Holding on to Unicorns and Rainbows

A podcast for female founders and leaders in health and tech, and for everyone who believes innovation should make the world better.

Kerstin and Elena are two scientists, businesswomen in the pharma and biotech space, and mothers. They are passionate about health, innovation, and the women shaping the future, but they also know the real-life juggle of combining business, ambition, and family life.

This podcast is about bold ideas, scientific breakthroughs, startups, and meaningful change, but also about the small shifts that can have a big impact. It is about more than tech. It is about personal stories, behind-the-scenes realities, and the often messy process of building something meaningful, in work and in life.

About the Hosts:

Kerstin Papenfuss is a scientist, entrepreneur, and systems thinker. As Director of Pharma at Deep Science Ventures, she leads the creation and development of novel therapeutics for unmet medical needs. With more than a decade of experience across oncology, signal transduction, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical markets, she brings a rare blend of scientific depth and strategic vision. Kerstin is also a mother of two young children, sports-enthusiast and is based in London.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerstin-papenfuss/

Elena Schuh is a scientist and (visual) storyteller. As founder of Benchtime Stories, she has spent the past decade helping pharma and biotech teams communicate complex science in a clear yet fun way. Drawing on her previous experience in both big pharma and academia, she brings multiple perspectives to the table. Elena is also a sports-lover, outdoors-enthusiast, mother of three young children and lives in the Netherlands.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-schuh-ph-d-31a88820/