In our early days, we focused on building a strong team dynamic, where each co-founder had clear roles: Lee builds the product, Michelle ensures things get done, and I tell the story of what we're doing.

We brought on a friend from college, Michael, to be the CEO and keep us product-focused, as we were prone to distraction.

Hiring our first engineer was crucial; I felt like bringing in that person was like introducing DNA to our company.

After much brainstorming, we decided that Ginkgo's mission would be to make biology easier to engineer, which defines us as a company beyond just our business model or products. The only reason to start a company is if there's a problem you're passionate about solving and you have a mission to accomplish.

Michelle has ego but no vanity, always prioritizing the company over personal recognition.

We have received many applications from hardware and biotech companies, and we are adapting our approach to support their longer growth timelines.

I didn't look like the typical biotech or healthcare founder; I'm a woman of color without advanced degrees like an MBA or MD, which made me feel inadequate at times.

While at MIT, I met Tom Knight, who brought an engineer's perspective to biology, emphasizing the importance of simplifying and designing biological systems.

We networked our way into big AG tech companies through introductions from a key advisor, which helped us gain traction.