Felicia Loi
Role: Laboratory Informatics Consultant
Team: Mighty Chondrias
This month’s #TeamKC Spotlight introduces Felicia Loi, Associate Consultant on the Mighty Chondria team at Karchem Consulting. Felicia shares how a Benchling project at a small startup redirected her career, what keeps her energized about the variety of consulting work, and how she’s looking forward to exploring Upstate New York’s rivers.
Felicia's background is in biochemistry, and for most of her early career, that meant working at the bench. It wasn't until she was at a small startup in Boulder, Colorado, working more closely with Benchling, that she started to notice a different kind of pull.
"That experience sparked my interest in lab informatics and ultimately led me to Karchem," she said.
The move made sense for more than one reason. Felicia wanted to apply her scientific training to a different kind of problem-solving and stay close to the culture of a smaller organization.
"Coming from a smaller biotech environment, I also really enjoy being part of a team where everyone can contribute, take ownership, and see the impact of their work every day," Felicia said.
As an Associate Consultant, her work touches nearly every stage of a client engagement, from requirements gathering and system configuration to troubleshooting, documentation, and day-to-day client conversations. Ask her what she enjoys most about the role, and she doesn't hesitate.
"One of my favorite things about Karchem is how much my day-to-day can vary depending on the project," she said. "I love learning and being challenged, and I have had the opportunity to take on more ownership and work on a wide range of projects since I started. I feel like I am constantly learning something new, which is very rewarding."
That variety isn't just a perk for Felicia; it's the part of the job she'd point to first if asked why she stays.
"Every project is different and gives me the opportunity to learn and be challenged in new ways," she said. "We are constantly thinking through solutions to problems and learning about new things. We truly want to find the right solution for client problems."
She traces much of that mindset to how the KC team works together. Felicia has seen how expertise tends to get siloed at larger companies, and she notices the difference at Karchem almost daily.
"People are genuinely willing to share their knowledge, ask for input, and help each other out," she said. "I think that has played a big part in our ability to grow and take on more projects while still maintaining the small-company culture that initially drew me to Karchem."
That same collaborative instinct shapes how she works directly with clients. For Felicia, a strong client partnership isn't about arriving with answers; it's about slowing down long enough to ask the right questions.
"A successful client partnership is one where we work to really understand what the client needs and work together to find a solution that works for and with them," she said. "It is about asking the right questions, listening, being thoughtful about the details, and ensuring we deliver something genuinely useful. I think this is key to mitigating adoption issues and making sure the solution works for the people who will actually be using it."
She points to a recent validation project as a clear example of that approach in practice. The engagement required authoring more than 30 validation documents, no small task given how much detail and coordination validation work demands.
"I was really proud of the work we did and how we were able to navigate all of the details to successfully get the client through the validation process," Felicia said.
Her approach to problem-solving, whether the challenge is technical or a client relationship issue, starts in the same place: understanding before acting.
"My first step is usually to make sure I really understand the problem before jumping into a solution," she said. "I like to break the issue down, ask clarifying questions, and understand who is impacted and why. Taking the time to understand the 'why' helps me work through the possible solutions, prioritize what will have the biggest impact, and find an approach that will work for everyone."
Outside of work, Felicia has traded a dry Colorado climate for a much wetter one. Since relocating to Upstate New York, she's spent her free time hiking and fishing the area's waterways, with one destination in particular on her list.
"I am especially looking forward to exploring the region that is considered the birthplace of American fly fishing," she said.
For Felicia, the same curiosity that pulled her away from the bench is what keeps her leaning into new projects at KC and new corners of her adopted home state.
Learn more about the Karchem Consulting team here.
