I joined a four-person startup called Halo in 2003, which was a significant leap from my previous role at McKenzie, and it felt like a leap of faith.

I didn't look like the typical biotech or healthcare founder; I'm a woman of color without advanced degrees like an MBA or MD, which made me feel inadequate at times.

After selling my company, I was invited to be the first healthcare and biotech partner at Y Combinator, where I could share my story and help other founders.

After college, I worked at a biotech firm but felt the slow career progression pushed me to pursue entrepreneurship, especially after a roommate suggested we start a company together.

I worked as an engineer at Abbott Vascular and a smaller startup, but I felt an urge to start my own company at 24, driven by my past health experiences.

I was forced out as CEO after a period of rapid growth, which was influenced by market changes and compliance issues that made investors nervous. David, the CEO, focused on attacking me for six months, which ultimately drove the company into the ground.

When we raised venture capital in 2003, it was one of the only deals that the firm had done at that time, highlighting the challenges of building hardware.

I had no choice but to bootstrap my company for the first year. I focused on optimizing for a fast and efficient fundraising process because I was warned that a long fundraising process could kill a company.

With dwindling funds and a working product, I was advised to join Y Combinator, which I initially hesitated to do but ultimately saw as a necessary step to keep the company alive.