T2B Monthly | November 2025

Hi!

Ironically, being abroad for London Life Sciences Week / Jefferies last week and now in Germany has made this Thanksgiving even more meaningful.

What I've started calling "the T2B vibe" — the warmth, the support, the welcoming we feel when we step into a room of our people — is alive and well on this side of the pond, too.

Cheers to all the rooms (Zoom coffee chats, T2B Slack, T2Bmeet mixers, Comm Convos, peer-coaching group discussions, and everything in between) where biopharma communicators convene and connect!

Today's email is 2,364 words, a 9-minute read.

🗓️ T2B programming snapshot

» Third Annual Pre-JPM Press Pass Panel | December 2nd @ 12-1 p.m. ET

Featuring Annika Kim Constantino (CNBC), Katherine Davis (Axios), and Jaimy Lee (Marketwatch)!

Free and exclusive to T2B Pro and Student members (Basic members not permitted). Register here.

» T2Bmeet @ San Francisco | Astellas | Wednesday, December 3rd @ 4:30-7 p.m. PT

Close out the year with fellow biopharma communicators at Astellas’ South San Francisco office. We’re also partnering with Life Science Cares for an optional onsite give-back activity!

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

» T2Bmeet @ San Diego | Punch Bowl Social | Wednesday, December 3rd @ 5-7 p.m. PT

Join us at Punch Bowl Social for our final SoCal meetup of the year. Light apps provided, buy your own drink.

Complimentary for T2B Pro and Student members | $30 for Basic. Register here.

» Deadline: 2026 Peer-coaching applications | Wednesday, December 3rd, EOD

T2B's Peer-Learning Practicum is one of our original programs, and it continues to be so popular in part because of our rock-star volunteer Cohort Leads who facilitate monthly small-group discussions.

If you're interested in leading a peer-coaching group next year, learn more and apply here by December 3rd.

» Deadline: 2026 Media Minds Roundtable applications | Wednesday, December 3rd, EOD

Our Media Minds Roundtable is our first member-led group to enter Year 2, after a super impactful inaugural year filled with quarterly press panels and monthly journalist Biopharma Beats Bulletins.

T2B Pro members may learn more + apply here by December 3rd.

» Mastering the Fundamentals: Framework for AI Excellence | Friday, December 5th @ 12-1 p.m. ET

Kick off our new AI Roundtable series with a practical, communicator-focused session on what separates basic from advanced prompting. Walk away with tools to help make gen AI tools more effective for biopharma communicators.

Free and exclusive to T2B Pro and Student members (Basic members not permitted). Register here.

» December Comm Convo: T2B Wrapped 2025 + What’s Next | Thursday, December 11th @ 12-12:45 p.m. ET

Join us for this special edition Comm Convo – a year-end look at T2B’s 2025 momentum, including real member stories, updated growth metrics, and survey insights. We’ll also offer a first glance at our 2026 roadmap.

Free for all T2B members. Register here.

» JPM Community Giveback Event | Sunday, January 11th @ 2-4 p.m. PT

Help us kick off JPM week by giving back to the community. Join fellow T2B members and Life Science Cares to assemble winter hygiene kits for Larkin Street Youth Services in the Tenderloin.

$30 per person. Register here.

» JPM "Sweat Equity" Fun Run | Monday, January 12 @ 6:15 a.m. | Union Square ←→ T2B Commons

T2B is proud to partner with CG Life for their second annual fun run. Meet early Monday in Union Square for a 5K to kick off a busy week, and end up at T2B Commons for some mixing and mingling.

Free for all T2B members. Register here.

» T2BMeet @ JPM Reception | Monday, January 12th @ 4:30-7 p.m. PT

Take a break from all the meetings and decompress with fellow biopharma communicators at FleishmanHillard for our third annual T2Bmeet @ JPM.

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

» The T2B Commons @ JPM 2026 | Open Monday, January 12th - Wednesday, January 14th

T2B and GCI Health are thrilled to debut this dedicated space for T2B Pro members to recharge, catch up on work, and hold informal meetings during the JPM week buzz.

Complimentary cafe space open exclusively to T2B Pro and Student members | First-come, first-served. More info here.

🎁 T2B Wrapped / December Comm Convo preview

Our final Comm Convo of the year pulls back the curtain on T2B’s 2025 journey—what grew, what shifted, what surprised us, and what the data actually shows. We’ll share updated member growth metrics, survey insights from this year’s programming, and stories from across the community, including from Mary Carmichael (Danaher), Marisa Sharkey (Harmony Biosciences), and T2B ad board member Matt Worrall (Ferring Pharmaceuticals).

We’ll also walk through the path we’ve taken to build T2B sustainably over the past two years, including what we’ve learned while bootstrapping this community without traditional funding.

And for those planning ahead, you’ll get the first look at our 2026 roadmap: next year’s (in-person) Biopharma Comms Forum theme, monthly Comm Convo topics, and details on our newest member-led roundtable designed to tackle some of the toughest challenges in biopharma communications.

Thursday, December 11th @ 12–12:45 p.m. ET. Free for all T2B members. Register here.​

📰 Pre-JPM press panel next Tuesday

Get ready for our THIRD ANNUAL(!!) Pre-JPM Press Panel!

Taking place right after Thanksgiving, as pitching kicks into high gear, Annika Kim Constantino (CNBC), Katherine Davis (Axios), and Jaimy Lee (back at MarketWatch!) will tell us what they're watching going into JPM, how to work with them, and importantly, what not to do!

And on a personal note, some of you may have seen me post about this on LI last week, but this particular event holds a special place in my heart. It was the very first event I EVER hosted at T2B two years ago.
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I put that first event together out of a need to understand what journalists need from comms/PR folks before (not during, not after) JPM. Nothing else like that existed. Soon thereafter, people started asking me, "Well, what are you doing AT JPM, Lynnea?"
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So our first T2Bmeet was born at JPM '24. And on it went.
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Our Media Minds Roundtable was our first member-led group. It's incredibly fitting that our outgoing chair Becky Vonsiatsky and one of our inaugural members (and my former intern way back in the day!) Danielle Canttey are leading this year's session.

💬 What to get more involved? Consider joining incoming chair Betsy Yates on the Roundtable by applying for one of three open spots as we move into 2026, if you're interested in:

• Developing press panel concepts and moderate impactful events
• Identifying Biopharma Beats targets and contributing to Q&A development
• Leveraging networks to engage reporters in T2B events
• Suggesting programming aligned with the changing media environment

​T2B Pro members may learn more + apply here by Wednesday, December 3rd.​

📣 Last call: Peer-coaching Cohort Lead applications close next Wednesday

We’re looking for eight seasoned communicators to lead Peer-Learning Practicum (PLP) cohorts during the next six-month cycle (Jan-June 2026).

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. Why not learn from everyone?

Members are thoughtfully placed into small cohorts where they build genuine connections that extend far beyond the program. I put serious TLC into each cohort's mix; it's one of my favorite parts of running this program!

If you have 10+ years in life science comms, love facilitating conversations, and want to help shape the future of biopharma comms and contribute to our profession's longevity, this is your chance.

​T2B Pro members may apply by Wednesday, December 3rd, here.​

🤖 AI Roundtable webinar re: "Mastering the Fundamentals"

Our inaugural AI Roundtable session lays the groundwork for how biopharma communicators can work with generative AI in a more structured, confident way.

We’ll learn what separates basic from advanced prompting, how to approach AI as a true thought partner, and why communications expertise gives us an inherent advantage in this landscape. We’ll also hear directly from two practitioners who use these tools daily across biopharma communications.

Friday, December 5th @ 12–1 pm ET. Free and exclusive to T2B Pro & Student members. Register here.​

📍 T2B @ JPM 2026: latest updates

I know JPM is a slog for a lot of you, especially those flying in from the East Coast or from around the world. But I sincerely hope that the chance to join our community through our expanded footprint at JPM this year will offer new ways to connect, give back, and a little calm in the chaos.

T2B kicks off JPM week with a giveback event on Sunday at Larkin Street Youth Services in the Tenderloin alongside Life Science Cares. Then, join the Sweat Equity 5K bright and early Monday morning... Or, if you're like Michelle and me, we will cheer our hearts out for the runners and meet everyone at the end for coffee and light bites at T2B Commons!

We’ll also gather Monday evening for our third annual T2Bmeet @ JPM reception hosted by FleishmanHillard. This is T2B's first third-annual in-person event!!

And another first this year: T2B, in partnership with GCI Health, will offer Pro members access to our T2B Commons — a calm, central coworking hub at Yes SF (a short, 11-minute walk from the Westin St. Francis) to recharge, work, and build or even renew connections.

A quick recap of what’s on the agenda for JPM week, below. All the JPM details are here.
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💙 T2B Giveback Event @ JPM | Sunday, January 11th @ 2–4 p.m. PT

🏃‍♀️💨 JPM “Sweat Equity” Fun Run, followed by networking and coffee at T2B Commons | Monday, January 12th @ 6:15 a.m.​
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🤝 T2Bmeet @ JPM, hosted by FleishmanHillard | Monday, January 12th @ 4:30–7 p.m. PT
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​☕ T2B Commons @ JPM, in partnership with GCI Health | January 12th–14th @ Yes SF (220 Montgomery St.) – Hours:

• Monday: 7 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Tuesday: 11:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Wednesday: 7 a.m.–5 p.m.

📋 The Communicator’s Quick Guide to Patient Advocacy

This debut resource from T2B’s member-led Patient Advocacy & Engagement Roundtable explores how patient advocacy has evolved from a philanthropic afterthought to a strategic function across the biopharma lifecycle. It outlines the goals of effective advocacy partnerships, the value advocacy brings from early development through launch, and a few of the organizational models companies use today across Corporate Affairs/Comms, Medical Affairs, R&D, and standalone teams.

It also highlights a key insight many of us have seen firsthand: structure sometimes matters less than having permission to work cross-functionally. The guide breaks down what strong enterprise-wide engagement looks like, the role of a neutral single point of contact, and the importance of executive sponsorship, clear charters, and consistent touch points.

A practical primer — or refresher — for anyone navigating where advocacy sits, how it operates, and how to collaborate effectively across teams. Shout-out to Julissa Viana, Mike Walsh, and Heather Goldman for putting this together!

​T2B Pro and Student members can peruse the guide here.​

🛡️ From Crisis Response to AI-Supported Crisis Prevention seminar recap

At our final Fullintel seminar of the year, we looked at how AI can strengthen crisis prevention long before an issue hits the surface. Here are the top takeaways from the discussion:

1. Track historical patterns beyond recent quarters. Looking back further than two weeks or two quarters reveals recurring patterns that help anticipate challenges rather than being blindsided.

2. Build baselines from past issues rather than the current state. Historical crisis data creates early warning systems that detect deviation before issues escalate.

3. Map your information diet before crisis strikes. Understanding where your news comes from—and where it doesn't—reveals blind spots that make crises feel surprising when patterns were visible.

4. Measure perspective differences across stakeholder groups. The same issue that may read as innovation in trade publications could sound like controversy in patient forums, requiring multi-channel monitoring.

5. Design crisis plans around audience-specific vulnerabilities. Different stakeholders experience crises through distinct channels and contexts, making targeted approaches more effective than unified responses.

6. Monitor machine memory alongside human recall. AI retains every negative mention indefinitely while humans forget, requiring management of both immediate perception and permanent algorithmic memory.

7. Recognize when quiet periods mask persistent availability. What appears dormant in news cycles remains instantly accessible to AI, ready to resurface with any related query.

8. Weight source credibility over volume in AI-era coverage. Search engines prioritize credible sources differently than traditional metrics, making one authoritative piece potentially more impactful than dozens of mentions.

9. Apply visibility factors that amplify negative coverage. Negative content with high recall factors—credible sources, prominent placement—creates disproportionate impact that compounds rather than dissipates.

10. Validate AI-generated crisis lists through multiple lenses. Using AI for pattern recognition requires human validation to distinguish genuine risks from algorithmic noise.

👉 Watch the replay here.​

💬 Seen on social

Journalist, investor, and now book author Christina Farr recently shared a point that hits close to home for those of us who coach executive team members: The best storytellers aren’t always out there pitching. They’re just genuinely interesting people who think out loud in ways that make you want to follow them.

She points to executives like Aaron Levie, who’s become a go-to voice on the future of work simply because he has something real to say, and not because he’s trying to steer every answer back to his product.

Especially as we head into JPM, it’s a good reminder as we prep our own execs (and ourselves) that not every moment needs to be a sell.

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