thoughts on digital health, medicine, NYC -Charlene Ngamwajasat

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There’s a saying in tech that every company will and must become a tech company or it simply will not stand the test of time. In the last five years alone, we have seen technology’s impact on our daily lives and across industries, including finance, communication, healthcare, music and media. Retail is an industry where technology has especially made waves for both consumers and corporations alike.

E-commerce is rapidly increasing with the advent of smartphones/tablets, the growing number of digital natives, the increase in online retail options (virtual store fronts, online mega-merchandise retailers, daily deals sites, social media offerings, etc), and the multitude of payment options (Apple Pay, Square, PayPal, Bitcoin etc). According to Forrester Research, online retail sales in the U.S. are projected to grow to $414 billion in 2018 (as compared to $263 billion in 2013). Physical stores no longer serve as the only points for discovery and distribution. What we previously could only get in stores we can now get online and with a larger merchandise selection that includes both domestic and international products.

To a certain extent, this levels the playing field for small mom and pop entrepreneurs who want to set up shop with virtual store fronts that either exist independently or within larger sites (Amazon, Alibaba, Etsy, Ebay). But does this change in consumer behavior spell the end of the brick and mortar store? No, but it is about re-positioning them as branding and discovery outlets that lead to online exploration and a more multi-media multi-channel approach to sales. Additionally, we see previously online-only retailers like Birchbox, Warby Parker, Bonobos (and potentially Amazon?) open up physical stores. Why? Many customers still want to touch and feel merchandise and see if they really like a product. Merchants benefit by being able to craft an experience as well as gain customer insight and feedback.

Let’s explore how different retailers have leveraged technology to enhance operations as well as the consumer experience:

Samsung

In 2014, Samsung set up experience stores in select cities across America. A visit to the one in Nolita, NYC allowed patrons to test out the latest in Samsung’s offerings and experience how they could be used in different settings. For example, the store featured a coffee shop where you could order coffee and cupcakes using Samsung tablets, a mini-design factory where you could come up with a design and print it on totes or t-shirts or even 3D-print your designs, a music section where you could test out wireless headphones and their Milk Music offering, as well as a children’s area where you could test out games and educational toys for children. Patrons were aided by special product reps who would guide you through the exhibits and teach you how to use the products.

Rebecca Minkoff, Tory Burch, DVF, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s

There is a natural affinity that exists between fashion and technology. Great design can enhance the tech experience. Technology can lead to new mediums and new distribution channels for fashion. DVF has featured Google Glass in her runway shows and the company has designed frames and shades for the technology. Tory Burch has partnered with FitBit to design Flex accessories. Rebecca Minkoff, Macy’s, and Bloomingdale’s have their sights set on using technology in an omni-channel way which includes QR codes and discounts sent to consumers, touch screens in fittings rooms that showcase inventory offerings and enable patrons to ask for assistance, radiofrequency identification technology (RFID), and social media offerings.

Starbucks

Technological advancements have helped shape the food services industry from point of sales systems, to online ordering to e-payment. Starbucks has been a leader in this movement, offering WiFi, wireless charging, mobile payment options, a dedicated Starbucks app and the upcoming adoption of iBeacon technology.

Glade

The company many associate with fragrances and candles opened up a pop-up boutique in New York’s Meatpacking District during the 2014 holiday season. It featured a scent lab where patrons could sample the latest candle offerings, a mural made entirely of Glade candles, and 5 themed rooms featuring interactive experiences where consumers would find themselves inside a large conch shell, hear an ocean breeze, smell Glade’s Hawaiian Breeze scent, and take a photo of themselves using barcoded postcards and cameras with timer capabilities or in a fashion shoot full of rich fabrics and flowers, and the scent of Blooming Peony and Cherry in the Flirty Room. The Energized Room featured virtual reality Oculus Rift technology where patrons were invited to a multi-sensory experience of a theme-park type thrill ride through an idyllic countryside with a streams and fields full of flowers, and the scent of Red Honeysuckle nectar.

Story is a retail store concept founded by fellow New Yorker, fourth generation entrepreneur and retail expert Rachel Shechtman, which views itself as a magazine, changes every 4-8 weeks like a gallery (with themes including “Color”, “Making Things” and currently “Well-being”), and functions as a retail store. Companies that have been featured in Story include Target, Intel, as well as a curated set of small independent shops whose stories are told via small note cards about them and their products and feature their social media handles, along with a selection their products.

Lowe’s, Amazon, Alibaba

Besides POS (point-of-sales), ecommerce, and payment technologies, Lowe’s, Amazon and Alibaba have looked into robotics. Fetch Robots is a company that develops self-guided retrieval robots for light industrial companies. Rethink Robotics is another robotics company that has introduced similar technology, with a robot named “Baxter”. A joint venture between SU Labs, Lowe’s Innovation Labs, and Fellow Robotics recently introducted OSHBot, a consumer-facing robot shopping assistant. There has also been interest amongst companies related to drone delivery services.

Innovation is a part of every company’s longevity plan. It’s the way in which a company can delight consumers, improve efficiency and margins, gain interesting partnerships, connect with those creating the cutting edge, and keep itself from being disrupted. A number of companies have dedicated innovation centers meant to be digital sandboxes and collaborative spaces where innovators can come together to exchange ideas and create the next big thing. Ogilvy and Mather recently opened Ogilvy Digital Labs in NYC, as a place to learn about and invest in digital marketing solutions across sectors including Mobile, Gaming, Point of Sales, etc. IBM Watson has a home at 51 Astor Place in NYC, and it is looking into applying its natural language processing, cognitive computing and data analytics company to provide retailers with customer insights. Mastercard Innovation Lab recently held an event at its Flatiron district location featuring mobile payments solutions including Apple Pay and a MasterPass ShopThis! collaboration with Allure Magazine that featured in-context in-app purchasing capabilities for anyone reading Allure using a digital platform. Outside of NYC, California-based Plug and Play Tech Accelerator houses a Brand and Retail Innovation Center designed to connect large brands/retailers with innovators.

Innovation is at the forefront of thought leaders minds when it comes to retail, and technology plays an important role in that. However, technology is still a tool and it works well when it comes to the physical interface of our experiences in the case of drones or robot assistance, as well as when it fades into the background and seamlessly and almost magically improves the consumer’s experience. Will every company become a technology company? Yes, given our current trajectory this statement will hold true, but even more importantly, every company will become a technology-ENABLED company because the true power of technology lies in its ability to power the human experience and the realization of the human imagination .

Wrote this as a fun read for the weekdays. I’ve definitely learned a lot by exploring fields outside of my own…

1. It lets you be creative.

Just like in entrepreneurship, we all start out with similar tools and mediums (vegetables, meat, olive oil, oven, stove, grill etc). However, it’s what you do with these materials that will make you stand out. Having a special secret sauce also comes in handy.

2. It forces you to parse out what’s important.

When you have a good ingredients, or a great team, you don’t really need to do much. You nurture what’s there and let it shine.

3. It requires executive-level decision-making.

As the chef, you balance what your consumers wants and needs are (peanut allergy, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free) with your own creative license for making a great dish. This happens in entrepreneurship as well, you balance customer feedback with creating something they didn’t know they wanted but now love and crave.

4. It forces you to focus.

There are some tasks (i.e. cutting things with a big knife, decorating a cake with a delicate hand) that require your undivided attention. In entrepreneurship being able to focus helps with execution.

5. Sometimes it requires multi-tasking.

Thanksgiving or any other type of big dinner party comes to mind. It requires planning, timing, organization and being ambidextrous can be very advantageous. In the early stages of a startup, writing a business plan helps you gather your thoughts. It also is a time when you are the CEO, sales team, marketing, maintenance person etc.

6. It allows for pivoting, A/B testing and customer feedback.

Sometimes mishaps happen in the kitchen. You accidentally put salt into your dish instead of sugar, so what do you do? You go with the flow and make savory sea salt brownies instead of the traditional kind. You also A/B test your food by putting out several kinds of dips or chicken wing flavors. At the end of the night, you figure out what your best sellers are, why they sold well, and use that information when you plan your next meal/party. Instead of voting with their dollars, people vote by the ratio of food on plate/to empty plate.

7. Sometimes it requires a little bit of marketing.

Maybe you’re not known for being a great cook. Maybe people don’t know you can cook. How do you get people to come to your dinner party? (warm introduction, maybe a sample of your goods, social media etc). Maybe you made a beef bourguignon (beef stew) with beer, potatoes and onions, and it kinda sorta looks like a bowl of all brown. Several eyebrow raises are seen. Will people try it? You emphasize that the color is due to the beer you added, the roast on the beef, and the yummy brown bits that are often part of gravies that you know they already like.

Sometimes you have to make a mountain out of a molehill. Sometimes you have a limited pantry and are running low on fresh basics because a winter storm prevented you from making this week’s grocery run. So you McGyver up a meal by learning from others and looking up recipes. Or you sit down and let your creative juices roll. Puff pastry replaces homemade biscuit dough. Granny Smith Apples are gussied up with brown sugar, cinnamon, clove. The same puff pastry is filled with leftover ham, cheese, and some caramelized onions. All of your kitchen scraps go into your compost heap.

9. Team work can make the dream work.

You have a friend who is a sauce maestro. You are great at soups. Another friend has Jacques Pepin level knife skills. You are really good at business development. Your friend has great design skills. Another friend is a code ninja warrior master. Everyone has something that they are really good at and working as a team makes the ultimate product/service that much stronger. As an added bonus, the food community, just like the startup community, has a really supportive learning culture.

10. There is a learning curve and it requires studying, motivation, diligence, keeping an open mind, learning from others, and learning from experience.

Cooking is a craft, and arguably, so is entrepreneurship. It changes with the development of new materials, new tools, and new ways of looking at and doing things. It’s about being brave enough to take a risk, be vulnerable and share your work with the world. Failure can lead to lessons learned as well as new products.

BONUS: My recipe for Startup Chicken

Startup Chicken is about taking something almost everyone has access to and transforming it in a cost-effective (aka don’t waste anything, stretch what you have) yet universally appealing (unless you don’t eat chicken) way. It’s about taking the time to make something, taking pride in your work, and sharing it with others.

Sunday- Buy your chicken. Whatever you can afford. Ideally, you will be able to buy a whole chicken (it roasts better that way) or you can buy pre-cut or have your friendly butcher cut it up. Rub your chicken under and over the skin and in the cavity with oil/butter, and herbs (smoked paprika or lemon pepper or cajun seasoning-basically whatever you have and like). Put vegetables like carrots, celery, onion, around it. Roast in the oven pre-heated at 450 degrees (adjust for your oven) for 1-1.5hrs until juices run clear in the thigh. You can make a pan sauce with the vegetables and the drippings by adding flour and a little stock. Cut the leftover chicken into bite-sized pieces and save the bones. Make a stock with the bones.

The rest of the week is about coming up with delicious ways to use what you have. These are just suggestions.

Monday- Chicken pot pie, chicken stew or chicken casserole. Carrots, celery, thyme, onion in roux with some cream. Pop the mixture into puff pastry or crust (ok if pre-made) and bake. If you don’t have cream or pastry, throw it vegetables and chicken into a slow cooker with a little stock and you’ll have lovely stew by the time you come home. Add pasta to either to turn the dish into a hearty casserole.

Friday- Probably chickened out by now (ba-dum-bum). Feel free to switch proteins or order/eat out :)

Note: These recipes work with almost any protein and with vegetables only. Startup beef works too. I picked chicken because it’s more affordable and “startup beef” can be interpreted as “startup discord” lol

We have known each other for a while and I have come to know the type of person that you are.

-You are the kind of person who puts your heart into everything that you do.

-You are the kind of person who chooses your path rather than let others choose for you.

-You are the kind of person who is willing to run through walls to break down barriers that others have created, so future generations will have a clear path and a chance at opportunity.

-You are the kind of person who will light a flame that the world has yet to be dazzled by.

-You are the kind of person who people question. They will question your gender, your background, your education, if you have what it takes, your right to be so bold…

-You are the kind of person who will answer those questions with your achievements.

-You are the kind of person who will meet challenge after challenge. Sometimes you will succeed, and sometimes you will fail, but the knowledge you gain from both will make you stronger, smarter, better.

-You are the kind of person who was born to serve the world in the endeavors that you undertake and you will do it with honesty, integrity, care, intellect, insight, and the gusto of life that is apparent in every breath that you take.

-You are the kind of person who was born to serve the world in the endeavors that you undertake and you will do it with honesty, integrity, care, intellect, insight, and the gusto of life that is apparent in every breath that you take.

-You are the kind of person that is human and makes mistakes, but you don’t let those mistakes hold you down for long.

-You are the kind of person that I believe in. Betting on you isn’t a bet at all. It’s an investment in your future and mine as well because what you are doing and what you will create will change the world. Let the naysayers drink from their bitter cups and let us drink from the cup of life without regret.

As a blogger and generally curious person on the loose in the streets of NYC, I have the opportunity to bump into interesting people doing interesting things in the Alley. For me, the most important question to ask is why.
Here’s my interview with the founders of digital health startup and Zahn Innovation Center member Nexhealth -a company focused on care communication and coordination and above all changing the healthcare experience.

1. What is Nexhealth? How did you come up with that name?

Nexhealth is a platform for doctors and patients to stay connected outside of the clinic. Doctors prescribe patients the Nexhealth app so that patients can track their condition progress, learn about their condition, gain feedback and stay motivated, while all of the data generated by patients is analyzed by Nexhealth, and sent to the patient’s doctor. This ultimately allows doctors and their care teams the ability to gain a better picture of their patients, and for patients to stay motivated and engaged.When choosing the name we wanted something that would sound friendly and cool, but at the same time carry the company’s vision. “Nex” is a shorter version of the Latin word “nexus,” which means “a connection or series of connections linking two or more things.” In fact, our company slogan is “connecting patients and doctors beyond the clinic.”2. Why was it started?

Nexhealth was started simply because we saw the need for it. However, we can pinpoint the exact moment of insight at a clinic in Brooklyn, where our CEO, Alamin Uddin, was shadowing a physician. The second patient he ever saw was a patient his age, who we’ll call “Jay”, who was chronically ill with diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Alamin was in complete shock. One of Jay’s main issues was that fact that he found it difficult to keep up with necessary lifestyle changes, and that his doctor had no way of knowing whether he was keeping up with his conditions when he was not inside the clinic. During the visit, the doctor counselled Jay, in a fatherly-football-coach manner, for him to keep up with his diet, exercise, glucose, and medication. Jay’s only objection was that there was no way for him to keep up with all of his life style changes. In addition to this, the doctor had to cut the visit with Jay short about 20 minutes into the visit, because he had another patient waiting. 20 minutes is not adequate time to fully convey the doctor’s message, counsel the patient, explain all of his complications, in addition to the routine physical checkups, and expect the patient to go home and be fine. After seeing Jay, the doctor told Alamin that if Jay didn’t keep up with his condition, the results could potentially be fatal. However, Jay’s next visit was scheduled 3 months away. So in between these 3 months, Jay was pretty much all alone to deal with his condition and by not keeping up, he could land himself in an emergency room in very serious condition. This shocking experience is what lead to Nexhealth,3. Why is it different from other products out there?

The difference between us and the others is that we’re not just a fitness app or a remote monitoring tool. We’re a platform company, where we provide doctors and patients a virtual platform to stay connected outside of the clinic. And it is up to the physician, and the patient to utilize the platform however they see fit. At Nexhealth, we realize that one size does not fit all, especially when it comes to chronically ill patients, so we leave our platform open for doctors and patients to fully delve in and utilize it the way they see fit. The doctor will decide what is best for his patient, and the patient will decide what his best for him. We’re not just an app, we’re a healthcare solution.4. How has being a NYC/Harlem-based company affected the way you work and the way the company sees its role in changing healthcare?

Being in NYC has been a blessing. Almost every major healthcare institution is in NYC. There are big players here. However, NYC is also unique in its diversity. There are all sorts of patients here. Patients from really underserved communities to really upscale communities. Patients with diverse ethnic backgrounds, patients who are new immigrants, and patients whose families have lived here for generations. Being in NYC has taught us a lot in how to serve our users in the best way possible and we think an open platform is the best way to serve all of our users.5. Tell me a little bit about your backgrounds and your interests.

We’re a total of 8 people in the company. It started off with only 2 people, and has rapidly grown. However, part of Nexhealth is not only the programmers or the executives, it is also the hospitals and clinics that are involved with us in bringing this solution to the people that really need it. Saint Barnabas Hospital is currently piloting our service with its patients and giving us feedback on how to best improve our software to serve a diverse group of patients. A private clinic is also using Nexhealth to stay engaged with their patients.With an array of feedback, our iteration cycle is fast paced. We have 4 programmers on our team with a multitude of experience in app development and cloud based software, and we are all NYC students, 2 from CCNY and 2 from Queens College. Our CEO and officers are also all from the City College of New York, ranging from medical students at Sophie Davis to our engineers. Our board of directors and investors hail from healthcare corporations to hospital administrators who all see where the future of healthcare is headed. Not only do we want to connect patients and doctors, we also want to revolutionize healthcare to make it more fluid, connected, interoperable, simple and secure.6. Tell me some of your healthcare and entrepreneurial mantras. Who do you admire?

Our goal with Nexhealth is not just to be another boring healthcare company. We want to bring the sexiness of entrepreneurship to this field, where others like us will come in and help innovate. We don’t only take inspiration from healthcare executives or healthcare thought leaders, we take inspiration from anyone, from Pablo Picasso to Elon Musk. We want to change the world, but we also want to keep it simple. We believe the best healthcare is simple healthcare.7. What’s next for Nexhealth?

At Nexhealth, we want to impact everyone’s life. We want to rapidly build a more connected healthcare system. Besides our current partners, we are looking to work with interested corporations to help reduce ballooning healthcare costs, and also because many people derive health benefits from their employers. Our goal is to lead healthcare connectedness and engagement via technological insight. Nexhealth, in the future, is planning on building software based off of machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Things at the company are moving rapidly and Alamin and another co-founder will be taking the next semester off to fully work on the company, something they are really excited about.
Nexhealth Web site: nexhealth.co

When I was little (still am, just older), my idea of a businessperson was someone who was intelligent, busy, wore a suit and shiny shoes, was stern and wore a contemplative look on his/her face all the time. In fact, in researching the root of the word from Etymology Online, in Old English the word business was bisignes (Northumbrian) and meant “care, anxiety, occupation,” and from bisig “careful, anxious, busy, occupied, diligent”. As I get older, that’s simply not the case because there is a difference between b-us-in-ess(ence) and just abrupt busy-ness.

If you do something you love, something that lights that fire within, it shows. You can’t hide it; it’s a part of you because it emanates from you. It’s like watching a master baker kneading her dough until it’s just right so it bakes up exactly as she wants it, soft and airy with a bit of crunch on the outside, or moist and dense and filling. Or a nail artist who creates fantastic, colorful, otherworldly designs with the paintbrush of his imagination. Or a doctor whose gentle hands and gentle manner soothe a patient in distress.

Business is about connection. It’s about bringing value to people. It’s a vehicle by which change and opportunity happen. It also can be done with a pocket full of humor. After all laughter is the best medicine. Think about experiences you’ve had in the past when it came to customer service or meeting a new business associate. Did something funny work to break the ice? Did the lack of a human connection kill the deal?

Number are important. Data is important. However, so are the things that make us human, because after all the interactions we have are really always person-to-person with other things (like tech) as the intermediary. Or well for now, until the machine overlords take over*.

I love conferences. It’s the opportunity to learn new things, meet new people, and catch up with old friends and colleagues. Healthcare has quite a few conferences and they tend to be segmented into specialties, like those for internists, cardiologists, radiologists or pediatricians, those related to pharmaceuticals, life sciences, investing or digital health. As of late, what I’ve noticed is that there is a lot of overlap when it comes to topics, speakers and startups that showcase. In some ways this works because audiences may differ based on location or topics presented but in other ways, I think it would be nice to shakes things up a bit. Something else I’ve also noticed is that there is a lack of gender parity at a lot of these conferences. I’ve met plenty of phenomenal, intelligent, dynamic women who can speak authoritatively about the salient topics of our day and would love to see more of them featured as panelists, especially in light of the fact that women make a majority of healthcare-related decisions in American households.

Third, I would like to see more interesting pairings. What if we asked a caregiver to interview a CEO or vice versa? What if we asked a sociologist to interview a futurist?

I also would like to see a lot more hospitals, universities, medical schools and nursing schools open their doors to conferences, meetups, and outside entities. It’s important that the people who are stakeholders and who are involved in healthcare every day be involved in creating and commenting on the policies and innovations that will change the way in which they do their jobs. I’d also like to see more conferences or mini-conferences on weekends or evenings, making things feasible for providers and patients who want to attend. Livestreaming as well as having an active social media channel and archive that people can refer to is also helpful so people can watch, share, and comment on their own time.

We have a HIMSS (which has done so much in the field of healthcare meets technology) but why not a HERSS? A conference that puts together people from all elements of healthcare -traditional, nontraditional, and social. Also one where there is no dress code (except being clothed) and people can feel free to come as they are. It’s not what you wear, it’s what you bring to the table: an open mind, domain expertise (or not) and a willingness to learn, that matters.

I would like to see more educators, students and patients (regular people) at events. It’s important that the people who represent the future of the industry voice their thoughts and also learn from others.

RESEARCH

Epidemiologists, data scientists, students, interested parties who conduct research out of passion and purpose

Data and evidence-based medicine will represent the core of how we practice medicine and it’s important to see what’s out there, what’s been done, and what the data says so we can shape practice based on solid information.

What does the future look like in the eyes of people who dare to dream and create from those dreams?

Healthcare is made up of many entities and some people see that as a weakness or barrier, but that heterogeneity can also be seen as a strength because we can draw on unique points of view and come up with creative solutions that don’t leave people behind. Instead of asking why, ask why not? That’s what we really need in a time when the system is in flux and what we create today determines what happens tomorrow.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it’s meant to give budding entrepreneurs of any age a starting point when it comes to thinking about beginning their first entrepreneurial adventure. These books were chosen based on their readibility (easy to understand, key points highlighted, non-technical language), the information they provide, and their scope (social media, leadership, strategy, navigating the landscape, finances etc). Enjoy!

1. Start-up of You by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha

Great tips like “learn by doing”, “take intelligent risks”, and have a “Plan A, B and Z”.

2. Likeable Social Media by Dave Kerpen

Probably the best book on social media out there.

3. The Startup Playbook: Secrets of the Fastest Growing Startups from Their Founding Entrepreneurs by David Kidder and Reid Hoffman

Learn from well-known entrepreneurs what it took to start and run their companies.