Meet Our Team 

Gretchen Cook-Anderson is an award-winning marketing/communications executive with over 28 years promoting the sciences (life sciences, biotech, aerospace and Earth science), global education, political candidates and major household products.

In her current role as inaugural Executive Director at Cambridge, MA-based nonprofit Ignite, Gretchen Cook-Anderson is leading efforts at the first-and-only-of-its-kind platform that’s addressing systemic racial, gender and other underrepresentation in talent across the life sciences and the biotech industry – from labs to leadership, and from the STEM student pipeline to the entrepreneurs advancing life-changing innovations. Ignite was launched in early 2021 by LabCentral, a preeminent early-stage biotech startup accelerator, as a forward-thinking, equity-driven way to support the workforce needs of the industry.

Gretchen was honored in October 2020 among the inaugural 50 Most Influential Businesspersons of Color by the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce (MetroWest region). She was also recognized in February 2021 by the Massachusetts Legislature as a Black Excellence on The Hill honoree.

She is active as a board/advisory member for several organizations including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, WorldBoston, Facing History & Ourselves, and the Japan-US Friendship Commission, and independent schools (Belmont Hill School & Dana Hall School), cares deeply about social justice, equity, and inclusion, and speaks publicly and consults on related themes dozens of times locally and globally each year.

Gretchen is an alumna of Spelman College (BA), of The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (dual MA), and of Harvard University’s Executive Education Leading Difference for High-Performance program.

Something most don’t know about her: She speaks Japanese and taught it at the university level here in the States for 6 years, and once climbed a mountain in the Swiss Alps.

Favorite thing to do outside of work: Travel globally – trying to hit places on her long bucket list, including Greece, South Africa, Ghana, the Maldives, the Seychelles and Zanzibar, and New Zealand.

Favorite science experiment: "An oldie but goodie: Making a paper maché volcano erupt in elementary school!"

Brian Madrigal is a lead program specialist at LabCentral LabCentral Ignite. Previously, Brian has been involved in the tech community through an organization called Resilient Coders - a program that trains young people for tech careers. He has completed a Web Design Bootcamp, held positions as a UX design intern and apprentice, and has lived in Los Angeles while working at Bird as an operations specialist. His background exemplifies his passion for applied learning and innovation, which is why he naturally gravitated toward LabCentral. During his free time, Brian plays soccer and produces short films. In the future, Brian wants to build a startup.

Favorite school science project: “I tested which environment a seed sprouts the fastest. I planted the same type of seeds in soil, a water container, and a humid sponge then added the necessary nutrients to all environments and the seeds that sprouted the fastest were in a humid sponge.”

Sara Murji is a Communications & Program Specialist on the Ignite team at LabCentral, which is working to address systemic racial and gender underrepresentation in the life sciences. Sara coordinates Ignite events and manages all Ignite communications, including social media, website content, and newsletters. She also leads and assists with project management to support Ignite’s programmatic work, like the Ignite Golden Tickets & Fellowship, DEI Leadership Training, and Career Forge.

Prior to joining the team at LabCentral, Sara worked in public education advocacy as the Communications & Public Affairs Director for the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents in Nashville, TN. She studied Human & Organizational Development and Child Studies at Vanderbilt University.

In her free time, Sara loves trying new restaurants with her fiancé, listening to podcasts, bingeing true crime shows, and snuggling her cat, Nori.

Favorite school science project: I may be shunned for saying this at LabCentral, but science was never my favorite subject. I always loved science projects that allowed me to be crafty and creative, like building and painting a solar system model made of Styrofoam balls, a cardboard box, fishing wire, and aluminum foil

Rachele Ryan is the Director of Partnerships at LabCentral. In this role, she is responsible for business development strategy, resident growth and development, and leading entrepreneurship programming for LabCentral Ignite.

Prior to joining LabCentral, Rachele led the MassCONNECT mentoring program at MassBio, the Massachusetts biopharma industry association. In that role, she matched life sciences entrepreneurs and founders with seasoned life sciences professionals to catalyze and commercialize innovation. Previously, as part of the International Business Development team at the Consulate General of Canada in Boston, she assisted Canadian companies with their expansion efforts into New England and supported fast-growing startups participating in the Canadian Technology Accelerator in Boston (CTA@Boston).

She holds a BA from the College of the Holy Cross and an MA from Middlebury College.

Favorite science project: Anything marine biology! I grew up on the Long Island Sound, and we were fortunate to have many field trips that took us exploring all things on or near the Sound – from measuring the salinity of the water to studying horseshoe crabs and tide pools.

Julia Wardwell is an Associate Program Manager on the lgnite team at LabCentral. In her role, she oversees and manages the What the Heck is Biotech? workshops as well as programs that assist early-stage biotech startups.

Before joining the Ignite team, Julia worked for organizations throughout Boston that focused on giving back to communities in various ways and providing opportunities to underrepresented groups. She received her undergraduate degree from Middlebury College where she studied Neuroscience and Global Health.

When she’s not at work, you’ll find Julia in the hockey rink, trying new restaurants and/or recipes, and enjoying time with family and friends.

Favorite Science Experiment: In middle school, I did an experiment to see if dogs had dirtier mouths than humans. After swabbing the mouths of my two dogs’ and my family members’, let’s just say the results were shocking and the dirtiest mouth shall remain nameless.