Led by the charismatic Dr. Chardae Rodgers-Gamble, CEO, CR Clinical is a Contract Research Organization that provides full clinical research services and clinical trial education to pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, medical device corporations, CROs, and individuals. Launched in 2015 and located at 500 West Office Center Drive, Suite 400, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania 19034, United States CR Clinical provides a uniquely fast and efficient way of conducting clinical trials. Their Digital 1st CRO approach provides onsite, hybrid, and decentralized trials with low risk-based pricing. The Digital 1st CRO approach helps their clients in reducing trial costs and delays.
This approach allows their clients to gain visibility, control, and transparency in real-time from trial design through database lock.
Collaborate. Innovate. Educate: The CR Clinical Slogan
As Dr. Chardae Rodgers-Gamble shares, “Our Digital 1st CRO approach along with customized services helps us stand out from our competitors. CR Clinical also educates individuals and staff from other companies to help them become clinical research associates, clinical research coordinators, clinical data managers, clinical project managers, clinical project leaders, clinical project directors, and principal investigators.”
Their ability to innovate has enabled CR Clinical to embrace technology with the Digital 1st CRO Experience. This approach allows their clients to conduct clinical trials remotely, semi-remotely, or on-site. They provide their clients with full transparency to the clinical trial from start to finish of the study. With the Digital 1st CRO approach CR Clinical clients have access to determine timelines, milestones, project budgets, and forecasting in a more accurate manner which helps to reduce delays in conducting a trial. In addition, the Digital 1st CRO approach reduces the cost of vendor management.
This approach eliminates 25%-50% of the vendors involved in conducting a clinical trial as the Digital 1st CRO approach provides a lot of the vendor services all on one platform. Lastly, the Digital 1st CRO Experience reduces the overall cost of conducting a clinical trial as the cost of site management, data management, and monitoring are reduced as well. Their Masterclasses are remote which allows individuals to take any class anywhere in the United States. The internship provided is also remote, therefore all students can participate anywhere in the United States as well.
Entrepreneur, Trailblazer & Revolutionary: The Chardae Rodgers-Gamble Story
As Dr. Chardae Rodgers-Gamble tells us, “I am the CEO and founder of CR Clinical. I have a bachelor's degree from Pennsylvania State University in Life Science, a Master's Degree from Walden University in Clinical Research Administration, and a Doctoral Degree from California Southern University in Business Administration.
I started in the clinical research industry as an adverse specialist then moved into a clinical research associate role. As the owner of CR Clinical, I have played the role of a clinical research associate, clinical trial manager, clinical project manager, and clinical project leader along with fully overseeing clinical trials.” Dr. Chardae Rodgers-Gamble stumbled upon clinical research when she became an adverse event specialist and then a clinical research associate.
Becoming a clinical research associate allowed her to start CR Clinical and grow CR Clinical to conduct full clinical operations for clinical trials.
However, Dr. Chardae Rodgers-Gamble journey has been filled with uncertainties, starting CR Clinical has allowed her to help clients conduct more efficient clinical trials with the Digital 1st CRO Experience and train individuals to start their journey into the clinical research industry. As she shares, “The most vulnerable moment in my career was starting CR Clinical as I was very fearful to leave a great paying job to start my own business.
However, I believe God was truly calling me to do so, therefore I stepped out on faith, and started CR Clinical, and I believe it was one of the best decisions I have made in my career.”
Dr. Chardae Rodgers-Gamble says that her biggest highlight so far in her career was starting CR Clinical. Starting her own business has allowed her to gain great expansion in her career. As she shares, “The best thing I have done so far in my career is fulfill the needs of my clients and help others integrate into the clinical research industry. I truly love helping minorities enter the industry as there is a small quantity of minorities and entrepreneurs who are minorities in this industry.”
"The best thing I have done so far in my career is fulfill the needs of my clients and help others integrate into the clinical research industry."
Style, Advice & Goals: Leadership Lessons
Dr. Chardae Rodgers-Gamble’s leadership style is both transformational and participative. Her leadership style is transformation as she emphasizes change and transformation within CR Clinical. Innovation is important in the clinical research industry, and she likes to focus on the future, change, and on people. Great people, processes, and procedures help to grow an organization.
Therefore, she also believes that she has the leadership style of participative leadership as she likes to listen to her employees and involve them in the decision-making process of the organization. She truly relies on her staff to provide feedback on making CR Clinical a better company. As she shares, “I developed my leadership confidence and voice once I became a business owner. I knew I would have to figure out what style works best for CR Clinical to grow efficiently. Even though I am a successful business owner I still have so much more to accomplish as a leader. I want to help thousands of minorities enter the clinical research industry along with growing CR Clinical to one of the top clinical research organizations in the United States.”
Despite having a tight schedule, she manages to take time off for self-care. She has accomplished this as a leader by delegating tasks to her staff with confidence that each task will get done promptly. Delegation is the key as she used to do everything herself which hindered CR Clinical from growing. Her goal as a leader at CR Clinical is expansion and collaboration. She believes that her company will only expand by collaborating with others internally and externally. Her legacy is to grow CR Clinical and help as many people as she can enter into the clinical research industry.
Looking ahead CR Clinical’s most exciting projects and initiatives are the Digital 1st CRO Experience and their Masterclasses. She believes that collaboration, innovation, and education will drive CR Clinical growth. They will continue to collaborate with their clients to provide the best services needed to conduct clinical trials along with innovating new ways to conduct clinical trials. CR Clinical will also continue to work with individuals especially minorities to help them integrate into the clinical research industry with their masterclasses.
Dr. Chardae Rodgers-Gamble bids adieu with these inspiring words, “I would advise other business leaders to learn how to be a leader, figure out your leadership style, help others, and collaborate. I believe all these steps are needed to help your organization grow. I would advise leaders to listen to their staff and allow them to participate in the decision-making of the company. It is also important to network. I am currently a member of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the National Small Business Association (NSBA), and Diversity Alliance for Science (DA4S). Becoming a member of an organization within your industry will allow you to network with other like-minded people/entrepreneurs, may help to expand your business, and may help you meet other leaders to collaborate with on projects or services.”
