From Lab to Launch: Mar Navarro’s Biotech Journey at SCET
Mar Navarro, originally a student from Spain, joined the SCET community after participating in the Startup Semester at Berkeley in 2023. Since then, she has immersed herself in the Berkeley ecosystem, embracing every opportunity that comes her way. She has taken numerous SCET classes, including Startup Catalyst, Technology Entrepreneurship, Connected Life Challenge Lab, Richard Newton’s Series, and Growth Marketing. She has been a visiting researcher at the University since August 2024. Her former startup, Augene Beauty, was additionally accepted into the Berkeley SkyDeck Pad-13 Batch 18. She is eager to share her experiences and represent SCET as one of its ambassadors.
We followed up with Mar Navarro to learn more about her journey into entrepreneurship and her reflections on her time at UC Berkeley.
From Research to Entrepreneurship & Innovation
A biotechnologist by training, Navarro’s fascination with biotechnology and the healthcare industries stemmed from her research on breast cancer and her aspirations to make a positive impact on people’s lives and health. In the lab, however, she noticed that many of the promising drugs being developed never reached the larger market due to either insufficient funding and resources or researchers’ hesitancy to leave academia and pursue entrepreneurship.
Determined to address this issue, Navarro pursued a Master’s Degree in Startup Administration and Entrepreneurship Studies at Universitat Politècnica de València, where she had completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Biotechnology. She wanted to learn how to found her startup while being able to help other companies bring their drugs to market. It was clear to Navarro that entrepreneurship was a clear path to creating a real impact on people’s quality of life, and she enjoyed the sense of ownership she felt over her work. Ultimately, Navarro’s ambitions led her to pursue SCET’s Startup Semester program at UC Berkeley in August 2023.
Reflections on the Berkeley Startup Ecosystem
When Navarro arrived on campus, she eagerly embraced the opportunity to enroll in SCET courses. She enjoyed the hands-on, applied philosophy to entrepreneurship education unique to UC Berkeley, describing her experience in her classes as “eye-opening.” She especially appreciated the diversity in the entrepreneurship community at UC Berkeley, noting that the environment was highly conducive to new ideas and healthy collaboration. She additionally expressed gratitude for everyone’s willingness to support her and make introductions wherever possible, something unique to Berkeley.
“Working in this multicultural environment with students from business, law, molecular biology, and computer science was just amazing.”
Coming from Spain, she was inspired by the number of entrepreneurs building their own startups, as many in her home country viewed moving to the United States to build a startup as too risky. She loved being surrounded by other motivated individuals at Berkeley who shared a passion for solving world problems through innovation.
Navarro noted that the mindset instilled in students at SCET was what sets the Berkeley teaching method apart, noting that the way she approached problem-solving evolved as she spent more time on campus. A biotechnologist herself, she observed that entrepreneurs with highly technical backgrounds can overemphasize the solution rather than the problem, a common pitfall of many startups.
“When we come from very technical backgrounds, like a biotechnologist or an engineer, we are very product-centric. Our focus is on the solution and the product, the amazing thing that we’re building with these features. And when you come in with this kind of mindset, you forget about the customer. ”
“SCET courses helped me focus on the need, customer pain points, and the value proposition that we could offer, not the amazing features that our product has. You could have an amazing product with zero customers, which isn’t a viable business model.”
To fulfill her dreams of launching her venture, Mar applied and was accepted to Berkeley SkyDeck Batch 18 with Augene Beauty, a venture revolutionizing skincare through microorganism analysis. She found her CTO through participating in the Big Ideas Contest on campus. The team was even able to launch an internship program for ten undergraduate students throughout the summer.
Reflections & Pearls of Wisdom
When asked about the characteristics of a successful entrepreneur, Navarro noted two key traits that set people apart. First, she observed that successful founders have the uncanny ability to make peace with the unknown.
“You cannot understand or estimate what’s going to happen in the next five months. It’s like driving a car when there’s a lot of fog—you can’t see very far, but you can see enough so you don’t crash into a wall.”
Secondly, she emphasizes just how essential it is for founders to fall in love with the problem, not the solution.
“In the end, we need to create something that solves a need, not a want. And so if you truly understand what the customers need, it’s easier to create a product or a solution or service that is meeting the needs of the customers and not fulfilling your own needs or creating something cool.”
The mentorship and kindness she has received from the Berkeley community have inspired her to continue to pay it forward. Serving as a mentor herself, Navarro helps to foster introductions wherever she can, and she is also in a student club helping other entrepreneurs develop strong business models and mindsets. She encourages students curious about entrepreneurship to enroll in an SCET class.
“SCET classes are not just for teaching people how to create their own companies—it’s teaching a mindset too, giving students the tools to think outside of the box.”
“If you’re especially coming from an engineering background, you’re very product-focused. The classes also give you experience working in a company because you have to interact with very different people from different backgrounds that you are not used to. Having the tools, network, advisors, and mentors, but also achieving this mindset shift is helpful for one’s professional career, regardless of whether they want to build a startup or not.”
The Journey Ahead
Throughout her career, Navarro hopes to continue pursuing her passion for translating groundbreaking research and innovative drugs in the laboratory into viable ventures. When asked about how she defines success, Navarro answered that she measures success in terms of impact on others and the meaningful connections developed along the way. She is excited to bring the knowledge and experience she gained at SCET into the dynamic biotechnology industry.
Mar Navarro, originally a student from Spain, joined the SCET community after participating in the Startup Semester at Berkeley in 2023. Since then, she has immersed herself in the Berkeley ecosystem, embracing every opportunity that comes her way. She has taken numerous SCET classes, including Startup Catalyst, Technology Entrepreneurship, Connected Life Challenge Lab, Richard Newton’s Series, and Growth Marketing. She has been a visiting researcher at the University since August 2024. Her former startup, Augene Beauty, was additionally accepted into the Berkeley SkyDeck Pad-13 Batch 18. She is eager to share her experiences and represent SCET as one of its ambassadors.
We followed up with Mar Navarro to learn more about her journey into entrepreneurship and her reflections on her time at UC Berkeley.
From Research to Entrepreneurship & Innovation
A biotechnologist by training, Navarro’s fascination with biotechnology and the healthcare industries stemmed from her research on breast cancer and her aspirations to make a positive impact on people’s lives and health. In the lab, however, she noticed that many of the promising drugs being developed never reached the larger market due to either insufficient funding and resources or researchers’ hesitancy to leave academia and pursue entrepreneurship.
Determined to address this issue, Navarro pursued a Master’s Degree in Startup Administration and Entrepreneurship Studies at Universitat Politècnica de València, where she had completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Biotechnology. She wanted to learn how to found her startup while being able to help other companies bring their drugs to market. It was clear to Navarro that entrepreneurship was a clear path to creating a real impact on people’s quality of life, and she enjoyed the sense of ownership she felt over her work. Ultimately, Navarro’s ambitions led her to pursue SCET’s Startup Semester program at UC Berkeley in August 2023.
Reflections on the Berkeley Startup Ecosystem
When Navarro arrived on campus, she eagerly embraced the opportunity to enroll in SCET courses. She enjoyed the hands-on, applied philosophy to entrepreneurship education unique to UC Berkeley, describing her experience in her classes as “eye-opening.” She especially appreciated the diversity in the entrepreneurship community at UC Berkeley, noting that the environment was highly conducive to new ideas and healthy collaboration. She additionally expressed gratitude for everyone’s willingness to support her and make introductions wherever possible, something unique to Berkeley.
“Working in this multicultural environment with students from business, law, molecular biology, and computer science was just amazing.”
Coming from Spain, she was inspired by the number of entrepreneurs building their own startups, as many in her home country viewed moving to the United States to build a startup as too risky. She loved being surrounded by other motivated individuals at Berkeley who shared a passion for solving world problems through innovation.
Navarro noted that the mindset instilled in students at SCET was what sets the Berkeley teaching method apart, noting that the way she approached problem-solving evolved as she spent more time on campus. A biotechnologist herself, she observed that entrepreneurs with highly technical backgrounds can overemphasize the solution rather than the problem, a common pitfall of many startups.
“When we come from very technical backgrounds, like a biotechnologist or an engineer, we are very product-centric. Our focus is on the solution and the product, the amazing thing that we’re building with these features. And when you come in with this kind of mindset, you forget about the customer. ”
“SCET courses helped me focus on the need, customer pain points, and the value proposition that we could offer, not the amazing features that our product has. You could have an amazing product with zero customers, which isn’t a viable business model.”
To fulfill her dreams of launching her venture, Mar applied and was accepted to Berkeley SkyDeck Batch 18 with Augene Beauty, a venture revolutionizing skincare through microorganism analysis. She found her CTO through participating in the Big Ideas Contest on campus. The team was even able to launch an internship program for ten undergraduate students throughout the summer.
Reflections & Pearls of Wisdom
When asked about the characteristics of a successful entrepreneur, Navarro noted two key traits that set people apart. First, she observed that successful founders have the uncanny ability to make peace with the unknown.
“You cannot understand or estimate what’s going to happen in the next five months. It’s like driving a car when there’s a lot of fog—you can’t see very far, but you can see enough so you don’t crash into a wall.”
Secondly, she emphasizes just how essential it is for founders to fall in love with the problem, not the solution.
“In the end, we need to create something that solves a need, not a want. And so if you truly understand what the customers need, it’s easier to create a product or a solution or service that is meeting the needs of the customers and not fulfilling your own needs or creating something cool.”
The mentorship and kindness she has received from the Berkeley community have inspired her to continue to pay it forward. Serving as a mentor herself, Navarro helps to foster introductions wherever she can, and she is also in a student club helping other entrepreneurs develop strong business models and mindsets. She encourages students curious about entrepreneurship to enroll in an SCET class.
“SCET classes are not just for teaching people how to create their own companies—it’s teaching a mindset too, giving students the tools to think outside of the box.”
“If you’re especially coming from an engineering background, you’re very product-focused. The classes also give you experience working in a company because you have to interact with very different people from different backgrounds that you are not used to. Having the tools, network, advisors, and mentors, but also achieving this mindset shift is helpful for one’s professional career, regardless of whether they want to build a startup or not.”
The Journey Ahead
Throughout her career, Navarro hopes to continue pursuing her passion for translating groundbreaking research and innovative drugs in the laboratory into viable ventures. When asked about how she defines success, Navarro answered that she measures success in terms of impact on others and the meaningful connections developed along the way. She is excited to bring the knowledge and experience she gained at SCET into the dynamic biotechnology industry.