Hive Builders: How BioFire Defense Prepares for the World’s Biggest Biothreats | John Harris

Great companies are built by great people. Great ecosystems are built by great leaders.

In this episode of HiveCast, Jenna Barbari sits down with John Harris, CEO of BioFire Defense, to discuss his career journey, lessons in leadership, BioFire Defense’s mission and why Utah has emerged as one of the country’s strongest life science ecosystems.

John reflects on leadership lessons he learned while working in Japan, explaining why middle management often determines whether a company’s strategy succeeds or fails. He also shares BioFire Defense’s role in preparing for biological threats by developing diagnostic panels capable of detecting both naturally occurring and intentionally weaponized biological agents.

The conversation concludes with John’s perspective on Utah’s growing biotechnology ecosystem and why he believes the state rivals the nation’s largest biotech hubs, even though its culture doesn’t always seek the spotlight.

In Partnership with University of Utah Health Plans

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