The turning point for starting Watsi came when I witnessed a woman on a bus asking for donations for her son's medical treatment, and I thought, "Why isn't there a website to fund medical care for individuals?"

Every donation to Watsi brings us closer to a future where helping others is a natural impulse, and I encourage everyone to find meaningful work that excites them, rather than just seeking solutions for problems that don't resonate personally.

Chase, who had an idea for a website to connect people to fund healthcare, inspired me to join him in building Watsi, aiming to scale individual connections for a real purpose.

Since launching Watsi, over 10,000 donors have funded healthcare for 4,000 patients across 20 countries, raising over $3.5 million, all of which has gone directly to those in need.

In the early days of Watsi, we decided that 100% of every donation would fund healthcare, we would be the most transparent organization, and we would treat everyone with respect and dignity. On August 23, 2010, we launched Watsi after a year and a half of preparation, and our initial goal was to fund healthcare for 10 patients in the first six months. We achieved that goal within the first couple of hours after launch.

I faced significant challenges in fundraising, as I had no connections in Silicon Valley and struggled to secure initial funding for Watsi. No one wants to be the first person to take a gamble and support you.

Despite being featured on TechCrunch, I felt overwhelmed by the reality of our operations, which were chaotic and unstructured, leading me to quit my job to work on Watsi full-time.

Before starting Watsi, I traveled, worked, and studied in over 20 countries, including launching a national health program in Haiti and serving in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica.

Watsi is the first global crowdfunding platform for healthcare, allowing people to see photos and read stories of patients worldwide who need life-changing healthcare but cannot afford it.