Dr. Asha Parekh, Co-Founder and CEO of Frontline Medical Technologies joined The Savvy Entrepreneur recently to chat about her company's journey and about how to encourage more women in STEM, entrepreneurship, and especially healthcare startups.
Asha is a first-time CEO — no small feat in the medical device world. She and her partner have also largely boostrapped their way through regulatory approval, and are nearly ready for commercialization.
The device they've invented and are bringing to market through Frontline Medical Technologies is the world's smallest REBOA device. It's designed to stem traumatic bleeding to allow critically injured patients a better shot at getting to the operating room before they lose too much blood. Currently, 90% of trauma patients with significant internal bleeding never even make it to the OR.
Asha candidly shares some of the many challenges she and the company have faced. She offers several pieces of advice that she's learned along the way.
She also is passionate and devotes time to helping girls and young women consider STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Medicine) careers. She shares her thoughts on how to encourage more women — not only in technology careers, but also to have the courage and vision to become entrepreneurs and leaders. On average, only 19% of leadership roles in the MedTech industry are held by women. Similarly, only 10% of healthcare startups are owned and/or founded by women.
Click on the arrow to the left to take a listen! Or, if you prefer, read a transcript of the interview.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download