No Selling, Just Helping: Inside Bullpen’s Vision for the CGT Movement.
By Sofia Prado-Irwin, PhD
Christiaan Engstrom is CEO and Co-founder of the Bullpen, an invite-only, volunteer-led club that gathers Life Science Investors and CxOs with a shared goal of helping each other.
Christiaan received his MBA from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. He has led a specialty medical clinic, an immunotherapy development company, a biologics CDMO and a cell therapy tools company. Christiaan currently serves as an advisor to multiple life science organizations in addition to leading Bullpen.
He spoke with Orange County Bio about building community in CGT, maintaining resilience, and the role of collaboration in industry growth.
The Interview
Orange County Bio (OCB): Can you tell us about where you started and where you are now?
Christiaan Engstrom (CE): I started in manufacturing, working in distribution and helping business owners improve profitability by cutting waste. That mindset carried over when I moved into life sciences, where I am focused on making operations more efficient. My early experience in tools businesses laid the groundwork for my later work in fundraising. These days, I’m more focused on growing companies than running them, and that shift has shaped how I lead.
OCB: Tell us about Bullpen. What does Bullpen do for the CGT community?
CE: As a pitcher, you work within a bullpen—and there’s a bit of competition—but you’re there to help each other, challenge each other, critique each other, and make each other better.
In life sciences, when I first joined the industry, I felt there was really a lack of community, and things were very non-transparent and siloed. Bullpen came out of my outreach to Phil Ebner at JP Morgan. I told him I was having a hard time finding my tribe, and I knew other people feel the same way. We started hosting events to bring investors and CEOs together, and the response was huge. Sponsors stepped up, core players in life sciences liked the concept, and it kept growing.
It was simple stuff, but the one rule was “no selling.”
It was simple stuff, but the one rule was “no selling.” Just get to know what the other person was doing and learn how to support them. Our mantra evolved into what it is today: “Find someone to help, repeat.” It’s so simple, maybe even cheesy, but it resonates. Today, we have 16,000 newsletter subscribers, 5,000 event attendees in the past year, and 400 lifetime members. Everybody’s there to help each other.
OCB: Can you give us a few examples of how Bullpen is moving the CGT field forward?
It showed what’s possible when people come together with open hearts and shared purpose.
CE: I’ll give you two. The first one was at our first big event at JP Morgan a few years ago. We made room for the Emily Whitehead Foundation, and they put out their bat signal and pulled in a really authentic community of people, including five or six parents of children with rare diseases that had started their own companies to cure their children. One of them was a venture capitalist whose four-year-old son had just been diagnosed with a deadly rare disease. She had been given a little bit of seed money by her venture firm to start a company to save her son. What unfolded that afternoon was quite amazing. Experts and parents surrounded her, and she walked out with board members and additional commitments for funding. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place. That day was a catalyst. It was emotional and transformative. It showed what’s possible when people come together with open hearts and shared purpose.
Another example was at the Bio International Convention. We let our members lead forums, and they filled a four-day agenda with incredible speakers and ideas. When given the chance, our community always steps up. Bullpen works because it’s built on genuine connection. Bringing people together for the right reason is something that we seem to be doing well.
I hope Bullpen is something that we do throughout our careers. It’s about developing our network, developing ourselves and helping each other. It keeps getting better because that concept is so simple and pure. My job is to nurture and protect it.
OCB: How do you work through challenges and tough decisions as a leader?
CE: You need to make sure activities happen on time and you meet the expectations you set forth. One of the hardest decisions I made was taking a company through bankruptcy. I had a strong team and board, and we came out stronger. For me, it was about execution. I got to learn from my team, and ultimately we did well—we came out of it and even grew. But it was a very difficult thing to go through. It taught me that investors want you to do one thing: stay alive.
I’m not going to accept the standard line that “the economy just stinks right now.” My experiences have instilled a desire to find a different way.
My role today in the ecosystem we’re building in Bullpen is to be a bit of a different thinker, especially when we’re looking at such a down economy in biotech. How do we respond to stay alive? I’m not going to accept the standard line that “the economy just stinks right now.” My experiences have instilled a desire to find a different way. What can we do at the grassroots level to bring new money, different money, different opportunities to our market segments?
OCB: How would you describe your leadership style?
CE: I like being part of a winning team, not necessarily being the star. I spend a lot of time behind the scenes, connecting with people and aligning groups. Bullpen has a lot of talented folks, and I enjoy bringing them together.
OCB: What advice would you give to an emerging leader in CGT?
CE: First of all, you have to be good and reliable. You have to deliver what you say you are going to do; that’s the foundation of leadership. Beyond that, relationships really matter. Start by asking the other person what they need. People want to be able to count on you and feel connected. Be human, be authentic, ask questions, and get to know people.
OCB: Looking ahead, how do you think the industry can move forward to really help those in need?
CE: I think there needs to be more collaboration amongst early-stage companies. CGT is an emerging technology, and pieces of the puzzle are everywhere. One piece alone isn’t always going to move to the next stage. We’re fragmented and it’s tough to get a return out of that right now.
Secondarily, I think we need new money to come into this space. CGT is one of the more intimidating investment spaces. So how do we bridge that gap? We tell the story effectively. We become shameless self-promoters of the groundbreaking progress and innovation we’re doing in this space. It helps to make people laugh and cry, and pull at the heartstrings. CGT may be a risky investment, but it is moving society forward. I know we can do that. I’ve seen it happen around folks in the Bullpen. We have to tell the story.
In Reflection
Christiaan Engstrom leads with humility and purpose. Through Bullpen, he’s built a space where collaboration and support drive progress in CGT. His approach—shaped by years in manufacturing, life sciences, and even baseball—focuses on building community and empowering others. Bullpen is helping shape the future of the industry by connecting people and creating opportunities for growth.