In this episode of the How I Became podcast, host Kelly Yefet interviews Tom, the founder of BenchSci, who shares his journey from aspiring doctor to entrepreneur. Tom discusses the challenges he faced in academia, the importance of antibodies in research, and how he identified a business opportunity to help scientists find better antibodies. He reflects on the significance of building a strong team, the difficulties of pitching to investors, and the evolution of BenchSci's business model. Tom also dispels common myths for future founders and emphasizes the importance of perseverance and adaptability in entrepreneurship.

Please like, comment, and give us a 5 star rating to keep the momentum going!

Need help from a fractional Marketing team? Reach out to kelly at kellyyyefet@gmail.com

We know Bumble, Tinder, and all the other dating apps... but what about a dating app for cars?

OK, it's not exactly like that, but Vivian Liu, founder of Mae - Making Auto Easy is developing a match-maker tool for consumers to find the perfect car for them.

An immigrant family, moving to Canada from China, watching her dad struggle as an entrepreneur, but ferociously still trying to succeed inspired her spirit to never give up.

In this episode of the How I Became podcast, Kelly Yefet interviews Vivian Liu, founder of MAE, a tech startup in the automotive industry. Vivian shares her journey of becoming a risk-taker, the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated field, and the importance of mentorship and networking. She discusses the impact of her family's entrepreneurial background on her own journey, the struggle for work-life balance, and the significance of choosing love over career aspirations. Vivian also reflects on the early days of building her startup, the necessity of pivots, and the myths surrounding entrepreneurship.

Please like, comment, and give us a 5 star rating to keep the momentum going!

Need help from a fractional Marketing team? Reach out to kelly at kellyyyefet@gmail.com

Ready for a deep dive into the world of entrepreneurship, fertility, and breaking barriers? On this episode, we’re joined by Suze Mason, co-founder and COO of Sprout Family, as she takes us through her inspiring journey of launching a company with a mission to make fertility, surrogacy, and adoption care accessible to all Canadians through employer benefits.

Suze saw a glaring gap in fertility care coverage in Canada and set out to tackle the financial barriers that hold so many people back from starting or growing their families. She shares the pivotal lessons she’s learned about building meaningful relationships, the power of open communication, and why it’s time to bring reproductive health into the spotlight.

But we’re not sugar-coating it. This episode touches on some vulnerable and real stories about fertility struggles, so please be mindful of the trigger warnings.

Key Takeaways:

• Sprout's Mission: Making fertility, surrogacy, and adoption care accessible across Canada through innovative employer benefits packages.
• Canada vs. The World: Fertility coverage in Canada lags behind, with only 2% of employers offering it—compared to 50% in the US.
• Entrepreneurship Lessons: Building relationships and effective communication are key to validating demand and aligning stakeholders in any business.
• Breaking the Silence: Open conversations about reproductive health are essential to break stigma and support those on their fertility journeys.
• Men in Fertility: Men play an active role, and male factor infertility needs more attention in the conversation.
• Changing the Landscape: More companies are waking up to the importance of fertility coverage, recognizing that reproductive health is critical for employee wellbeing.
• Founder's Mindset: Being a founder doesn’t mean being a rebel—it’s about leveraging skills from your past roles to create meaningful change.

This conversation will leave you empowered, informed, and ready to reframe how we think about reproductive health and entrepreneurship. Tune in!