Let’s bend the arc of history together 

The companies I admire most are companies that relish hard questions. The companies that pair 'how' with 'can we?'...

How can we use micro-robots to make macro-advances in biology?

How can we manufacture materials in space that have big impact on earth?

How can we harness the wind to radically reduce the emissions that enter our atmosphere?

50 Years is a company that is always searching - for new solutions, new technologies, and new founders to back. And when you find those founders? The arc of history bends for the better.

As an expert in designing and building deep tech startups, I also relish the “hows” of civilisation-scale innovation. After seeing your ‘5050 UK Program Lead’ opportunity, I knew I had to write.

I believe I’m uniquely positioned to become an indispensable member of the 50Y team for a few key reasons:

• As the first commercial hire at Modern Synthesis, a biotech startup producing alt-leathers, I’m fluent in the language of PhD founders (read: know how to get their innovations out of the lab and into customer invoices)

• As a former deeptech venture builder, I have a proven ability to quickly understand and commercialise complex technologies - and I delight in supporting the entrepreneurs that create them.

• As a graduate of Oxford’s Saïd Business School and an entrepreneurship mentor for the UCL Bio-ID programme and London Business School, I can tap into critical UK talent networks to quickly make the 5050 programme a success

For more information on how my skills and work ethic can benefit 50Y, please continue to explore my curated website, LinkedIn, and portfolio.

With plenty of gratitude,

SARAH WEST YOUNG

Relevant Work Experience

MODERN SYNTHESIS

Head of Growth (July 2022 - Present)

Led sales and marketing as Hire 9 (CEO-1) at a Seed-stage biotech startup making alternatives to leathers and vegan leathers from bacterial nanocellulose

• Analysed market trends, customer personas, and competitive landscape to deliver a GTM strategy which 3X'd the company's inbound leads and landed the company’s first 6-figure supply agreement

• Generated and led beachhead partnership with GANNI, which culminated in a commercial agreement and activation covered by CNN, The Telegraph, BBC, and Wired with no PR spend

• Managed customer relationships across 60+ major brands and successfully led contract negotiations whilst securing favourable long-term commercial, IP and exclusivity terms

• Supported Co-Founders in designing recruitment and fundraise operations, powering a $5.5M seed extension in 2024 (and team growth from 9 to 25)

• Collaborated closely with Product, Science, and Eng departments to ensure constant alignment between Modern Synthesis’ growth strategies and technical product development roadmap

SIA PARTNERS

Manager, Growth & Innovation (May 2019 - July 2022)

Designed and launched new deep tech ventures for FTSE100 companies aiming to create disruptive growth opportunities through corporate innovation

• Crafted a UK healthcare market entry strategy for Fujitsu (£15B+), leading to the delivery of a new platform that uses quantum annealing algorithms to address dengue fever and other tropical diseases

• Designed and led Stream, an Open Data platform currently implemented by 65% of UK water companies, whilst managing 40+ stakeholders across 11 companies and writing a 60-page grant that won $1M

• Discovered a novel quantum bioenergy application and forged a joint venture between a Japanese tech giant and large bioenergy producer to take the proposition to market.

MATERIAL CHANGE

Founder + Editor (Apr 2020 - Sep 2022)

Designed and launched a quirky fortnightly newsletter that accrued 1500+ subscribers interested in actionable ways to build a circular economy

• Designed a brand identity and content strategy which enabled 500% growth from 2020-2021

• Curated job opportunities, events, and news related to the bioeconomy

• Created vibrant community of biodesign/circular economy enthusiasts and represented Material Change at WEF and University of Oxford climate tech panel events

PALM BEACH BUSINESS + TECHNOLOGY CENTER (PIEG LLC)

Director of Marketing (Sept 2015 - Sept 2017)

Crafted marketing strategy from the ground up for $500M real estate development/business incubator designed to foster expertise and innovation in clean energy technology.

• Created tenant acquisition strategy and provided executive oversight for vendor and partner relationship management

• Worked closely with senior leadership to develop technology standards, governance processes and performance metrics

• Analysed research and data sources to define complex customer needs.

• Engaged with City leadership in order to secure City Planning Commission approval and buy-in from key community stakeholders

You can also download a PDF version of my CV here.

Other Accolades

Awarded Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visa (Digital Technology) from the UK Home Office 

Served as a Global Talent at the UN’s Global Innovation Lab UNLEASH 

Entrepreneurship Mentor at UCL Bio-ID Programme and London Business School

Won Microsoft Accelerator EdTech hackathon and won Techstars Powering Space hackathon 

Graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude and scored 720 (95th percentile) on the GMAT

Named ‘Forte Foundation Fellow’ and received ‘Saïd Business Scholar’ scholarship at University of Oxford 

Awarded full scholarship to participate in ‘Code First: Girls’ intensive coding course

Named ‘Clinton Scholar’ and awarded scholarship at the American University in Dubai

1 of 12 students to receive grant from the US State Dept to study Arabic as a Student Ambassador in Cairo

LANGUAGES: English (native) Spanish (proficient) French (A2.4), Arabic (abysmal)

Education

Let’s connect!

If you also believe there’s a good fit, email swestyoung@gmail.com or use this form.