The pace of innovation in oncology has never been faster. Researchers are developing new diagnostics, identifying novel biomarkers and advancing precision medicine at an unprecedented rate. But even as scientific discovery accelerates, one challenge remains constant: streamlined access to high-quality biospecimens.
As the founder and CEO of Phoenix-based oncology specimen provider Reference Medicine, I made helping researchers overcome that challenge the foundation of our rapidly growing business.
Having spent nearly two decades working in laboratory operations and oncology diagnostics, I’ve come to understand researchers’ frustrations firsthand. Throughout my career, I have encountered the same obstacles: long wait times, inconsistent specimen quality, poor communication, and procurement processes that created unnecessary hurdles for researchers.
But I’ve always believed it didn’t have to be that way, and that conviction led me to found Reference Medicine in Phoenix in 2021, with the goal of giving oncology researchers faster, more transparent access to biospecimens in formats that fit modern laboratory workflows.
I wasn’t interested in creating another cookie-cutter specimen company. I wanted to make the whole experience approachable and easy, because I know that scientists have enough hard problems to solve already.
My inspiration came from an unlikely source. As ride-sharing apps transformed transportation by removing friction from a routine task, I wondered whether biospecimen procurement could be reimagined in a similar way. Uber saw a problem and came up with a simple, on-demand solution, and I kept thinking, “Why can’t specimen procurement feel more like that?”
But while this idea was straightforward, scaling a company around it was not.
Launching Reference Medicine meant leaving the predictability of an established career for the uncertainty of building a business from scratch. Every week brought new decisions I needed to face without complete information.
As the company grew, I found myself balancing the demands of scaling a business while preserving the scientific rigor and customer experience that had inspired its creation. There were days when I wished someone could just tell me the right answer. Eventually, I realized that’s not how entrepreneurship works. You listen, you learn, and then you have to trust your own judgment.
That mindset was often tested during periods of financial pressure and uncertainty. But rather than shield my employees from the challenges, I chose transparency. I remember thinking, “Maybe this is too much information.” But I approached those conversations with honesty, transparency, and trust in my employees.
The result was exactly the culture I hoped to build. Employees responded with ideas, found efficiencies and became more invested in the company’s success. The experience reinforced a lesson that still guides me today: Transparency builds trust, and trust creates ownership.
That same attention to people now shapes the customer experience and life inside Reference Medicine. I’m still obsessed with the details. Whether it’s our irreverent packaging, our super-fun stickers or the way we welcome a new employee, those little things add up. They tell people what kind of company we are.
And those details reflect something larger: Thoughtful recognition, clear communication and genuine kindness create an environment where employees and customers feel connected to the mission. People remember how you made them feel. Whether it’s an employee or a customer, I want every interaction to leave someone thinking, “That’s a company that genuinely cares.”
My perspective has been shaped by years on the customer side of the industry: I understand that every specimen supports researchers working to develop better oncology diagnostics and treatments, often under demanding deadlines. Our job isn’t to be the hero. Our job is to remove friction so scientists can focus on the work that only they can do.
Five years after founding Reference Medicine, one of the biggest surprises has been how much I still enjoy building the company.
Today, I measure success by more than growth. Hearing that a customer completed a project faster because our team solved a problem still makes my day. So does watching employees take ownership of ideas that improve the business. I want Reference Medicine to be known as a place where customers feel genuinely cared for and employees are excited to be part of something meaningful. If people still say, “I want to work there,” years from now, I’ll know we built the company we set out to create.
I’m incredibly proud of what we’re building, because better access to specimens helps move cancer diagnostics forward.
Inga Rose’s ‘Uber Approach’ to Building Her Business
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- Identified a common industry pain point: slow, frustrating specimen procurement.
- Asked a simple question: Why couldn’t the process be easier and more transparent?
- Built a company focused on removing friction and saving time.
- Combined fast turnaround times with scientific rigor.
- Created a customer experience built on responsiveness, communication and trust.
- Scaled the business without losing sight of the people it serves.
Did You Know: Every Reference Medicine shipment includes one of the company’s signature stickers. “I Like Big Blocks and I Cannot Lie” has become a customer favorite, reflecting the company’s belief that thoughtful details — and a little lab humor — can make even the busiest researcher’s day brighter.
