STEM programs do a phenomenal job these days of giving students a chance to get hands on experience. But you don't even need a lab. You can learn science in many places if you look for it. For example, my niece doesn't necessarily love science class, but she comes up with the best desserts and never follows a recipe. She modifies it and adds different ingredients until she comes up with something she likes. She experiments, and that's what being a scientist is all about.

People think everybody in venture capital has a financial background, but that's not true. Whether you're a scientist or a software engineer, two and two is always going to be four. Financial literacy and budgeting skills are critically important to this job (and much of life). But there are a lot of ways to learn the numbers. Don't count yourself out because you learned the skills your own way.

Scientists can be entrepreneurs, or entrepreneurs can work with scientists to test and build out their ideas in biotech. If you want to work in this space, take advantage of any opportunity that you have to be exposed to entrepreneurial events or summits. Just Google “entrepreneurial events near me.” Can’t find anything happening in your area? Watch YouTube videos, listen to podcasts, or check out shows like Shark Tank on television. The people who go on Shark Tank are there to ask for funding. That's venture capitalism and can help you get a sense of the first step – the pitch.