Science advances through laboratories, data, and discovery, but it also advances through perspective. For Leen Kawas, co-founder and managing general partner of Propel Bio Partners, perspective has been shaped by a journey that spans continents. From her early life in Amman, Jordan, to her leadership roles in the United States, she has built a career that reflects both global awareness and deep commitment to local impact. Her view of science is not bounded by borders but defined by the belief that innovation must serve people everywhere.
Leen Kawas began her professional life as a pharmacist in Jordan, a role that grounded her in the practical realities of medicine. That early work revealed both the promise of pharmaceuticals and the limits imposed by access, infrastructure, and investment. She carried those insights with her when she moved to the United States, where she pursued advanced education and immersed herself in biotechnology. This transition gave her a dual perspective: the urgency of medical need in emerging economies and the resources available in global biotech hubs.
Her career took shape most visibly at Athira Pharma, the company she co-founded and later led as chief executive officer. Under her leadership, Athira advanced late-stage clinical programs and achieved one of the largest biotech IPOs of its time, raising over $400 million in 2020. For Kawas, the milestone was not only financial. It was evidence that diverse leadership could deliver results at the highest levels of science and business. As one of only 22 women founders in the United States to take a company public, she stood as an example of how global experience and persistence can reshape an industry often resistant to change.
The founding of Propel Bio Partners marked another step in her journey. Based in Los Angeles, the venture fund supports life science innovation by investing in companies with the potential to transform patient care. Kawas emphasizes that Propel is not simply a source of capital but a partner in strategy, growth, and scientific advancement. Her approach reflects lessons drawn from both her own entrepreneurial path and her international background: science flourishes when support is holistic, forward-looking, and rooted in collaboration.
What distinguishes Kawas’ perspective is her global lens. She argues that the challenges facing healthcare are universal. Diseases do not respect borders, and solutions must be designed with both scale and equity in mind. Having witnessed disparities in access firsthand, she advocates for approaches that consider how innovation will reach patients beyond wealthy markets. For her, a breakthrough is not truly a breakthrough until it changes lives in diverse communities.
She also stresses the importance of diversity within the scientific enterprise itself. Kawas noted in this interview with Billion Success that innovation improves when teams bring different cultural, educational, and professional perspectives to the table. At Propel, she encourages investment in founders and companies that reflect this diversity, recognizing that a global industry requires global voices. In her view, the future of science depends as much on who is doing the research as on what research is being done.
Her story underscores another lesson: the value of adaptability. Moving from Amman to the United States required navigating new systems, expectations, and networks. Leading a public company required mastering the intersection of science and capital markets. Building a venture fund required shifting again into mentorship and investment. At each stage, Kawas translated lessons across contexts, demonstrating that science is not a static career but a dynamic, evolving practice.
Kawas’ global view on science carries practical implications for the future of biotechnology. She advocates for policies and investments that close the gap between discovery and delivery, ensuring that promising therapies reach patients efficiently. She calls for greater collaboration across borders, pointing out that pandemics, climate change, and chronic diseases all demand collective action. And she highlights the need for patient-centered thinking, reminding investors and scientists alike that innovation must ultimately be measured in improved outcomes, not only in market capitalization.
The arc of her career illustrates how personal journey and professional mission can align. From Amman to Los Angeles, Kawas has carried with her a belief in the universality of science, the necessity of equity, and the power of persistence. Her work demonstrates that biotechnology is not confined to labs or boardrooms. It is shaped by the choices of leaders who bring global experiences into every decision.
For Leen Kawas, science is not an abstract pursuit. It is a shared human endeavor, requiring vision, investment, and a commitment to accessibility. Her global view reminds us that the breakthroughs of tomorrow depend on perspectives that span cultures and geographies, and on leaders who never forget that the purpose of science is to serve people everywhere.
Learn more about what Leen Kawas is currently up to below: