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Clarence Bethea Highlight
If you feel like you don’t fit in the system, the way to ultimately make your way into it is to surprise people and continue to show up. Never let that underestimation shake your confidence in what you set out to do.
About Cindy
- Admits she had an unusual childhood—she moved every year from 4th grade to her senior year of high school, which made her the “perpetual new kid who wasn’t accepted.”
- Says this experience cultivated her curiosity and made her comfortable as an observer and a listener.
- Attended Marymount University where she received her degree in business.
- After graduating, she had her sights set on working for the pharmaceutical company, Merck—she was initially rejected, but eventually got the job.
- She eventually realized that at Merck she was just a number and lacked impact, so she began working for smaller and smaller companies until the path opened up for her to start her own business.
- Her first company was Slate Pharmaceuticals, which redefined long-acting testosterone treatment for men, and, her second company, Sprout Pharmaceuticals, pioneered Addyi, dubbed the “female-Viagra.”
- She eventually sold both companies for over $1.5 billion—in 2017, she successfully re-acquired Sprout Pharmaceuticals and launched Addyi to the market on her own terms.
- She is also the founder of The Pink Ceiling, which invests in companies founded by or making products for women and provides access to mentors, business guidance, and investment opportunities.
