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ABOUT
A renaissance (wo)man of sorts, Tendai lives a multi-dimensional life driven by intellect, ambition, and a passion for global impact. Born in Zambia and immigrating to the United States at age five, she quickly demonstrated a competitive edge, becoming the first Black Valedictorian in her high school’s 60-year history. Seeking both intellectual and personal growth, she chose the tranquil hills of the Berkshires to pursue her undergraduate studies at Williams College, where she double-majored in Biology and Chemistry. At Williams, Tendai founded the College’s first chapter of the Medical Reserve Corps and organized public health training and community service programs, earning multiple leadership awards from faculty. After graduating with honors, she continued her academic journey at the University of Cambridge as a Dr. Herchel Smith Scholar, earning a Ph.D. in Clinical Biochemistry while researching the neuroscience of leptin signaling in obesity.
Her entrepreneurial spirit then led her to Hummingbird Ventures, a London-based venture capital firm, where she invested in early-stage biotech and healthcare companies. As an investor, Tendai applied a high-conviction, low-frequency investment philosophy, deploying checks up to $10 million in early-stage companies. She then caught the operator-bug and transitioned from investor to operator when she joined the Executive Team of the biotechnology company, Enveda, as Director of Policy & Development. Tendai leads Enveda’s sustainability and global health strategies, government partnerships, and participates in investor relations and business development.
Tendai's work has taken her across the globe— from Kenya to London, Switzerland to Indonesia—enabling her to develop a truly global perspective and an invaluable multicultural skill set, all in service of her mission to create life-changing medicines for people worldwide.
work experiences
Inaugural fellow
Select HONORS & speaking engagements
Speaker
Dr. Herchel Smith Scholar
Kinnevik Young Talent Program
© 2024 Designed by Tendai Chisowa
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