Meet Jim Spang, ZAGENO’s Director of Business Development & Strategic Partnerships. His mission? To find the “better together” story in every biotech collaboration, building partnerships that amplify value for all sides. From incubators to VCs, finance firms to procurement platforms, Jim is crafting a role from scratch; one conversation at a time.
Most people grumble about a long commute, but not Jim. After his newborn decides it’s time to wake up, Jim grabs a large coffee, pops on a podcast, and sets out for his hour drive into Cambridge, MA. “It’s my zen time,” he says.
Once at his desk, Jim starts his day scanning LinkedIn and emails, keeping tabs on partners, potential collaborations, and industry trends. “Biotech is a tight-knit community unlike any other,” he explains. “You can learn a lot just by seeing who’s talking to whom.”
Pictured: 2-month-old Benjamin, Jim Spang's adorable “alarm clock.”
Jim’s world is all about connections—finding the right partners who can amplify ZAGENO’s reach while creating real value for biotech companies. His role isn’t just about adding company logos to a webpage; it’s about building strategic alliances in categories that strengthen the life sciences ecosystem and accelerate innovation.
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For Jim, the real magic happens when partnerships go beyond a simple business arrangement and evolve into something bigger—a “better together” story where both sides gain new opportunities, ultimately, enriching the biotech industry. If you’re in the practice of making life easier for scientists, then Jim is interested in seeing what your better together story with ZAGENO could be.
Every partnership starts the same way, not with a sales pitch, but with the ZAGENO story. “Before my teammate Brent Schmedding and I can talk about partnerships, we have to show why ZAGENO matters,” Jim says. “They need to understand the pain points of lab supply procurement and why we’re uniquely positioned to solve them.”
Once the value is clear, the real conversation begins: How can this benefit both sides? Some partners seek revenue-sharing, while others prioritize discounts for their customers. “It’s all about aligning incentives,” Jim explains. “The best partnerships create wins for everyone—us, our partner, and the end customer.”
Beyond direct partnerships, working with ZAGENO also helps complementary industries, like real estate and facilities management, stand out from competitors. “If you’re a realtor selling lab space and can recommend a solution like ZAGENO, you show a deep understanding of client needs,” Jim shares.
Signing a partnership is just the beginning. “Getting the contract in place is about 5% of the process,” Jim says. “The real work is making sure the partnership delivers results.” This includes:
“Rest assured, when partners introduce their clients to ZAGENO, I emphasize that we know those are their clients and we will be respectful of that, follow their lead, and make sure they are comfortable with our process,” Jim caveats.
Take recent partnerships with CoLabs and Hatch.Bio. Both biotech incubators wanted to provide their tenant companies with easy access to lab supplies—without negotiating with multiple suppliers. By teaming up with ZAGENO, they can now offer their startups seamless procurement options from day one. “It’s a win-win,” Jim says. “They get to enhance their value proposition, and we get to help young biotech companies from the start.”
One of Jim’s favorite ways to build partnerships? Industry events. But instead of attending sessions, his focus is on the exhibit hall. “Anyone else sponsoring an event is aiming to help the same companies we are,” he says. “That’s where the best partnership conversations happen.”
These informal chats often spark big ideas. “I always ask, ‘Is there a better together story here?’” Jim explains. “Can we combine what we do to create even more value for biotech companies?”
Jim didn’t always work in life sciences. Before ZAGENO, he managed partnerships at Meta, focusing on customer experience software. But the biotech world—particularly Boston’s life sciences scene—drew him in.
“Boston is the hub for biotech,” he says. “When I got the chance to build something from scratch in this space, I jumped at it.”
Jim is intrigued by the power of the digital marketplace to disrupt industries. Think Air B&B, Spotify, and, now, ZAGENO.
Jim sees partnerships becoming one of the biggest growth drivers for ZAGENO in the coming years. “We’re just getting started,” he says. “Eventually, I want partnerships to be our largest source of new business.”
As for his dream partners? “Any VC that’s funding innovation in biotech,” Jim shares. “If we can help their portfolio companies save money and scale faster, that’s a better together story worth telling.”
If you’re a biotech-focused organization looking for ways to expand your impact, Jim wants to hear from you. Connect with him on LinkedIn or visit our partnerships page to learn more.
Because at the end of the day, everything in biotech is about collaboration. And the best partnerships? They’re always better together.