Investing in the Future of Longevity and Biotech with Mila Shabalina
Wed Feb 04 2026
This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley is joined by Mila Shabalina, an investor specializing in longevity and biotechnology, for a discussion on the personal and professional drivers behind healthcare innovation.
Mila shares her unconventional trajectory from history and journalism to investing in the biotech sector. She discusses how her mother's battle with a rare neurodegenerative disease and her own near-death experience during childbirth served as catalysts for her career shift, leading her to seek a more purposeful role in supporting healthcare research. The conversation examines the intersection of compassion and investing, with Mila emphasizing the value of social awareness and the necessity of strong, collaborative alignment between founders and their investors.
Together, Alicia and Mila explore the future of longevity science, highlighting potential breakthroughs in treatment while addressing the critical ethical questions society must face as life expectancy rises. Grounded in both scientific interest and human experience, the episode offers a thoughtful perspective on how capital can be used to address fundamental human challenges.
About Mila: Mila was born in the late Soviet Union to an economist and a process engineer. She graduated from Ural State University with an MA in the History of Culture and Arts in 1999. She worked as a journalist for over a decade in Russia, focusing on interviewing business founders. She moved to the U.S. with her family in 2014. She studied entrepreneurship at Golden Gate University, Stanford, and Columbia University. In 2016, she founded DIVO, an artisanal skincare brand pioneering organic, food-grade ingredients. She joined Wealthing VC Club in 2024 and subsequently became active in the longevity space. She is a member of the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives (A4LI).
Connect with Mila: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mila-shabalina
🌐 Wealthing Club: wealthing.club
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This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley is joined by Mila Shabalina, an investor specializing in longevity and biotechnology, for a discussion on the personal and professional drivers behind healthcare innovation. Mila shares her unconventional trajectory from history and journalism to investing in the biotech sector. She discusses how her mother's battle with a rare neurodegenerative disease and her own near-death experience during childbirth served as catalysts for her career shift, leading her to seek a more purposeful role in supporting healthcare research. The conversation examines the intersection of compassion and investing, with Mila emphasizing the value of social awareness and the necessity of strong, collaborative alignment between founders and their investors. Together, Alicia and Mila explore the future of longevity science, highlighting potential breakthroughs in treatment while addressing the critical ethical questions society must face as life expectancy rises. Grounded in both scientific interest and human experience, the episode offers a thoughtful perspective on how capital can be used to address fundamental human challenges. About Mila: Mila was born in the late Soviet Union to an economist and a process engineer. She graduated from Ural State University with an MA in the History of Culture and Arts in 1999. She worked as a journalist for over a decade in Russia, focusing on interviewing business founders. She moved to the U.S. with her family in 2014. She studied entrepreneurship at Golden Gate University, Stanford, and Columbia University. In 2016, she founded DIVO, an artisanal skincare brand pioneering organic, food-grade ingredients. She joined Wealthing VC Club in 2024 and subsequently became active in the longevity space. She is a member of the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives (A4LI). Connect with Mila: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mila-shabalina 🌐 Wealthing Club: wealthing.club