Documenti di Didattica
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2016#B
Anecosystemwhere
startupshelpeach
other
Theangelfund,JumpstartVentures,has
backedmorethan45businesses,giving$20
millionsince2011
ByJohnFWasik
ContextMediaprovidescustomisedhealthcareinformationonscreens
at doctors' offices and other sites. Doctors can show patients digital
3D anatomical diagrams of procedures using ContextMedia
"wallboards"ortablets.
Theirmaterialisnowviewedbymorethan6millionpatientsamonth
at 25,000 medical practices or healthcare locations. More than 400
people work at the company, whose revenue last year was $63.5
million.Ithopestoaddmorethan200workersbytheendoftheyear.
AlthoughContextMediahasmadeinroadsintoanotoriouslydifficult
market to crack doctors' waiting and examination rooms it was
donewithoutventurecapitalists,whowerenotwillingtotakearisk,
Agarwal said. Support from the Chicago entrepreneurial community
not only got her company started, but it also helped the company
clearsomehighhurdles.
hadtoreconnecttoourjourney,whichwasourpassionforchanging
healthcare."WiththeJumpstartfund,shesaysshenowwantsto"pay
itforward"tootherentrepreneurs.
MertIseri,cofounderandchiefexecutiveofSwipeSense,acompany
focusedonreducinghospitalinfections,wassomeonewhofitthebill.
AlsoaformerNorthwestern student, he met Agarwal in 2012. Iseri,
28, was focused on providing a digital hand hygiene solution to
combatthe100,000annualdeathsintheUnitedStatesfromhospital
acquiredinfections.Suchinfectionscost$28billionayearinrelated
healthcareexpenses.
"Shradha became our first investor and gave us our first check for
$25,000andemployed'radicalcandor,'"inhermentoring,Iserisaid.
Thatincludeddiscussionsabouttoughdecisionsthathadtobemade
whenbuildingabusiness,suchashiring,firinganddetermininglong
termgoals.
Directguidance
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textbooksforcollegestudents.AgarwalandContextMediaemployees
ofteninteractedwiththefirm'sworkerstoofferadvice.
"We'vebeeninsevenofficespacessincewewerefoundedfouryears
ago," said Jessica Tenuta, a cofounder and head of design of
Packback. "Shradha showed us how to hire and incorporate our
valueswhilementoringus.Wemadegreatconnectionswhilebeingin
theirspace."
Fortheirpart,IseriandTenutawereinspiredbytheirexperiencesto
mentor other startups. These may be at universitybased or private
incubators and accelerators, in coworking environments or through
otherangelinvestorsandventurecapitalists.
Agarwalcharacterisedthepayoffas"thecommunalsupportthrough
learning, wellness and volunteer opportunities." She added that her
enterpriseandthoseshebackshave"abiastowardactionandscaling
tothemarket."Thatmeansanentrepreneur'svisionmusteventually
translate into revenues, profit, growth and a commitment to giving
backtothecommunityandotherentrepreneurs.
"WhenIwasagirl,mymotherpushedmeintothedeependofapool
togetmetoswim,"recalledAgarwal."Shesaiditwastheonlyway
to learn. She was one of four daughters in her family, all of whom
werepushedtoearncollegedegreesbymygrandmother."
InternationalNewYorkTimes
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