From fleeing war-torn Lebanon to becoming a scientist, Noubar Afeyan embodies the spirit of a true pioneer. As co-founder of Moderna, he serves as an __21__ for those who take risks to make a difference. Afeyan believes that if you feel you have nothing to lose and embrace risks without being __22__ by potential consequences, you will learn the value of __23__. Nowhere is this __24__ principle more apparent than in Moderna’s development of one of the first mRNA vaccines. When the pandemic affected millions of lives and livelihoods, Moderna had the technology __25__ to respond quickly. They had developed the platform for mRNA therapeutics years in advance. “Nobody else was working on it at that time, so we were kind of all on our own at the edge,” Afeyan recalls. Instead of minimizing risks, Afeyan advises, “I would encourage people to seek out the risks that are most rewarding and take them.”