Christy Shaffer, PhD, general partner at Hatteras Venture Partners, didn’t have a career map that led her into the corner office at Inspire Pharmaceuticals or into the partnership at Hatteras Venture Partners. But the clinical scientist grew to succeed in both roles. Dr. Shaffer led Inspire when the company conceived and then built out its ophthalmology program, a business that trained many of today’s ophthalmology leaders. That experience still serves her today as she funds entrepreneurs and start-ups inside and outside of ophthalmology.