Woody Butler – August 27, 2014

The interns at KeraFAST for the summer of 2014, Hilary Savage and I, A.K.A. “The Dynamic Duo.”

As summer comes to an end I find myself reflecting on the skills and experiences I’ve gained working at Kerafast. It’s been inspiring working at a company that stays so true to its mission and is growing before my eyes. In my last few weeks here I’ve caught some moments that helped define my summer. Without delay, here’s a look into a day in the life of a Kerafast intern.

Our work this summer was primarily marketing-based, as would be expected of an online biological reagent platform. I spent much of the summer optimizing our outbound marketing efforts like paid search advertising while Hilary performed competitor price research and graphic design. One amazing aspect of working at Kerafast was that it was small enough for me to be given independence but large enough to always have someone to ask for guidance. Another benefit of a smaller company was that I was able to make a tangible impact on the company in such a short time.

One of the many reasons we look forward to work is the location! Our office is located in the exciting innovation district of Boston, near the seaport. Here we are afforded access to great views of the skyline and our own little slice of nature in the nearby park. It’s also worth mentioning that the people are really what makes working here fun, as everyone is so dedicated to our mission of helping progress research. Whether it is our Business Development team engaging potential new institutional partners to help others gain access to novel research tools or our Product Management team giving accurate, honest information about these materials, everything we do has our mission in mind.

Our area in the Seaport district offers us fantastic views and a great place to enjoy lunch outside near the waterfront. You can usually find us eating together as a team.

Action shots! Here’s Amy cultivating some cell cultures in our lab. She got a record-high yield on this production cycle! On the right, our newest employee, Carlos, is preparing some cell lines to ship over dry ice. While the majority of our products come straight from the labs of academic institutions around the globe, some products still make a quick pit stop or production cycle in our office.

Working hard. Carlos and I kick back playing some ping pong. Even on the busiest of weeks, we usually find time to unwind as an office, whether it’s a ping pong match or a social hour to watch a World Cup match.

Here’s a photo of the team overlooking the Boston waterfront and financial district.

This has been just a glimpse of what it’s been like for me to work at a company committed to helping further academic research. I’ve learned so much about digital marketing and how a company can stay financially viable while supporting the scientific research community. I’ll make sure to bring back some white cowboy hats with me on my way back to Tufts. Thanks for the summer Kerafast!