Area Women in Business: Victoria Chambers, Technology

Victoria Chambers - Technology
Born: Bismarck, ND, 1974
Education: B.S., Communications, NDSU 1998
Business: Aldevron LLC, Director of Business Development
Community Volunteering: Christ the King Lutheran Church council member, Wellspring for the World (safe water projects in West Africa)

Victoria is an integral part of Aldevron—which specializes in production and purification of plasmid DNA that is used in vaccines. Although Victoria is not a scientist, she has a strong working knowledge of DNA production and develops business, handles communications, and manages the website, media relations and human resources for Aldevron, LLC which is owned by her husband Mike.

Victoria explained that the DNA vaccines Aldevron creates are much more targeted to eradicate disease than traditional vaccines. Aldevron’s plasmid DNA has been a part of the fight against the West Nile Virus in California and they have done research for the Department of Defense which now is looking for defenses against bio terrorism.

Victoria and husband Mike met at a high school science fair —always interested in the communications field, Victoria enjoyed the presentations while Mike’s interests were scientific. Then on to college where Victoria graduated with a degree in communications and Mike earned degrees in chemistry, microbiology, and biotechnology in 1997.

In 1998, at age 26, Mike started Aldevron with partner John Ballantyne. Victoria said that they were just “kids” walking into such corporations as Pfizer to prove their core technology of a proprietary method to produce and purify plasmid DNA. Not only were Mike and John very young as they started their business—they also self-financed their company start up.

After working for a non profit organization for a year, Victoria joined the small staff at Aldevron to start their client relations program, help with communications, business development, and human resources. Today, Victoria works mostly in the same areas focusing on the company website, media relations and human resources. The business has grown and currently employs 26 people in Fargo, 15 employees based in Germany and one employee in Iowa.

Victoria is inspired by local business people and specifically mentions Doug Burgum and Dr. Jim Carlson. She is also motivated by Aldevron’s competitors and is encouraged and admires people who bring faith to the work place.

As Aldevron has grown in to a major company, the Chambers’ have proudly remained debt-free while doing business. Victoria said that she has overcome financial and growth worries by taking direction and comfort from her favorite bible verses: “With God all things are possible.”(Matthew 19:26) and “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).

Victoria and her husband have two children ages two and four and Victoria spends two hours a weekend planning the upcoming week to make business and family work in tandem. She works on babysitting schedules, menus for the week and figures out her work schedule around parental responsibilities. Many days Victoria ends her day late at night when she is on the computer at 10:30 PM or so with company business. She said the late night hours actually work well in order for her to do business with international clients.

Victoria said that future business plans include increasing the company’s physical space. Currently, Aldevron has three locations and they would like to build one large building to house all operations together. She said that plans include adding on complementary services and projects as well as staying with their core technology. She stresses that the business needs to be ready to change quickly at all times to meet ever changing global health needs.

Victoria continues to learn by reading a lot of professional and trade magazines, doing on-line research, and paying attention to what clients are saying about this very specialized market. She also attends some conferences.

Victoria said she loves being in business with her husband and points to the comfort level of knowing each other so well. She added that they each have a strong respect for each other’s duties. She also said that her husband has the “big picture” in mind for Aldevron and she tends to the details.

What happens when a communications person and a scientist come together in business? ….you have a successful business like Aldevron that is changing global health.