Alum/HR Zoom with Maria Kousi, PhD Senior Associate, Third Rock Ventures, and Ali Baker, Director, Talent & Portfolio Recruiting, Third Rock Ventures

Third Rock Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Boston which invests in biotechnology startups. Third Rock works with scientific founders and expert advisors to develop a vision and strategy for a company. Once the company concept has been refined and optimized, the firm launches the company with the necessary resources to enable it to reach critical milestones. Third Rock has invested in 53 companies; these companies are now bringing products to patients. The firm's portfolio of companies has launched 10 products, including five therapeutics, three diagnostics and two devices.

Maria Kousi, PhD, is Senior Associate at Third Rock Ventures. Third Rock discovers, launches and builds companies based on bold ideas that meet at the intersection of science, strategy, business and medicine. Maria is a human geneticist and molecular neuroscientist with an extensive academic record focusing on the elucidation of genetic etiologies underlying pediatric neurological disorders. Maria was a Duke Postdoctoral Associate in the Duke Center for Human Disease Modeling.

As Director of Talent & Portfolio Recruitment at Third Rock Venture, Ali Baker hires amazing people at the firm, and then serves as interim team member at new companies as they launch. Ali has also been a talent acquisition leader at SAGE Therapeutics, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, and MOMA Therapeutics.