Our lives are defined by our purpose, our ambition, and our willingness to contribute to something larger than ourselves. This idea of ‘calling’ becomes our particular life purpose; the reason we were born, and the legacy we will leave behind for the rest of humanity. While for some this realization can come early in our lives, for many others, it may come later.
Sarah Jenna surely joins the latter group of ‘finding their calling’ later in life. She discovered her calling and took the leap into entrepreneurship at the age of 45!
After more than two decades in academics, she was inspired to create an AI-powered SaaS platform that empowers scientists to accelerate drug development.
As the Co-founder and CEO of My Intelligent Machines (MIMs), Sarah Jenna applies her 20 years of experience and knowledge to offer customers cutting-edge integrative genomics methods and systems biology, with a special emphasis on the requirements of life scientists working in Biopharma. Along with her two co-founders and a full-fledged team of scientists, she uses her expertise in systems biology to provide state-of-the-art software solutions for life sciences companies developing personalized medicine. In addition to its disruptive innovations, the company shines thanks to its humanist values of diversity and inclusion as well as an infallible work ethic.
Founding the Calling
Sarah Jenna obtained her Ph.D. in cell biology and microbiology from the University Aix-Marseille in France in 1998. In 2006, she began her teaching career while at the helm of the Integrative Genomics and Cell Signalling Lab at UQAM. All in all, her extensive interest in the field of systems biology led her to pursue the career of a scientist for over twenty years.
Sarah won several prestigious accolades and recognitions during her scientific career. She was bestowed with a Junior Canadian research chair in Integrative Genomics and cell signaling in 2016. She became the first woman to get this award in experimental sciences at UQAM. In 2011, she received an ‘Acceleration to Discovery’ Grant from the NSERC, which is a prestigious grant given to the top five percent grant applications in Canada submitted to the Canadian federal agency in nature and technology each year. Throughout her academic career, Sarah has written and co-written over 30 scientific articles.
However, half-a-decade ago, a point came in her life where she realized the imminent end of her academic career. She didn’t feel positive about the promotions or career advancements that were offered to her. Sarah needed new challenges; almost as if she could anticipate something new, something bigger on the horizon.
Hence, the time came when the other co-founder of MIMs, Mickaël Camus, helped Sarah see that something bigger was awaiting her. To her, the calling manifested as a high level research and development project, in an industrial context with much greater means.
Sarah took a one-year sabbatical from her academic life to establish MIMs with Mickaël Camus and Abdoulaye Baniré Diallo, the third co-founder. Initially, she had thought of going back to her academic life after her sabbatical and hiring a CEO at the end of her leave. Nothing short of taking the reins of MIMs had even crossed her mind.
Nonetheless, in the course of her work with Mickaël and Abdoulaye, Sarah discovered that she had ‘found her calling’ as an entrepreneur and decided to pursue it full-time.
Sarah believed that certain talents of hers were being overlooked in the academic world. While in her role as CEO of MIMs, she felt she was given the opportunity to flourish. She claims this to be a life-changing experience for her on both personal and professional level.
After working for over five years with co-founders Mickaël and Abdoulaye, Sarah has gained the feat of becoming one of the rare biologists with a deep understanding of bioinformatics and artificial intelligence. It is without a doubt an outstanding quality to be able to carry out her mission as the CEO of MIMs and guide the design of the perfect product for clients.
About MIMs Technology
Founded in 2016, Montreal-based My Intelligent Machines (MIMs) is a leader in artificial intelligence and systems biology. MIMs markets augmented intelligence systems packaged in a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution, to support patient stratification and the selection of therapeutic targets and biomarkers, both required for the development of more efficient and personalized therapies. Whereas conventional AI solutions generally operate as a ‘black box’, MIMs’ software solutions are based on open and explainable AI and data integration.
Augmented intelligence empowers scientists and their machines to identify together what neither could have done individually. Creating a synergy between the machine and its users enables life scientists to capitalize on machine-based computer modelling, distributed computing and federated learning, while leveraging their own expertise in life sciences, in order to understand complex biological systems more precisely than ever before.
As part of its business strategy, MIMs provides clients with access to a software that may be customized to their specific requirements, with onboarding fees, as well as a monthly subscription fee that grants access to the software via a secure online interface.
Talented Trio
As a leading AI company in life sciences in the country and beyond, MIMs have been identified as part of the Red Herring’s Top 100 North America Award, which is one of the most prestigious prizes granted every year to the most promising private tech companies. The thriving startup was also named Company of the Year 2021 by Anges Québec. Additionally, Sarah herself has been featured in pitch competitions and has presented to over 15 panels such as TEDx, C-tribe, and BIO amongst others.
Sarah Jenna is in good company. Co-founder and chief scientist Abdoulaye Baniré Diallo himself has participated in a number of discussion panels and has received many honorees. His most significant honor was the Next Fellow Einstein 2018 award, which he received in Kigali. In response, he was featured on TV5 Monde, Radio Canada International, Le Point Afrique, and New Times: Rwanda Leading Daily, among other media outlets.
Co-founder and chief technology officer Mickaël Camus, an expert in artificial intelligence, has been asked to participate in a number of AI panels, including the Quebec Commercial Delegation and was recently involved in a workshop led by the Canadian Space Agency presenting a project to monitor astronauts’ health while in deep space exploration.
Together this talented trio has combined their individual knowledge and expertise to build a business that is growing in numbers every passing year.
