Innovators in Focus: Laurent Levy, physician, inventor, and biotech entrepreneur - Lorraine Marchand
Our Innovator in Focus today is many things: A physician, an inventor, and a biotech entrepreneur. But he also has another self-described role — one that he believes is intrinsic to the “true nature of the innovative process.”
An explorer. “You must be an explorer,” says Laurent Levy.
Through Nanobiotix, the company he founded in 2003, Laurent — a native of France who studied in the U.S. — has explored the use of nanotechnology in medicine. Nanoparticles, the specific technology developed by his company, are tiny materials that are built atom-by-atom and can be equipped for various medical applications — from more precisely delivering medication to destroying tumor cells, and much more.
It’s a pioneering…visionary. But Laurent is cautious about using that word. “Vision is what motivates you, but it’s hard to sell a vision,” he says. “If you say to an investor, ‘I’m going to cure cancer,’ they’ll say to you ‘yeah, right.’” That’s where the business plan comes in. Laurent’s plan exemplified my Law of Innovation # 6. A successful innovation flows from a sound business model and plan.
Laurent has proven all that: Visionary, sound business plan — and success.
In our interview, he tells us more about that — and about how you can better explore the realms in which you are looking to change, disrupt and improve. It’s a must-listen, a must-read for any innovator. I hope you enjoy it!
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Lorraine Marchand has three decades of experience in new product development. She is the author of The Innovation Mindset: Eight Essential Steps to Transform Any Industry, available August 2022.
