Women in Business: Anna Daily

Residence: Fayetteville

Education: B.S., biology, Arkansas Tech University; Ph.D., cell and molecular biology, University of Arkansas; postdoctoral, biochemistry, UA

Professional background: Daily was recently promoted to chief scientific officer at Namida Lab. She previously was vice president of product development and innovation and is the inventor of Auria, an at-home breast health assessment that won gold at the 2023 Edison Awards. Daily joined Namida Lab when it was established in 2019.

What is the most fulfilling part of your work? Using my passion for proteomics to develop Auria, the first at-home biological breast cancer screening test. It’s been an absolute honor and the craziest journey.

What do you think of the opportunities that exist for women in business compared with when you started? What I see now is that women are more confident reaching for those higher-level positions. As women, it is important to continue to support, encourage and build one another up in a realistic way.

There has been a renewed push in the legislature to reduce or alter affirmative action programs. Do you believe they are still necessary to provide opportunities for women and minorities? Unfortunately, as a nation, we are more divided, isolated, violent and unhappy than we have ever been. Those characteristics are not the key ingredients for a society to make good decisions on an equitable workforce. Before we can reduce or alter these programs, we must address the reason behind the symptoms and not just Band-Aid the symptoms themselves with legislative policies.

What habits or traits do you feel are most important for leaders to have? Communication, clarity, confidence and compassion. To be a good leader, you must be able to communicate well with your team, set clear targets and expectations for the company and team members, and stay focused on those targets when challenges arise. When a team member is struggling, it’s important to be able to approach them with compassion rather than judgment.

What advice can you offer to women who want a career in your industry? If there’s something you want, ask for it, push for it and believe in your abilities and value. The path to success in any field can have its challenges and setbacks. Develop resilience, adaptability and a growth mindset that will allow you to navigate through challenges and continue learning and growing. Also, find a mentor and be a mentor. Seeking guidance from those who have done it before is invaluable, and the opportunity to share your knowledge and experience will help you see how much you’ve learned and see your true value.

Who was a big mentor to you in the early part of your career? In the very early days of my post-academic career as we were seeking strategic partnerships and collaborations, I was fortunate to be introduced to Dr. Brigitte Piniewski. At the time of our introduction, she was the CMO for one of the largest reference laboratories in the Pacific Northwest. I was both completely intimidated and inspired by her. She had no qualms asking tough, hard-hitting questions and doing it in the most matter-of-fact, non-threatening way. She is, hands down, one of the smartest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with, and I’m still in awe of her ability to conceptualize the most complex concepts.

Brigitte was and is my role model for the type of businesswoman I hoped to be someday and was a huge reason I am in the role of CSO at Namida. In 2021, she was able to join Namida as our interim CMO and has been my strategic adviser and mentor.

Why do you think companies would benefit from having more women at the top? It’s all about balance. We all bring different perspectives based on our life experiences, and it’s the same with having a good balance of genders, races and ethnicities. It’s not about one being better than the other; it’s about the perspective and balance that we all bring.

What do you do to relax when not working? I enjoy spending time outside with my husband and son. From a simple evening in the backyard around the firepit to “glamping” in our camper at the river. It’s the best when we can be together, unplug and watch the stars.

What’s the most recent book you’ve read? Nonfiction: “No Bad Parts” by Dr. Richard Schwartz. Fiction: “Lord of Chaos” (Book six of “The Wheel of Time” series) by Robert Jordan.

What is something distinctive that people would be surprised to know about you? I’m a genuine introvert; however, one of my favorite things is to make people laugh. True, deep, belly laughs. It’s the absolute best feeling, and I love the energy transformation that happens in people when they are caught off guard with something funny. I find it allows minds to relax and be truly creative.