Hemai Parthasarathy is Scientific Director of the Thiel Foundation and its program to support early stage, radical science-based companies, Breakout Labs. She is responsible for establishing the scientific priorities of the program, evaluating submitted proposals, and monitoring the progress of portfolio companies. She is also a Partner in Breakout Ventures, a new, early stage fund that backs bold scientist-entrepreneurs working at the intersections of technology, biology, materials, and energy. Before joining the foundation, Hemai consulted with clients on the development and communication of their scientific portfolios to diverse audiences. She has worked with national research institutes, non-profits and early-stage biotechnology companies to tell their research and development stories. A founding editor at the Public Library of Science (PLoS) and managing editor at PLoS Biology, Hemai previously served as the North American Editor at Nature. She is also a TEDMED 2015 speaker.