Dr. Shelby Doyle
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Scientific Communication
Cross-team Communication
Curriculum design
Leadership
Management
SERVICES OFFERED:
Communication Cross-Training Class
Individual coaching
Workshops
Femme Fellowship
Consulting
Hi, I'm Shelby Doyle. I have coached scientists across disciplines in effective communication for over a decade and have honed my craft in through my own praxis as an interdisciplinary scientist, research executive, and science advocate. With 12+ years of experience at the intersection of STEM education and tech innovation, I offer a unique blend of strategic and tactical support to leaders and organizations ready to link innovation an impact through new ventures.
MY PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY
I completed my undergraduate training at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In my time there, I played D1 sports, conducted LSU AgCenter research, completed the LSU Distinguished Communicator program, served in student government, coached reading in local primary schools, and spoke to donors in support of a $100M capital campaign. These multi-faceted efforts earned me multiple awards in both scholarship and community development.
As I considered next steps, my employment opportunities were primarily in the petrochemical industry, advancing ideas that fell short of the impact I thought bioengineering could make in the field. So, I decided to skill up with graduate training in the Biological Engineering Department at MIT, which offered proximity to Kendall Square and a culture that valued both publications and impact.
LEARNING THE TRADE + BUILDING COMMUNITY
COACHING TECHNOLOGISTS + GROWING INFLUENCE
Once at MIT I jumped at the chance to join a brand-new communication initiative to ensure students had the tools they would need to succeed: the MIT Communication Lab. I started in the “Comm Lab” as a peer coach under Jaye Goldstein, helping my fellow engineers learn to communicate effectively in any setting. In this role, I honed my coaching and mentoring style, as well as my craft as a communicator and educator.
As the organization grew, my leadership and influence grew with it. As a senior fellow and advisor, I led numerous projects in curriculum development, community outreach and strategic partnerships, including projects that led to the founding of a peer organization at Northeastern University and new curriculum to train scientists to advocate for science policy directly with lawmakers in DC. Ultimately, I served on the steering committee, advising on the evolution and sustained growth of the organization, until transitioning out of the organization.
HARD SCIENCE CHOPS + TEAM BUILDING SOFT SKILLS
At the same time, I trained as a chemical biologist under Dr. Angela Koehler at the MIT Koch Institute for Cancer Research. I worked on a variety of projects in small molecule probe discovery in oncology in my 6 years there, with collaborators across sectors and continents. I am an author on many scientific papers and an inventor on several patents, including a licensed patent that led to a molecule currently in a PhI/II clinical trial. To achieve this level of impact, communication has always been key: fostering foster close-knit interdisciplinary teams; transferring knowledge to colleagues from diverse personal and technical backgrounds; navigating conflict resolution; managing multi-institutional projects on stakeholder timelines; and telling science stories to raise funds from diverse sources.
In this time, I also got married, had a baby, experienced loss, and learned to work from home with an infant during pandemic lockdown. At the time of the pandemic declaration, I was actively involved in defining my next gig: leading a sponsored research agreement with a large pharmaceutical company. However, facing childcare challenges deeply exacerbated by the pandemic, I decided to hang up my pipette and look for a role where I could make a different kind of impact.
LEADING IN R&D
THROUGH CHANGE
COACHING FOUNDERS + LEADERS ACROSS SECTORS
In my search for scientific leadership positions, I was recruited to the MIT Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics (CMIT). Specifically, Co-Director Professor Eric Alm asked me to leverage my technical chops and soft skills to raise the profile of the organization and guide it from its founding phase to a new phase of maturation and growth.
Within the first 6 weeks, through discussions with senior leadership and interviews with key personnel, I outlined a strategic plan to guide the organization through personnel changes, shifting stakeholder priorities, and the uncertainty of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In 18 months, we made dramatic improvements to institutional alignment, revenue planning processes, program structure, patient stakeholder outreach, brand messaging, and fundraising strategy. In that same time, I oversaw the launch of our flagship clinical trial in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) at MGH and launched a new entrepreneurship course focused on IBD in partnership with MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund Program. At the close of a key fundraising drive and reorganization process at MIT, I departed the role to begin practicing a private coach and consultant.
As one of the first coaches to join the Founder to Leader team, I have had the privilege to work with a wide range of incredible clients, bringing my unique blend of strategy and tactical perspective to catalyze progress. I have coached scientists in the private sector stepping into C-suite roles for the first time; helped startup teams in health, ag and climate find their best stories for seed and series A fundraising; developed communication upskilling curriculum specifically for early-stage R&D teams; facilitated stakeholder workshops and strategic planning processes for organizations; successfully secured non-dilutive funds for startups; and even provided fractional leadership to help bring a startup from 0 to 1. Building strong relationships with diverse clients and offering bespoke support to help them achieve their goals brings me immense personal and professional satisfaction.
As many scientists and technologists step out to meet today’s societal challenges, its an honor to use my unique skills and perspectives to help them realize their vision. Whatever you are facing today—diagnosing challenges, setting strategy, building your brand, or honing your voice as a leader—you deserve the support of a coach. I look forward to hearing your story and your vision to learn how I can help you realize your startup’s potential and own your influence as a leader.
BECOMING YOUR COACH