Meet our Founders
Jessica Couch
Jessica is a seasoned biotech leader with over 20 years of experience translating scientific discoveries into therapies for patients. Her unique background blends expertise in toxicology and translational sciences as well as therapeutic project and portfolio strategy across research and development at different scales.
As Chief Scientific Officer at ReCode Therapeutics, Jessica led research and development functions spanning translational and regulatory sciences, project team leadership, and program management. She built an end-to-end operating model for agile functional and project leadership to enable rapid strategic advancement of therapeutic assets into global multi-dose trials in rare disease.
Prior to ReCode, Jessica spent 14 years at Genentech leading teams across multiple therapeutic areas including neuroscience, immunology, oncology, and infectious disease. She played a central role in driving translational innovation during her tenure as both a project team leader and as a leader in nonclinical safety assessment for programs in late-stage research through Phase 2. Jessica's leadership also included developing a strategic roadmap for neuroscience and antibiotics therapeutics for Genentech.
Jessica is passionate about supporting teams and organizations to design cohesive strategies needed to turn scientific innovation into meaningful outcomes for patients. Her approach integrates rigorous scientific methodology with holistic leadership and organizational design, drawing from her diverse experiences.
Jessica holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Virginia and a B.S. in psychology from the University of Florida. She is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology, is a co-inventor on three U.S. patents, has authored numerous regulatory submissions, and published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles in leading scientific journals, She is also a certified 500-hour yoga teacher through Radiant Body Yoga,
Laura Kahn
Laura is an accomplished biopharma executive and business advisor with more than 20 years of experience spanning research, translational, clinical, and manufacturing strategy and operations across organizations ranging from global pharma to high‑growth startups. Known for connecting scientific innovation with commercial strategy, she helps early‑stage companies build high‑performing teams and fit‑for‑purpose operating models that scale, while enabling rapid, data‑driven decision‑making and sustainable growth.
As VP of Strategy & Operations at ReCode Therapeutics, Laura co‑developed an end‑to‑end agile operating model that enabled agile, data-driven strategic business decisions to enhance throughput, support dynamic opportunistic growth, meet aggressive program milestones, and ensure scientific quality. In this role, she spearheaded R&D-wide financial planning and analysis, budget setting and reconciliation, and workforce planning to align resources with strategic objectives and cash runway. Laura's diverse responsibilities at ReCode also included strategic alliance management for CDMO partnerships for GMP manufacturing, supply chain design for drug product coordination from manufacturing to clinical on-site administration, and serving as a trusted advisor to the C-suite and Board of Directors.
During her 15‑year tenure at Genentech, Laura held progressive leadership roles across research, portfolio strategy, and cross‑functional operations, contributing to the launch of eight therapeutic molecules. She co‑founded and led an internal innovation incubator that funded cutting‑edge capabilities to advance early‑stage programs outside the traditional research framework and drove development of both therapeutic area strategies and operational‑excellence initiatives.
Laura is passionate about partnering with founders and investors to translate breakthrough science into enterprise value, bringing a unique blend of scientific rigor and business acumen to support organizational growth and decision‑making.
She holds a B.A. in Chemistry from Reed College, an M.S. in Bioinformatics and Structural Biochemistry from Université d’Aix‑Marseille, and an MBA from the University of North Carolina Kenan‑Flagler Business School. Laura is also a co‑inventor on two pending machine‑learning patents to improve detection and monitor progression of emerging neurological conditions.