratman, Corporate Communications, Encoded Therapeutics, and T2B Media Minds Roundtable chief of staff (moderator)

Register here (free and exclusive to T2B Pro/Student members).

💬 June Comm Convo: Fluent in Finance, Science, and Strategy

Communicators sit at the intersection of nearly every function in an organization, but there is no roadmap for how to develop fluency across finance, science, commercial strategy, etc. Our June 30th Comm Convo will focus on how communicators can build cross-functional credibility, deepen business acumen, and be seen as trusted strategic advisors.

Together with Naina Bhasin, Ph.D. (Lifordi Immunotherapeutics), Julie DiCarlo (Rapport Therapeutics), Chris Patil, Ph.D. (BioAge Labs), and our moderator Peggy Vorwald, Ph.D. (Caribou Biosciences), we'll explore strategies for understanding the priorities of different stakeholder groups, strengthen partnerships across the organization, and bring deeper insight to high-stakes communications decisions.

Register here.

💡 "Who Owns Culture?" top 10 takeaways

Culture is one of the most discussed topics in our profession, but also one of the hardest to define, measure, and sustain. In our recent Q2 Culture Connect Roundtable discussion, Shadi Haag (fractional COO), Kyler Murray (Blueprint), Emily Swick (Telix), and Jessica Weinstein (Cullinan Tx) talked about how culture evolves as organizations grow, as well as strategies for navigating change, integrating acquisitions, and preparing future leaders.

Because of the candid nature of the conversation, we did not record this session. But we’ve captured our favorite takeaways:

1. Treat culture as a language everyone needs to speak. When people across functions don't share a common cultural vocabulary, work slows and alignment breaks down, especially in companies where culture is still forming.
2. Define culture through its daily mechanics. Culture lives in how decisions get made, who has authority to act, what gets tolerated, and whether people feel safe owning mistakes.
3. Build distributed ownership rather than delegating to a small group. Structured pillars tied to what employees genuinely care about, paired with executive sponsors, create broader ownership without burning people out.
4. Position managers as translators of culture, especially during change. Managers shape more of people's daily experience than senior leaders do. Equipping them with the right messages and space to practice determines whether culture cascades or fractures.
5. Use succession planning as a cultural continuity tool. Succession planning that includes behavioral and leadership traits alongside technical qualifications helps internal candidates carry culture forward when leadership changes.
6. Recognize that growth stages change what culture has to carry. As companies move from early-stage to commercial, culture becomes outward-facing, and requires people who understand how it needs to evolve, not just what it was at founding.
7. During acquisitions, get granular about what's worth preserving. Specific ways of working — how decisions get made, how communication flows — are what survive. The goal, as one panelist described it, is instilling five to 10 percent of what made your culture distinct into a new environment.
8. Use values as a decision-making framework when there is no playbook. During layoffs, pivots, or sustained uncertainty, operationally defined values can guide every communication decision: how much to share, how to acknowledge loss, where to inject levity.
9. Make culture legible to new joiners through both formal and informal channels. Onboarding covers the official story, but people absorb culture through observation. In remote environments, building intentional touchpoints helps close that gap.
10. Measure culture through movement over time. Pick a specific focus area, make intentions transparent, pulse against it, and involve employees in the problem-solving when you share results.

👀 Seen on social

Have you written something lately, and found yourself wondering whether an em dash, list of three, or perfectly structured paragraph will get you accused of using AI? 🙋‍♀️ Us too.

A recent Wall Street Journal piece, highlighted on LinkedIn by WSJ editor Russell Adams, spotlighted a few writers among us who are actively trying to sound less polished in order to prove they're human. This includes deliberately adding typos, writing in a more casual tone, or just doing a poorer job proofreading what they publish. (I can assure you that any typos in T2B content are truly an oversight on our part!)

As communicators, it's a funny and slightly bizarre shift. For years, we've worked to write clearly, concisely, and professionally – a typo in a social media post or a press release sent a strong signal about how buttoned up an organization was. I personally have gotten chastised by a CEO for misplacing a comma in an internal company memo, and I'm sure I'm in good company here.

Now, polished characteristics are being flagged as "too AI."

FWIW, my two cents is that, as long as you can stand behind what you write with conviction, it expresses your (or the author's) voice authentically, and speaks to your audience to have the intended impact, then the writing is doing its job.