'Stay curious and have a growth mindset' - Women in Tech - International Women's Day

Stay curious and have a growth mindset. It can be challenging at times but is incredibly rewarding. Paths are not always straightforward so be sure to embrace the journey.  

- Vinita Kailasanath, Partner

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What role does tech play in your work?

My practice is a mix of technology and life sciences transactions, with a particular emphasis on transactions at the intersection of the two fields, in what we call “MedTech.” Things like digital health, AI/machine learning applications in life sciences and healthcare and connected medical devices.

What does International Women's Day mean to you?

International Women's Day is a great opportunity to pause and reflect on how far we have come as well as how much work is left to do. We’re definitely still on a journey towards gender equality.

What insights/trends are you hearing from clients with regards to tech?

So many! Every industry is grappling with how to better use technology to thrive in the 21st Century. I’m so excited to be a part of conversations about ESG – the health of employees and communities is definitely a part of the “S” and it is a privilege to be able to help clients figure out how to use tech to increase health equity and access to care.

What are you most looking forward to / predictions in the tech space?

So much is data driven and we are now increasingly focused on how to obtain better data that is more representative of the full range of genders, ethnicities, socioeconomic classes, etc. in our communities. Without solid inputs, the outputs of our algorithms, AI models etc are fundamentally flawed. I am excited about the emphasis on algorithmovigilance and related practices to debias tech and the related conclusions we draw.

What is the biggest challenge in your role?

The pace of innovation is ever increasing and we are confronting increasingly complex cross-jurisdictional and cross-disciplinary issues. In my field, it’s not enough to draft language that reflects the immediate business goal; we need to look at the related issues from IP, data protection, antitrust, regulatory and often other perspectives as well. That’s just too much for a single person to really master!  I feel fortunate every day to be a part of a top notch integrated international interdisciplinary team that is constantly sharing insights.

How important is representation in the tech industry? Have you ever felt that your gender has been a barrier?

I think representation is incredibly important. I’ve been fortunate to not feel like my gender has been a barrier, but I have definitely felt lonely at times.

What has been your biggest achievement to date?

That’s a tough one!  I think two notable achievements were helping AstraZeneca negotiate an agreement with the Serum Institute of India to create a billion doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for distribution in lower -middle income countries and winning the Jeopardy! College Tournament many years ago and then returning to play in additional tournaments over the years.

What advice would you give to a woman who’s interested in a career in technology?

Stay curious and have a growth mindset. It can be challenging at times but is incredibly rewarding. Paths are not always straightforward so be sure to embrace the journey. My graduate degree in molecular/cellular biology and time in the business world have been incredibly useful during my career as an intellectual property/tech transactions attorney.

Find out more about Vinita and her work.

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As part of our International Women’s Day 2023 celebrations we’re supporting the United Nation's theme of ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’ and sharing reflections from our talented colleagues who are leading the way in tech.