‹ Beam Therapeutics
Ch 4 · Founder Science, Operator CEO
Chapter 4 · Management
Founder-led science, operator- led execution.
David Liu invented the tech; John Evans (CEO since founding) has the harder job of turning it into a commercial drug.
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✦ The bottom line
Beam was co-founded in 2017 by Harvard's David Liu, the inventor of base editing, alongside Feng Zhang (CRISPR co-discoverer) and Keith Joung. CEO John Evans has been at the company since its founding and was just recognized on the TIME100 Health list.
↓ the brief below
How the team came together
2017
Founded by David Liu, Feng Zhang, Keith Joung with John Evans as CEO from the start.
2020
IPOs on Nasdaq at $17/share; stock peaks above $200 during the 2021 biotech rally.
2023
Stock falls below $30 amid biotech sector downturn; Beam refocuses pipeline.
2025-26
Multiple positive clinical readouts; NEJM publication for sickle cell data; TIME100 recognition.
The org · headcount
511
FTEs
Beam had 511 full-time team members at year-end 2025, of which 118 hold an M.D. or Ph.D. — a deeply science-staffed organization.
Source · 10-K · Item 1 — Human Capital Resources · FY2025 · Filed Feb 24, 2026
Alignment · academic equity, operator paycheck
Beam's executive compensation is heavily stock-based, tied to clinical milestones and the IND/BLA roadmap. Founder David Liu retains meaningful equity through his academic affiliation, and CEO John Evans's incentives are pegged to platform progress rather than near-term revenue.
↳ This is the right structure for a pre-commercial biotech: pay people based on whether the science advances, not on quarter-to-quarter results that don't exist yet.
Source · proxy · Compensation Discussion (per Beam's 2026 DEF 14A) · Filed Apr 17, 2026
⚠
Watch
Founder-scientist credentials and a stable CEO — but the real test is BLA execution, which Beam hasn't done before.
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Chapter 4 · MANAGEMENT
Founder Science, Operator CEO
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