Science Exchange is a marketplace for scientific collaboration, where researchers can order experiments from the world's best labs. Our mission is to improve the quality and efficiency of scientific research by using market-based incentives to promote collaboration between scientists.

At Science Exchange we care about two things above all else.

• Improving the quality and efficiency of scientific research.
• Working with each other to make that happen.

Science is at the forefront of our minds on a daily basis. . We are constantly thinking about how we can improve the lives of scientists, advance the scientific process, and make scientific collaboration seamless.

We don’t all come from the same background; we are biologists, geologists, engineers, computer scientists, and more. However, we are all intimately connected to the future of science and will go to great lengths to ensure its success.

We make these strides together, as a team. It is the sum of all our moving parts that gives us power. We feel lucky to work alongside each and every member of Science Exchange.

When Elizabeth was doing her post-doc she learned that scientific collaborations were horribly inefficient. Not only did she spend huge amounts of time trying to find experts for a specific technique, it was nearly impossible to convince them to collaborate by bartering with authorship. Science Exchange was born out of this frustration and a hope for a better way.

When we asked scientists how they currently collaborate, they said it took twenty interactions to find suitable collaborators. What’s more, 47% didn’t start projects because they couldn’t find collaborators, and 52% felt that the interaction was one-sided! All of these numbers point to one thing: the way scientists collaborate is broken. We believe Science Exchange is the solution.

By offering transparent, market-driven incentives, Science Exchange makes collaboration simple and effective. We give researchers access to a network of thousands of experimental services and expert labs, and we give laboratories an easier way to increase their revenue by creating collaborative partnerships with new researchers seeking their expertise. We care deeply about the future of science, and we hope you do too!

Science Exchange values many things, but there are a few standouts that we’ve been able to put into words.

We’ve defined our company values with a Star Wars induced acronym: F.O.R.C.E.

• Fearless: Some might think it’s crazy to be in an industry where our biggest competitor is the status quo, but we think it’s exciting. It’s our desire to challenge the norm, have a little hutzpah, and attack a situation head on.


• Open: It is imperative to our success that we are open with each other daily about everything from minor qualms to great achievements. From apps to daily meetings, our internal processes are open by default. We are comfortable going to any member of the team to talk about anything at anytime, and we continue to make efforts to ensure that this never changes.


• Respectful: Respect is important for every relationship in our lives. We have respect for our community of determined researchers who are transforming the world. We have respect for our network of laboratories that work tirelessly and skillfully to get the best results possible. And we have respect for our teammates. We enjoy their company, we value their opinion, and we want to share an office with them everyday.


• Curious: Science Exchange values lifelong learners. We want everyone on the team to be strengthening their gray matter daily. If you have a new skill you’d like to learn, we want you to do it. We want to help by buying you books, finding you a mentor, or giving you the time to go after a new intellectual pursuit.


• Entrepreneurial: We will do whatever it takes to get a job done. We are not just employees of Science Exchange, we are stake-holders in its very existence. As a result, we hope everyone will think like a founder. If you think something is a good idea, it probably is.

We care about Science Exchange’s success and will do whatever is in our power to make it happen.

The simplest way to describe our work ethic is collaborative. We value the opinions of those around us, and, as a result, get feedback early and often on projects.

In order to achieve this intensely collaborative environment there are a few things we do when we work together:

• Value the thoughts and opinions of everyone around us. We have made sure that we are surrounded by promising and talented individuals; each and every opinion matters.
• Avoid interrupting thoughts. It’s simple, no one should need to fight to be heard.
• Conduct focused and to-the-point meetings. Our meetings serve a purpose, not a hidden agenda, because we are all trying to achieve the same goal.
• Any decisions and changes made are done because they benefit the user and the business, in that order.
• Communicate through a variety of means. We love talking with each other, but other tools are also helpful. We use HipChat for day-to-day chitchat and puppy pics, Asana for collaborating on projects, and good ‘ol fashion email for everything else. Whatever gets the job done, we’re all for it.

At the end of the day, we admire the minds around us, and we want to get their input whenever it’s necessary.

We genuinely want you to be happy. Ideally, Science Exchange is a place where people are excited to come to work.

Below are a few of the guidelines we’ve put in place to ensure that. If you have any questions or ideas, let us know; if we had an office door, it would always be open!

Office Hours: You are not evaluated by the time spent in the office, it’s what you produce that matters.

• We have an unlimited vacation policy and no mandatory business hours.
• Event attendance is appreciated; participation in group activities is optional but encouraged.
• If you’re sick, please stay home. We all share the same space. One sick person can quickly amplify to twenty. It’s best for all of us if you stay at home :-) If you feel productive but still possibly contagious, we recommend you work from home.

Day-to-day: Science Exchange is a casual place.

• You can wear whatever you’d like - sweats, a tie, or both.
• You can take care of personal errands during office hours. As we see it, you will likely need to take care of work errands during your personal time, so there is no reason the reverse shouldn’t be true.

Visitors: Everyone is welcome.

• We always have a spare couch, bean bag, or desk for friends and family when they visit.
• Please feel free to bring in your pet, we are no strangers to pet hair and belly rub breaks.

Coworkers: Get to know those around you.

• We celebrate each new team member with cupcakes, balloons, and the Science Exchange handshake.
• We have communal lunches daily and make an effort to sit with someone new or from a different team and strike up a conversation.
• We have weekly off-site lunches for three randomly selected team members. This is a chance to do a deep dive into the lives of those around you.

Town Halls: A weekly rejoicing.

• Every Friday, work stops and we meet at 4 PM. We share our weekly highlights, demo cool projects from that week, and do a fun activity.
• Activities are a grab bag – you never know what you’re gonna get. It could be chocolate tasting, Rock Band, or a t-shirt folding competition. It’s a time to have fun together.

Perks: How can we make your life better?

• We provide daily lunch, reimbursements for parking and CalTrain, monthly gym membership, conference remuneration, a well-stocked kitchen, and lots more. We want you to be your best.

Teams: How do we get results?

• Although there is structure within the company, everyone has autonomy over their own projects. You were hired because we respect your intelligence, how you choose to execute projects is your decision.
• We encourage teams to work together, regardless of their division. Often the best ideas come from unlikely pairings.