Sammi’s sales and marketing career began in 1998, when she joined Paragon Scientific Corporation to sell plasma derivatives such as IVIG and anti-hemophilic factors in a multi-state territory. From 1999 to 2008, Sammi worked in sales for a number of different small to mid-size pharmaceutical companies. Educating physicians on drugs that act on the Central Nervous System was her specialty. Sammi spent most of her time working with pain management providers, psychiatrists, and neurologists.
During her 10 year work in specialty pharmaceutical sales, Sammi became a trusted partner to physicians. By working closely with her customers, Sammi gained a unique understanding of the challenges they were facing every day to objectively document a patient’s condition and progress. Laboratory diagnostics in poorly understood conditions like chronic pain were emerging, but not fast enough to keep up with the legal and regulatory climate that physicians are practicing in.
In late 2008, the entrepreneurial spirit struck Sammi. She saw the frustration of her physician clients, and believed she could help. Together with some key partners, including Jeff Wise, Sammi started Capital Toxicology, LLC to help physicians monitor and document patient compliance through urine drug testing. They set new standards in the laboratory world of clinical diagnostics, by using state of the art LC/MS/MS technology to deliver results to physicians in less than 48 hours, which substantively changed how physicians managed patients to whom they were prescribing controlled substances. As President & CEO of Capital Toxicology, Sammi took a hands-on approach to all aspects of the business, including sales and marketing, reimbursement, contract negotiations, compliance, and personnel management. In less than 2 years, the company grew to over 50 employees, serving clients nationwide.
Capital Toxicology’s rapid growth and industry reputation attracted the interest of Alere, Inc. Together with her partners, Sammi negotiated the sale of Capital Toxicology to Alere, a publicly traded company, at the end of 2010. Sammi stayed on for a two-year transition/earn-out period as Vice President of Commercial Development, which ended in early 2013. By that time, Sammi was eager to leave the corporate world and get back to the business of being an entrepreneur.
Since departing Alere, Sammi and her partner, Jeff Wise, have been involved with several successful start-up companies as investors, advisors, and principals. Sammi serves on the board for several different companies, including Moleculera Labs, Inc., a specialty clinical laboratory with a focus on rare autoimmune conditions. Sammi and Jeff also recently founded an innovative new fragrance company, Mixologie™, LLC. The launch of Mixologie™ Blendable Perfume Collection is expected in Q4 2015.
Current role