Sophie Bai learned from an early age that competing to win in science was her best shot at broadening her horizons beyond the province in China where she was born. She began competing in math and science at seven, was recruited to the national science team, discovered an anti-aging compound at 16, and received a full scholarship to MIT. She dove right into laboratory work, carrying out experiments on transdermal drug alternatives

After receiving her bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from MIT, she went on to earn her master of business administration degree from Harvard Business School where she was elected as the Blavatnik Fellowship in Life Science Entrepreneurship to commercialize science with the support of the Harvard ecosystem.

Bai has played a pivotal role in the development of treatments for lung cancer, prostate cancer, and Type I diabetes, and leads two labs of her own at MIT. In 2020, she founded  B.A.I. Biosciences patenting over 20 proprietary molecules to treat, prevent, or cure atopic dermatitis, skin cancer, and skin aging. 

Determined to make skincare healthcare, Bai and her team apply pharmaceutical drug discovery processes and R&D to beauty, setting the stage for the invention of new, efficacious molecules to prevent photoaging and treat common skin conditions. 

As an outsider in the beauty industry, she allows science to do the storytelling. Pavise, its first brand launched DTC, achieved profitability within 12 months, eschewing the traditional growth playbook, which heavily relies on marketing spend.

BeautyMatter caught up with Sophie Bai, Founder & CEO, B.A.I. Biosciences and BeautyMatter 2024 NEXT Innovator of the Year. 

What does innovation mean to you?  

Innovation means challenging the status quo to drive positive changes. For me, it is about creating new molecules and new technologies that can improve people’s health and lives.

What is the accomplishment you are most proud of?  

In the very beginning, it was just me and my lab at MIT. I am used to setting up a lab and conducting scientific discovery work. It is the process of assembling a team that is willing to do this hard work with me, scaling up manufacturing molecules at FDA registered API facilities, formulating this molecule into over-the-counter products, conducting clinical trials, and then the downstream commercial activities that are familiar to the industry that I am most proud of. The people on my team, with the shared vision to make skincare healthcare, challenge conventional thinking, and do whatever it takes to bring our breakthrough molecules from lab to market, are the ones who make B.A.I. Biosciences where it is today.

Innovation is about trying new things and taking risks, making failure inextricably tied to the process. Everyone wants to be innovative but they fear the consequences of failure. What is your relationship with "failure"?  

I do not want to call failure my best friend, but I live and breathe failure every single day. As scientists, we fail all the time. Scientific discovery is a process of failing, iterating, failing again, iterating again, and eventually, hopefully, succeeding. Ninety-nine percent of the time, we end up with failure. I started pursuing science when I was seven years old, and I have been living with failure for 27 years and the so-called consequences associated with failure. We should normalize failure as a concept, rather than romanticizing success.

True innovation often spurs imitation. How do you ensure you maintain the competitive edge your innovation provided?  

Our innovation happens on the most upstream R&D side, which involves new molecule creations that are protected by intellectual property rights. In pharmaceuticals, IPs hold the highest value to fend off competition during the time of the patent life. At B.A.I. Biosciences, each of our molecules is patent protected, we invest tremendously in IP protection to maintain the competitive advantage.

It is easy to be disruptive in the early stages of a business, but organizational culture often resists change and innovation. How have you built a culture that will continue to support innovation as you scale?  

We have a bias towards unconventional thinking. Relevant experiences can be an asset and a liability. Everyone at the company believes in what we do: true R&D innovation that will drive long-term value and change people’s lives for the better. The culture is built by the team. We love what we do, and we want to win. As we scale, we continue to stress the importance of not doing what has been done by others and that is the only way for us to succeed.  

What advice would you give to the next generation of innovators?  

Don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot do certain things. As Steve Jobs once said: “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” 

What excites you about the future of the industry?  

The brilliant minds in the industry who want to change the industry for the better. 

Where do you find your inspiration?  

My mentor, Bob Langer. He has taught me to work on technologies that have use cases in the real world vs. theoretical improvement since I was 18 years old. That has changed how I think about scientific discoveries and technological advancements. He and our other scientific board members meet regularly to discuss what new science can be used in the beauty industry. In addition, I also turn to my colleagues in academia who are working on life changing cures for cancers, diabetes, and genetic disorders. From the groundwork they are doing, I often find interesting pieces that help me to think about what I can do to create something new that can be meaningful for the beauty industry.