For scientists seeking clarity, leadership capacity, and a wider view of their possible futures.
Session Dates: February 10 · March 10 · May 5 · July 14 · September 8 · November 10, 2026
Many scientists find themselves wanting more leadership capacity, greater clarity about their future, and stronger connection to the wider tech and innovation world — without losing the rigor, curiosity, and identity that drew them to science in the first place.
Designed for people trained in science, the Beyond the Bench Fellowship brings together a small, curated group of scientists who are curious about the many paths available to them. Through shared reading, structured conversation, and sustained engagement over time, fellows reflect on their work, their careers, and the broader systems in which science operates.
Across six curated fellowship sessions, each meeting dives deeply into a single career pathway beyond the traditional bench, anchored by a piece of content selected by the session host that shaped their own journey. Hosts help guide conversation around the skills developed, challenges encountered, and decisions that shaped their path, using the shared reading or media as a lens. Together, fellows explore how these experiences translate into a range of possible trajectories — pairing reflection with practical perspective they can carry forward.
The Beyond the Bench Fellowship is not about leaving science behind. It is about widening the lens — deepening perspective, learning from fellow scientists, and building a steady practice of intentional growth within a trusted community.
Whether you are early in your career, mid-transition, or sensing that your work could have broader reach, the Beyond the Bench Fellowship offers a thoughtful space to reflect, learn, and explore what’s next — together.
Program Details:
Schedule: Six Tuesdays · 12:00–2:00 PM · February–November 2026
Session Dates: February 10 · March 10 · May 5 · July 14 · September 8 · November 10, 2026
Location: Hosted by fellow tech and innovation leaders in or near Chicago’s Central Business District
Lunch: Because thoughtful conversation is better with food and fellowship
Application Deadline: Official deadline has passed but we have limited seats available and continue to review applications.
Pricing: $900 (or 5 payments of $180) + optional add-ons
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Co-facilitator, Beyond the Bench
Founder and CEO, Intentional Gravity
Director of Platform, PACE Healthcare CapitalI’m an executive and entrepreneur with a two-decade track record of building companies, organizations, platforms, and catalytic communities that bring together the people shaping the future of innovation - entrepreneurs, scientists, innovators, corporations, investors, operators, and civic leaders.
Trained as an economist and grounded as a creator and connector, I’ve worked across industries—from biotech to fintech, food innovation to climate tech. I specialize in seeing patterns others miss, bridging siloed spaces, and helping individuals and organizations make intentional choices to create new value and shift their trajectories.
I’ve held senior leadership roles across the private and nonprofit sectors, including founding Intentional Gravity to advance people-centered tech; helping scale Portal Innovations into a national biotech venture platform; leading strategic programs at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center; and positioning the Kauffman Foundation as a global leader in innovation. My work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and other national outlets.
Today, I focus on coaching leaders, advising organizations, and designing communities where deeper connection fuels meaningful progress. I’m especially drawn to smaller, trusted groups, spaces where people can be honest about hard choices, map out their next moves, and support one another with clarity and courage.
I often work with explorers: the curious, mission-driven professionals navigating complex systems and building what’s next. My role is part coach, part strategist, and part mission control - helping gather the right people, tighten their orbits, and gain velocity for change and impact. -
Co-facilitator, Beyond the Bench
Founder and Life Science Leader, Aspire to Grow Coaching and ConsultingWith more than 30 years of experience in R&D operations and 400 hours of leadership coaching, I combine insight with operational expertise to help companies navigate the complexities of growth.
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of leading teams and guiding organizations through the intensity and uncertainty that come with growth and change. Over the past 3.5 years, I've had the honor to coach leaders at every level (Manager to CEO).
In those fast-paced environments, I learned that strong leadership isn’t just about strategy or performance metrics—it’s about people. Staying grounded in their values, creates a sense of trust and belonging while maintaining focus on the business needs.
The need for leadership development is great for small to mid sized organizations that want to strengthen their leadership pipeline. I coach emerging and existing leaders adapt to changing business needs while maintaining a healthy, values-driven culture. -
Host, Beyond the Bench
Innovation Portfolio Manager, Lurie Children’s HospitalAmanda Maldonado is the Innovation Portfolio Manager for Therapeutics and Diagnostics at the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at Lurie Children’s Hospital. With a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry and a background spanning academic research, translational science, and venture-facing analysis, she supports physician-scientists in bringing pediatric innovations from discovery toward real-world impact.
Before joining Lurie, Amanda served as an Entrepreneurial Fellow with the Chicago Biomedical Consortium, evaluating emerging therapies and helping early-stage companies understand the value and trajectory of their technologies. She brings deep scientific insight, curiosity, and a mission-driven approach to advancing innovations that improve children’s health.
Amanda is passionate about empowering scientists, strengthening Chicago’s innovation ecosystem, and building communities where researchers can grow, connect, and lead.
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Host, Beyond the Bench
Consultant, Oncology and Specialty Therapeutics, Oracle Life SciencesSheri McClerklin is a Consultant in the Oncology and Specialty Therapeutics group at Oracle Life Sciences, where she brings deep scientific training and market insight to support strategy, competitive intelligence, and decision-making across the oncology landscape. Her work spans primary and secondary market research, portfolio analysis, and translating complex science into actionable insights.
Sheri holds a PhD in Plant and Microbial Biosciences from Washington University in St. Louis and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Chicago, where she specialized in biochemistry, proteomics, and bacterial pathology. During her time at UChicago, she also served as a consultant with the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, advising early-stage ventures and supporting founders as they navigated commercialization and growth.
Passionate about helping scientists explore careers beyond the bench, Sheri is deeply engaged in mentoring and community-building for researchers considering transitions into industry, consulting, and innovation-focused roles. She is excited to contribute to conversations that help scientists clarify their paths, expand their impact, and lead with confidence.
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Host, Beyond the Bench
Technical Program Director, CurrentMelissa Pierce is the Technical Program Director at Current, a nonprofit water innovation hub based in Chicago. With a PhD in Biological Oceanography and a career spanning aquatic microbial ecology, wastewater based epidemiology, and data science, she leads programs that use real time monitoring and analytics to understand and improve urban water systems.
Before joining Current, Melissa was a Senior Data Scientist at Discovery Partners Institute, where she helped build Illinois’ wastewater surveillance system, and a researcher focused on aquaculture and marine microbiomes at the University of Illinois Chicago and the University of Connecticut. She has become a trusted voice on urban water chemistry, public health, and the blue economy, frequently speaking with audiences that range from policymakers and engineers to curious kids.
Melissa is passionate about all things water, advancing science communication, and building collaborative communities at the intersection of research, infrastructure, and innovation.
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Host, Beyond the Bench
Founder, Strategic Advisor, and Board Member, MycocycleJoanne Rodriguez is the Founder, Strategic Advisor, and Board Member of Mycocycle, a climate tech company pioneering nature-based solutions that use fungi to detoxify industrial waste and create more circular material pathways. With more than three decades of experience in the construction and building-products industry, Joanne brings rare depth in the built environment, supply chains, and the real-world constraints that shape adoption at scale.
At Mycocycle, Joanne helped lead the journey from early experimentation to patented technology, funding, and commercialization, positioning the company as a leader in waste-to-value innovation. Her work has been recognized through awards and national visibility, reflecting a track record of translating bold ideas into practical systems change.
Joanne is also a committed civic leader, serving as a Board Trustee for the Chicago Academy of Sciences Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and contributing to national conversations on energy innovation and infrastructure transformation. She is passionate about helping leaders bridge science, industry, and impact, and about building communities that turn curiosity into action.
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Bench scientists, researchers, and technical professionals who are curious about what lies beyond traditional research pathways. This cohort brings together individuals from academia, early-stage biotech, pharma, research institutes, and adjacent technical fields — all exploring how their scientific expertise can translate into broader roles across innovation, commercialization, strategy, and leadership.
You do not need a clear next step. You only need curiosity, openness, and a desire to understand new possibilities.
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Scientific careers are both vast and opaque. Most bench scientists have limited exposure to roles outside their immediate environment and limited knowledge of adjacent concepts and teachings — and even fewer opportunities to learn from peers wrestling with the same questions.
Beyond the Bench creates a trusted space to:
explore career options without pressure
compare pathways and lived experiences
learn how others have transitioned or expanded their scope rooted in a reading
build confidence in the “transferability” of scientific skills along with perspectives on gaining skills in management, sales, or adjacent fields
develop a bench of peers who understand both the science and the uncertainty of change
It’s a structured way to think about what’s possible — and to do it with people who get it.
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Beyond the Bench is a Tuesday Tech Book Club six-session accelerator across 2026 blending book-based discussion, peer storytelling, and practical exploration of scientific careers beyond traditional lab work. Each session centers on a single book, conversation, or case study, grounding big ideas in real experiences and actionable reflection.
Participants examine scientific identity, leadership, communication, translational work, innovation pathways, and the realities of moving into hybrid or non-bench roles — all while developing frameworks for designing a next chapter aligned with their values and strengths.
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Translation-oriented Learning — Focus on how bench skills convert into leadership, communication, strategy, and interdisciplinary roles.
Built-in Peer Bench — A curated group of researchers who become ongoing thought partners.
Confidential, Closed-door Environment — A trusted space to compare approaches and discuss challenges openly.
Cross-institution and cross-sector perspectives — Hear how scientists across academia, startups, biotech, hospitals, and industry navigate their paths.
Hosted across Central Chicago — Accessible, consistent, and anchored in spaces where real transformation is happening.
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1:1 Coaching
Members of Tuesday Tech Book Clubs get an additional 10 percent off all IG coaching rates.
Personalized coaching is not included in the program but is available at a discounted, additional rate.
Priority Booking for Gravity Unplugged Events
Early access to supplemental private events.
Gravity Unplugged salons bring guest leaders across tech, science, and civic innovation together in small, private settings.
Access to Specialized Workshops
Reserved or discounted entry for standalone workshops from Intentional Gravity.
Tuesday Tech Book Clubs
3 Different Tracks = 3 Different Accelerators
Application Deadlines: Early 2026 (program specific)
Join a cozy group of tech leaders with similar interests connecting in a private, shared conversation centered around a book or piece of media so you can advance your career in a more intentional way.
Tuesday Tech Book Clubs in 2026 will operate four distinct fellowship programs, each giving a different focus to explorations, conversations, and members.
🤖 AI for Leaders. For managers and executives turning artificial intelligence into real work, real decisions, and real outcomes.
💪 Beyond the Bench. For scientists ready to grow beyond the lab, this small group of researchers and R&D professionals connects with peers and guest speakers to explore leadership, management, and career growth across science and business.
❤️ Deeply Chicago. For civic-minded tech professionals building with love and curiosity for this city.
Schedule: Each Tuesday Tech Book Club meets every two months throughout 2026 with a small, fixed group of twelve accelerator membes (your Tuesday Tech Book Club accelerator) for a private, two-hour conversation around one book or piece of media.
Application Deadline: Varies by program. Reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis.
Locations: Meetings take place during the work day (typically 12-2pm) and are hosted in and around the Central Business District of Chicago.
Committment: Participants commit to attending consistently and engage fully across the year, building trust and connection with their accelerator members through shared experiences.
Confidentiality: Meetings follow Chatham House rules to encourage candor, reflection, and curiosity. All Fellows are given the option of being included in a public announcement of their acceptance and completion.
