(Editor’s note: This is the fourth of six stories honoring the NKyTribune’s ’26 NewsMakers of the year.)
By Laura Kroeger
NKyTribune staff writer
Dr. Christin Godale’s mantras are “Just Keep Moving and Just Keep Winning.”
Everyone who meets her feels the energy she exudes for the widespread growth of the scientific community in Northern Kentucky, Cincinnati and beyond. Her dreams hold no limits.
As CEO and Executive Director of LifeSciKY (formerly Covington Life Sciences Partners), Christin Godale, Ph.D. leads efforts to expand scientific research, education, entrepreneurship and job creation in the region. The organization occupies the entire second floor of OneNKY Center.
She explains, “We are a non-profit lab incubator, and we’re here to serve scientists. So when I first got here, this was described as a wet lab (a research space where scientists test chemicals, drugs and biologic samples using liquids.) Since then, we’ve broadened our story in the community and the Commonwealth. So you can think of LifeSciKY as a co-working space for scientists.
“These types of services exist all over the country and all over the world. We haven’t had a life sciences incubator here in about 10 years. So, although it’s a new concept to much of the local community, these exist everywhere. When people ask me what we’re doing differently, I love saying that we’re not doing anything different because we’re up to industry standards. The lab equipment and resources available to our scientists are top quality – no different than in primary and secondary markets. We’re really, really proud of that.”
Christin, as she likes to be called, is strategic. Instead of just targeting folks locally, she is laser-focused on a plan to find budding scientific entrepreneurs in markets across the country and throughout the world.
“We are focused on bringing people to the Commonwealth and Greater Cincinnati, and we do that by telling the compelling story of building LifeSciKY,” she explains. “I tell them you can think of us on the frontier of something new, and every entrepreneur who is part of LifeSciKY is a builder. We’re leading a movement. We’re activating life sciences strategy. And when you are part of our story, you are building with us and moving the Commonwealth forward in this industry. That’s really exciting to me.”
She sees LifeSciKY as the only entity similar to a third-party scientific incubator in the Commonwealth since it is not affiliated with any university such the University of Kentucky or University of Louisville. “Our approach is a little different, and we don’t have a true university partner. Instead, we like to partner with universities located anywhere for collaborations.
“We have a small team. I have a lab manager, and then I have what we call an executive operations fellow. We just brought another one on.” BE NKY Growth Partnership sponsors that position.
Christin earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and completed her research at Cincinnati Children’s where she focused on epilepsy, cell signaling pathways and neurobiology. As a recognized thought leader, she has authored peer-reviewed publications, contributed to editorial and policy articles, and is a frequent speaker at academic and industry conferences. She sits on several academic and scientific boards.
Since girlhood, science has been her calling. She just wasn’t sure where she would land.
“I didn’t know where that journey would take me, but here I am; a business leader in our community and in our Commonwealth in the life sciences. I love what I do because I get to support really incredible people while they’re moving forward in therapeutics, moving forward in diagnostics, moving forward in new ways to approach the lab to commercialization. That’s really special to me because you’re part of their story, and I’m always there to support them.”
After she earned her doctorate her career trajectory became clearer. In 2022 she was recruited to work for CincyTech, a life sciences investor in the state of Ohio.
“Mike Venerable, the CEO at the time, found me working with UC and Children’s. We had a conversation and he saw something in me that I didn’t. He believed in me, and had a vision for what was possible in my career. So I’m forever thankful to Mike Venerable for believing in me, because that really changed my career path.
“There are others who I have admired as I assumed this position. One is definitely Chuck Scheper. We wouldn’t be what we are today without Chuck. He continues to see something special in the city of Covington, and he has dedicated his life to making the community better. He’s taught me a lot as a business leader in this position. He has been a terrific Board chair.
“I also truly look up to Senator Chris McDaniel. I think he’s the biggest advocate for Northern Kentucky and I really respect everything he’s done for the community. Additionally, it’s been admirable for Governor Andy Beshear to come here, tour, and learn what we are about. He has become an advocate, and the funding he designated for us has made a big difference. We are a 501(c)3 so we constantly seek funding.”
“Christin has already out performed our expectations,” beams Scheper. “She is a force of nature. She sees a challenge and tackles it because she is committed to making a difference and growing the life sciences locally, nationally and internationally. Already she has nurtured relationships with governmental officials, including Governor Beshear. They are constantly kept informed along with entities where she can raise capital. The board is excited about filling up the lab. We’re getting close.”
Kenton County Judge Executive Kris Knochelmann has forged a solid relationship with Christin as well.
Christin vividly recalls, “I was giving my first community presentation. I was very nervous, and he was at the event. And before I went on stage, he told me, ‘Christin, just take the tiger by the tail.’ That always resonates with me.”
Judge Knochelmann says, “Christin has seriously raised the bar on life sciences in our region. She is tenacious and hard working. Tough and brilliant. Not one to waste time. I’m glad she’s part of the region. None of us are ever going to outwork her. She wants to change the world.”
It didn’t take long for Christin to become engrained in the NKY area. “I found that entering the Northern Kentucky business community was a true delight because they really let me grow here as a young leader and now as a CEO.
“I learned about community when I was really young. I’m from northeastern Ohio, and my dad worked at Key Bank. Some of my earliest memories were going down to Lake Erie. He would take me to pick up trash on the beach because he told me that’s part of being a community member. So that type of passion has been instilled in me since I was a girl, and that’s really what I carry throughout my career. My goal is to be an example in the community, be a friend to everyone, and genuinely care about advancing everything here.”
She said she is committed to helping the next generation succeed.
“I tell everyone this: whether you work for me, whether you collaborate with me, just keep winning. I like to empower the community and the Commonwealth by saying we are allowed to win. We are allowed to have nice things. We are allowed to be excellent. So just keep winning.
“Our next phase is growth. We want to continue to attract really cool companies here to the Commonwealth and Greater Cincinnati. We want to grow our programs. We want to grow the space. We want to do all of that. Growth is the mantra.
“Of course I’m not working all the time. I love spending time with my husband Kevin. He’s everything to me, and I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without him. He’s very supportive and thrilled about this Newsmaker Award. This award means a lot to me. I work really hard here at LifeSciKY with the community top of mind as we deliver excellence. It’s an honor to be recognized and that what we’re doing is being noticed. It’s a true honor to be recognized by the community, by friends, colleagues, and family.”
Just keep winning. Take the tiger by the tail. Expect explosive growth. With NewsMaker Christin Godale everything is possible.
(Celebrate Christin Godale and other NewsMakers at free breakfast-by-the bite (with coffee) reception and awards presentation on October 7, 8-10 a.m., at Wenzel Distillery Event Center, 412 Madison Ave., Covington. All welcome.)
