In today’s Role Model Interview, we introduce a woman whose life transcends borders: Dr. Nada Raddaoui. Born in Tunisia, she was the first Tunisian woman to complete a doctorate in chemistry at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich – a milestone that marked the start of an extraordinary career. Today, she combines scientific excellence with entrepreneurial impact, heads the Cluster for Nucleic Acid Therapeutics at the University of Munich and is a passionate advocate for education, equal opportunities and new perspectives for women with migration experience. As an international speaker, ambassador of the Monaco Women Forum and new member of the Club of European Women Entrepreneurs, she actively shapes the discourse on leadership, diversity and responsibility.
1 Dear Ms. Raddaoui, I am delighted to introduce you to our community in today’s FemalExperts Role Model Interview and would like to start with the first question: You openly talk about the fact that your life in Europe began with a “suitcase full of dreams” and was not predetermined. Can you explain this in a little more detail for our readers?
The inner spark that told me: “You are here because your dreams deserve a chance” gave me the courage to take one step further every day, even if I didn’t know where it would lead. When I came to Europe – as the first woman ever from Gafsa – my goal was to build a life that was bigger than the limits set by my background, my circumstances or the expectations of others. Nothing was predetermined. I had no shortcuts, no networks, no certainties. For me today, this “suitcase full of dreams” is a symbol of three essential things: that you can start with zero or even minus and still achieve great things; that your background is a source of strength and not an obstacle, and: that we all have a responsibility to open doors for others. Because that’s exactly what I’ve experienced myself: that support sometimes comes just when you need it most. I know how much it means when someone says: You can do it. Keep going.
Today I am living dreams that I would never have dared to dream back then, bigger, deeper and more meaningful than I could have imagined as a young woman with that one suitcase.
2. many migrant women, including myself, usually carry a large “baggage” of automatic expectations, be it with regard to academic/professional performance, their own role or identity. Have you also experienced such patterns of expectation and if so, how did you deal with them?
I know this “package” very well. When I came to Europe, I had the feeling that I had to be twice as good to get half as much recognition. The expectation to be strong and grateful and often even the expectation to live two identities – origin and new home – perfectly at the same time. Everyone looked at me as the only girl from Gafsa who had emigrated to Germany to study. I felt the pride, concern and skepticism of others and knew that if I failed, I would not only fail for myself, but also for all the girls who would have liked to choose the same path after me.
Over time, I have learned that although these expectations are part of my story, they should not determine my life. I have come to understand that strength does not mean carrying everything alone, but recognizing what is truly mine and what has been imposed on me from the outside. Part of this journey was also redefining my identity. I often say: I am sometimes the German Tunisian and sometimes the Tunisian German and very often even more German than the Germans. That sounds humorous, but it describes something deep. Identity is not static. It is a mosaic of experiences, languages, cultures and decisions and can be contradictory. Today, I don’t see my background as a burden, but as a resource. It gives me perspectives that others don’t have. It gives me resilience, empathy and the ability to build bridges. And perhaps the most important thing: I have understood that I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. Not anymore. I am allowed to set my own standards and I hope that every woman with a history of migration finds this moment for herself. My successes are a sign that origin is not a limit. That dreams can grow. And that we all have the strength to break through expectations and set new ones.
3) I would like to build an exciting bridge to your research situation: your research on gene labeling and later on the diagnosis of genetic diseases was groundbreaking. How did you learn to combine scientific innovation with practical social benefits?
During my research, I always asked myself two questions at the same time: “Is this scientifically exciting?” and “Who benefits from it?” The latter has motivated me to develop technologies that not only work elegantly in the laboratory, but also form diagnostic innovations – for example in rare genetic diseases where early diagnosis determines quality of life and life expectancy. So for me, research has never been just an intellectual adventure that ends with a publication. Scientific innovation is only truly powerful when it finds a way out of the laboratory and into society, to the people who need it. I come from a region where many families have no access to modern diagnostics or specialized medicine. Knowledge means responsibility. Anyone who understands how diseases develop also has a duty to use this knowledge to help people.
Today, I build bridges between basic research and application, between science and society, between innovation and social responsibility. For me, this is the core of why I love science.
4. you lead a network of universities and companies working on nucleic acid-based therapeutics. What qualities does a leader need in such a complex field?
For me, leadership in this field means understanding science, connecting people and taking responsibility – for innovation, for teams and ultimately for society. In this field of science, which is developing rapidly, is highly complex and brings together universities, clinics, start-ups and large pharmaceutical companies, a leader is needed:
- Firstly, scientific curiosity and humility. There are no simple answers in nucleic acid research. Technologies such as RNA therapies, gene therapies or gene editing are constantly changing. A good leader must be willing to learn every day and at the same time accept that they cannot know everything. Humility creates space for real collaboration.
- Secondly, the ability to build bridges between numerous disciplines. I manage a network in which people from different worlds work together: Basic research, clinical medicine, biotechnology, industry, regulation. I have to be able to understand and translate these languages in order to make interaction possible in the first place.
- Thirdly, the courage to make decisions. Especially in such a dynamic field, you need someone who makes decisions.
- Fourthly: empathy and humanity. We work on therapies that can change patients’ lives. Empathy is not a soft skill, but a strategic advantage. It helps to create a culture in which innovation is possible in the first place.
- And fifthly, the ability to combine vision and reality. Nucleic acid-based therapeutics have the potential to treat diseases that were previously considered incurable. Vision without realization remains a dream. Implementation without vision remains mediocrity.
5. what was your biggest learning curve when moving from research to management?
The biggest learning curve for me was accepting that perfection is not always possible – and not always necessary. In research, perfection is an ideal. In business management, it is sometimes an obstacle. I learned to take risks in projects and to trust that we can take them.
In science, you learn to dig deep, work precisely, test hypotheses and be patient. In management, on the other hand, it’s all about making quick decisions, taking responsibility and dealing with uncertainties that can’t simply be “experimented away”. And: as a scientist, I was used to solving many things on my own. Today I know that leadership also means delegating.
And finally, I have learned that economic and human decisions are not opposites. My company works with women who are often on the margins of society. Their stories, their hopes, their challenges are part of my daily reality. Today I know that a company can be successful and at the same time a place of dignity, opportunity and change.
6. is there anything in the field of entrepreneurship that you would have liked to have known beforehand and that you would like to pass on to all (future) female founders and researchers?
Yes! Entrepreneurship is not a straight path (and that’s perfectly fine). As a scientist, I was used to processes being logical, structured and data-based. In entrepreneurship, I learned that sometimes you have to jump into the unknown, that not every decision can be perfectly prepared and that failure is not a sign of weakness, but a natural part of growth.
As a founder, you often have the feeling that you have to manage everything yourself – strategy, finances, personnel, vision. Yet true strength lies in creating an environment that complements you. People who think differently, feel differently, work differently. People who challenge you and support you at the same time.
My top 5 tips for future female founders and researchers:
- Dare to think big. Innovation does not come from modesty, but from courage.
- Build networks before you need them. Science and entrepreneurship are both team sports. Relationships, mentoring, cooperation – they are often more decisive than any technical skill.
- Don’t let perfection slow you down. Perfection is a scientific ideal, but an entrepreneurial obstacle. “Good enough” can sometimes be the most important step in getting ahead.
- Don’t forget your values. Entrepreneurship is not an end in itself. It is a tool to create impact. The “why” is hugely motivating.
- Your origin is not a disadvantage, it is your superpower. It gives you perspectives, resilience and creativity that others don’t have. Use them. Show them. Build on it.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you don’t grow by waiting until you’re ready. You grow by starting.
7 As an entrepreneur, scientist and mentor, you bear responsibility on several levels. How do you balance these roles?
As a scientist, I need depth, focus and patience. As an entrepreneur: clarity, courage and decisiveness, and as a mentor empathy, presence and the ability to listen. Each of these roles requires a different energy from me, and at the same time they enrich each other. Keeping the balance is an ongoing process that requires mindfulness, prioritization and a lot of self-reflection.
My work follows an inner compass: the desire to combine science with social benefit and to give women, especially female scientists and women with a history of migration, opportunities. This sense of purpose gives me orientation, even when things get hectic.
I have also learned that balance does not mean doing everything perfectly at the same time. Balance means consciously deciding which role has priority at which moment. Sometimes my company needs me more. Sometimes science management requires full concentration. And sometimes it’s more important to be there for a young woman who is just finding her way.
In the end, it is precisely this variety of roles that fulfills me. They keep me alert, curious and connected with science, with society and with the people I work for.
8. to what extent do networks such as the European Club of Women Entrepreneurs help to initiate change at a systemic level?
Networks such as the European Club of Women Entrepreneurs or the Monaco Women Forum are far more than just associations of successful women. They are catalysts for systemic change because they create something that individual women can hardly achieve on their own: Visibility, influence and collective power to act.
On a systemic level, such networks operate in several dimensions:
- Firstly, they change narratives. When successful female entrepreneurs, scientists and managers come together, a new image of what female leadership looks like emerges. We show that women are not only part of the system, but actively shape it. This changes expectations in companies, in politics and in society.
- Secondly, they create access. Many women fail not because of a lack of talent, but because of a lack of doors. Networks open these doors: to capital, to collaborations, to markets, to decision-makers. And access is one of the strongest levers for systemic change.
- Thirdly, they bundle voices. A single woman can be heard. A network of women cannot be ignored. Together, we can put issues on the agenda that would otherwise remain invisible: Diversity in the economy, fair opportunities, compatibility, migration, education. Networks create political and social pressure in a constructive, competent and sustainable way.
- Fourthly, they create role models and mentoring structures. Systems change when people change. And people change when they see role models who show them what is possible. Networks multiply these role models. They create spaces in which women learn from each other, strengthen each other and grow together.
- Fifthly, they combine economic power with social responsibility. The European Club of Women Entrepreneurs is a good example of this: it brings together economic expertise, entrepreneurial experience and social commitment. This enables projects that not only strengthen companies, but also promote social innovation.
For me personally, such networks are a place of inspiration and responsibility. They remind me that success is not only individual, but always collective. Together, we can change structures – not only for ourselves, but also for the generations that come after us.
9 Female empowerment is the central theme of our online magazine, so we were all the more pleased to learn that you are also an ambassador and international speaker, for example at the Monaco Women Forum. What message would you like to convey, especially for young women in science and business?
When I’m on the road today as an ambassador and speaker, I’m not just doing it for myself. I’m doing it for all the young women who are still wondering whether they are “enough”. I want to tell them: You are enough. You are needed. And the world is waiting for your ideas.
Your path does not have to be mapped out to be right. Boundaries often only exist in the minds of others, not in our own. You can dream big. You can be brave. You can be visible. Especially in science and business, women are often taught to be quiet, to be perfect, to be grateful. But innovation does not come from perfection, but from courage, curiosity and the willingness to break new ground.
Look for networks. Look for allies. Look for women who not only inspire you, but also open doors. No success is purely individual. We all stand on the shoulders of other women, and we have a responsibility to provide shoulders for the next generation to stand on.
10. what does it mean to you personally to act as a role model and how do you deal with this responsibility?
I didn’t come to Europe to become a role model. I just wanted to go my own way, study, research, find my place. But when you break through borders, you automatically become visible, and this visibility no longer belongs to you alone.
For me, being a role model means one thing above all: passing on courage. Courage to young women who doubt whether they are “enough”. Courage to women with a history of migration who wonder whether they really belong here. Courage to girls who perhaps see for the first time that someone with a similar background has achieved a professorship, a doctorate, a management position.
I bear this responsibility consciously and with a lot of respect. Because I know what it feels like not to have role models who look like you. I know what it’s like to be the first – the first Tunisian woman to complete a doctorate at the Faculty of Chemistry at LMU. The woman who went from Gafsa to Germany while everyone watched and wondered if she would make it. The Monte Carlo woman of 2021. The scientist. The entrepreneur.
And that’s exactly why I take this role seriously. I don’t want to appear perfect, I want to appear possible. I want to show that success is not linear, that doubt is part of it, that background is not an obstacle, but a source of strength.
How do I deal with this responsibility? By remaining authentic. By sharing my story, including the difficult chapters. By supporting women, opening doors, strengthening networks. And by asking myself again and again: which woman could go her own way more courageously through my visibility?
Being a role model is not a title. It is an attitude. And for me, it’s a gift because it allows me to give something back that I would have liked so much in the past: the belief that anything is possible.
Dear Ms. Raddaoui, thank you very much for this open and inspiring interview. Your story impressively shows how a “suitcase full of dreams” can become an attitude that combines science, entrepreneurship and social responsibility. You make it clear that leadership is not just about achieving your own goals, but also about opening up spaces, building bridges and taking others with you.
Her path is exemplary of a new generation of female role models: courageous, reflective, effective and deeply rooted in the desire to shape sustainable change.
About the author
Kinga Bartczak advises, coaches and writes on female empowerment, new work culture, organizational development, systemic coaching and personal branding. She is also the managing director of UnternehmerRebellen GmbH and publisher of the FemalExperts magazine .
