Progressing

CervoCheck, the Business of Persistence and Perseverance. 

Who would have thought that three years later Nate and I are still here?  Needless to say, there have been countless "what does this mean," "I can't believe that [...] just happened," and "YES! We have more funding!" moments. 

This is just one of them in 2012:

CervoCheck LLC has come quite a long way these last three years, receiving funding from business plan competitions, like LifeBridge Health and StartRight!, support from the ETC incubator, and a grant from the NIH. We are also continuously receiving encouragement from women, business associates, and obstetricians we meet as we seek ways to improve our technology and gain exposure in the field. After all, everyone has an experience and a story to tell or they know someone else's story.  The problem we are attempting to address and our cause has not faded or been tossed away with time, but grown and strengthen with each step forward we have made. 

Moving ahead, we hope to release more social media posts, news press releases, and fulfill the mission our company set out to accomplish years ago.  

Other Business Related Topics

To help assist this entrepreneur food-starved lifestyle, I also joined on as a marketing consultant for a small manufacturing company in California looking to start and expand a retail brand. This has widened my eyes to the changing landscape of marketing over the past decade and why the United States needs serious help if they want manufacturing jobs to remain in the United States.  Even so, there are some companies, like the one I am assisting, that are finding their niche and surviving.  The key seems is mobility. 

Personal Update:

I have visited and explored China, as well as turned 25!  26 now lurks around the corner, and Europe still lingers on the places to visit list.  However, I have been able to earn my NAUI Open Water Diving Certification and am brushing on photography, with plans to focus on underwater photography. Recently, I also ran in the So Cal Tough Mudder #1 in 40 to 50 degree weather. 20+ obstacles and 11+ miles with great friends and teammates make for a doable course.  (Pro advice:  Do not hold on to the person in front of you for guidance as you are elbowing through mud in a dark electric shock tunnel. Being shocked is inevitable if the person in front of you is shocked.)

Beginnings and Continuations

Summer 2010 has come and gone, bringing with it so many new experiences, personal growth, and continuation of the CervoCheck endeavor. Let's see, where can I begin?

CervoCheck [update]

Over the summer, the company reduced from three full time members to two. Nate and I moved into the Emerging Technologies Center (ETC) at the Eastern campus, and attempted to keep things going. Sometimes, it felt as if the both of us were lost in what needed to be accomplished, but we always managed to keep ourselves busy. The immediate goal was clear, but the end goal always seemed a bit hazy. We have fixed that issue, as we have organized and reevaluated our position and end goals. Partway through the summer, we received grant funding from the Maryland TEDCO, a $50,000 grant that will keep us going until the end of the year. Meanwhile, as we prepped for our next huge milestone (animal testing), and getting our device together, we started putting together the pieces on the business side.

Although, I said once that I couldn't define anything from my undergraduate career or Masters career as a challenge (with the mentality that if you something needs to get done, it will get done) I think I can honestly say that staying afloat with this CervoCheck business has definitely been a challenge.

New Developments

Since May, I explored Florida a bit (to say the least) and tried many new things. I was fortunate enough to spend some time in the Keys, attempt to snuba, eat key lime pie, go fishing for the first time (pier and open water), and see my first beach sunrise. I met many amazing people, and reacquainted myself with an old friend. I attempted for a while to learn Capoeira, but as soon as work picked up in August, that fell to the wayside.

Career-wise, I determined a bit more about what I want to accomplish, and I have focused on where I want to go. While age may be a factor, hopefully I can accomplish these things:

• Seeing CervoCheck go to it's full potential. I am going to try and stick with this company as long as I can, until either competitors push me out, buy me out, or we run out of money.
  
• Life Science Consulting. I want to spend a few years in the Life Science consulting field, preferably in innovative consulting. I have identified a few companies I would like to work at, and I plan on keeping an eye on them.
• MD/MBA. There are few things that are satisfying as knowing a problem inside and out. I want to get there, although there exists a slight fear that my brain is going to give out if I stuff it too much with so much information. However, to help me towards this goal I have also taken on MCAT courses and taking a class at JHU.
  

In terms of life experiences, there is still so much I want to do, but first and foremost is backpacking across Europe and exploring China. I hope to get the opportunity next summer or the summer after. After all, when I turn 25, all the student discounts go away!

And of course, here are a few additional pictures:

CervoCheck [The Experience]

Working with Deeps, Rose, and Grandpa (the other members of my team) this year has been a great experience. At the very least, I had a great time and I learned a lot. Our team dynamics are pretty laid back, but we get definitely get our work done. I remember how everyone in our program was stressed out about every single document that came through CBID in the beginning. In the early presentations, we rehearsed, recited, got nervous, and stumbled as we presented to the industry and clinical panels. Then as time went on, it became second nature, and the documents became less stressful. By the end, we were recycling through so many documents that it seemed pretty redundant some of the stuff we had to submit. However, it only attests to how much work we all initially put into the projects.

The same pattern was seen with clinical rotations over the summer. On toes and the edge of our seats the first few days of each rotation, and then falling into a burnt out glob by the end of the summer. Today, during our interview, I think Grandpa said it right when he quoted an advisory board member and key founder of our program in saying "This is medical device boot camp". It really has been. Throwing engineering, the complicated intricacies of the medical device industry and the healthcare business into one year, and expecting full understanding as well as development of ideas. It was a little bit easier than having a book thrown at you, and a lot more fun, but the same concept. I definitely enjoyed every moment of it. Yes, even the late nights or all-nighters in our lab.

Currently with CervoCheck, it seems that Rose and I are moving forward with the company, alongside another addition, Nate. Were going to be roughing it out for the next 6 months, pretty much living at our wits ends and moving things forward ruthlessly. Right now, I think it'll be fun, but I'll let you know more later. We've sat down recently with our clinical director, Dr. Aina, to plan out the next six months, and I anticipate a lot of positive changes in the near future.

On the life side of things, there are a few things I would like to comment on:

• This past weekend, we competed at MOOT Corp Competition, the "Superbowl of Business Plan Competitions" in Austin, Texas. The teams that we've met and made friends with along the way joined us in a post-business plan/graduation celebration. This included members from GlucaGo, Nanomark, and the Spanish team, as well as many new friends from the MOOT competition itself. It was a great time! If anything the MOOT competition was simply the one to end it all. Everyone we met was friendly and enjoyable to be around.
• I'm 22, and my birthday is coming up soon! I will be turning 23 on the day of our graduation. I don't think where I am now is all that bad, but I only hope I can make the most of it. There are still some things I would like to have in my life, but I'll work on them when I can. I'm only hoping I can find someone that will be understanding through my busy schedule. If anything, CBID and CervoCheck has exposed me to a new world with so many interesting people with similar motivations in life. I hope to become acquainted with many of them.
• Yesterday was our goodbye party for CBID. It was touching, full of life advice, laughter, food and drinks. I will miss everyone as they move forward in life.
  

Thank you CBID, CBID faculty, and the friends from CBID for being a part of this story in my life. Over the past year, I know I have grown and developed much as a person. I'm curious as to what the next year will bring, and in the end, I hope to be able to be someone I can be proud of when I look back.

CervoCheck [The Decision]

There has been a flurry of business plan competitions and new inspirations since my last post. The most prominent decision I have made recently was to continue on with the pre-term labor monitor project (dubbed CervoCheck) from my graduate program. The Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design (CBID) program from Johns Hopkins University (JHU) has given me quite a exhilarating and refreshing experience this past year. Not only have we won multiple business plan competitions, but we're attending the Global MOOT business plan competition in Austin, Texas this coming May. It has been a long and grueling process.

The decision to move move forward with this project is really driven by the technology, the possible impact on the obstetric community, and the simple fact that I am still 22. Rationally, I doubt I will ever be given an opportunity like this again, where I have essentially low risks and obligations. I never thought I would find myself in this position, as I never really had the innate passion to create a medical device company, especially not as an undergraduate or earlier.

Frankly, if I had to describe myself as an undergraduate, it was a finicky path. I specialized in Cell-Tissue Engineering because cells fascinated me. I always thought I would make the next engineered human brain or liver through cell manipulation. For a while, this obsession took me like a storm. I enrolled in as many biomaterial classes as I could. Around that point, I was exposed to some of my friends that had taken the Instrumentation route. After conversations with them and knowing my own inherent weakness and fear of electronics, I took it as a challenge to learn more about the field and overcome the sense of apprehension I acquired every time I saw a circuit diagram. Combined with the happiness that came along with working with my hands and the possible application post-graduation, I switched to an Instrumentation focus. There, I quickly took it upon myself to learn more about circuits, electrical components, and nanotechnology. Now, I can create circuit diagrams, PCB boards, and understand most datasheets.

I think it would also be interesting to note that when I was younger, all I wanted to do was to explore the stars (i.e. learn more about space and what makes the universe run). See? I never knew what my impact on society would be. I always dreamed of doing this, or that, to explore and create great things, but... to start a company? No. Business wasn't even that interesting to me as an undergraduate. It was a nice class to take, but I was knee deep in engineering. However, my exposure through CBID has definitely changed that frame of mind.

Right now, I'm on the edge of change, and I am very thankful for my friends' and family's support on this matter. I need to go back to work on data analysis, but I will definitely discuss more about this later.

California and Friendship

Winter Vacation

For Winter Break I traveled all over California, ranging from San Diego to San Francisco. It was a great break! The best dim sum I've had in my life is in San Francisco, the best Crepes I've had ever is in Long Beach, and my first upside down pineapple pancakes were in San Diego. A lot of time was spent partying and hanging out with friends from high school, college, and new friends that I made along the way. This vacation, spanning almost 3 weeks, rejuvenated my spirits, revitalized my passion towards life and love, showed me that there are amazing people everywhere and taught me a lot about friendship.


Friendship
Yes, they come in all types. People you can spend forever with, people you can spend days with, people you can handle for hours, and those that you limit to 20 minutes of conversation before it just naturally dies. For the longest time I always thought that being friends with someone meant that you could spend an infinite amount of time with them. hahaha. I was wrong. Here are a couple of viewpoints on friendship that I learned this winter break:

• People and friendships change. It's great when you can always hang out with the same people and talk about the same things as if time has never passed. However, when someone changes, so does the friendship. You can't expect your best friend of 8 years ago to stay the same after limited contact. Often, goals, interests, communication styles, and comfortableness levels change. At that point, your best option is to simply talk about how you've changed and see where your friendship is headed now.
  
• Friendships can't be forced. Forcing friendships is like forcing two tectonic plates to go against each other. The end result is a huge earthquake and long term damages, a result from the built up pressure of forcing the friendship together. Humans are probably never meant to be continuously forced into situations where they're unhappy. The more humans force the situation, the more bitter and resentful each person involved becomes, until in the end it all falls apart.
• Times heals a lot. Time probably doesn't heal all wounds, but it does some amazing work on fixing scars. Any disputes or resentments with friends just fade away, and *Bam* you're talking again like nothing happened, mostly because you don't care anymore about what did happen.
  

Dental Hygiene

I have spent a good 6+ hours reviewing dental hygiene products, from the electric toothbrushes to the Water Pik, reading over reviews and comments.

Electric Toothbrush
In the end, the best resource for electric-toothbrushes came from ConsumerSearch.com.

http://www.consumersearch.com/electric-toothbrushes/review

After this very thorough review, as well as my own experience with the Sonicare Flexcare toothbrush, I am going to go with buying the Oral-B. I have used the Sonicare Flexcare previously, and the Sonicare really is a mouth-numbing experience due its purely vibrational motion. While this does help with build-up, it also makes me fearful every time I think of brushing my teeth with it. In addition, supposedly the rotational motion provided by Oral-B electric toothbrushes are better in whitening and cleaning than the purely vibrations provided by Sonicare.

However, Sonicare products do look a lot sleeker than the Oral-B products. It took me a while to settle on the Oral-B simply because the Sonicare products look do look sexy. My eventual reasoning was 1) price and 2) gum/teeth care > looks.

The WaterPik
I have had my WaterPik for months now, and it works! It was recommended to me by my Dentist, and I am glad he did. I personally enjoy the squeeky-clean feeling I get every time after I use it. Compared to flossing, it is much easier to use, more thorough, and quicker. The experience is similar to visiting the dentist without paying every time. In my recent research, some great advice that I found included mixing in a little Listerine to the water bath for extra gingivitis protection. =)

Pork Buns (Tsa Sao Bao)

I made steamed pork buns (tsa sao bao) with my friend RH last night. It was surprisingly a lot less work than I anticipated and we had a good time. We made two different types of dough, one Vietnamese presifted flour packet bought from a local korean supermarket and one from a recipe in JT's Asian cookbook.

This time, they came out big and plentiful. I use to eat these by the tens as a kid. Now, I can make it and then eat my fill. =)