The Knowledge Broker Advantage of a biomedical engineer coupled with an aerospatiale engineer: How Speaking Multiple STEMM Languages Built a Groundbreaking Medical Device Company - with Dr. Anushi Rajapksa's medtech founder journey - Misti

Show Notes: Creating Your Own Path as a STEMM Professional with Dr. Anushi Rajapaksa

"If not me then who" - why you may actually be the one who should take the first step and how to get started.

What if your unique combination of STEMM degrees could solve a global health problem?

Are you a STEMM professional feeling that there is more that you can bring, wondering how to leverage your unique combination of skills and experiences?

In this episode, Dr. Anushi Rajapaksa shares how her diverse background in electrical, biomedical, and aerospace engineering led her to create Misty - an innovative portable humidifier mask that's transforming respiratory care for children and potentially changing how biological medicines are delivered to the lungs.

You'll discover:

• How to identify your unique "knowledge brokering" superpower and your purpose
• learn practical steps to start validating your ideas (even with Nobel Prize winners!),
• gain the confidence to take imperfect action because "scrappy progress is better than no progress."
• How to put together a roadmap that can get you started and later on grow

Listen now to transform your perspective from "I need more credentials" to "I already have everything I need to start."

In this episode we explore additional themes, including :

• How to recognise opportunities
• The financials of getting through the first 6 months
• How to get your opinion heard and why it matters
• Why being clear on your message is the foundation of creating opprotunities
• Why you don’t have to be part of the 5am club everyday

And much more

Episode Timeline:

• [00:00] Introduction to Multiple Hats and Dr. Anushi Rajapaksa
• [02:45] What is Misty and why it should exist
• [06:30] The two product lines: My Misty and Med Misty
• [13:00] Anushi's academic journey: from electrical to aerospace engineering
• [16:30] The undervalued superpower of "knowledge brokering"
• [21:45] Early career experiences and grant writing lessons
• [28:00] Giving your expertise a voice and platform
• [31:30] First steps in founding Misty during the pandemic
• [37:00] Morning routines and managing priorities
• [38:45] Building a roadmap with IP, regulatory and customer focus
• [45:00] The role of accelerators and mentors
• [49:30] Funding journey: from small experiments to product development
• [55:30] Overcoming the perfectionism trap in product development
• [57:30] Customer engagement strategies without marketing
• [1:01:30] Privileges and systemic issues faced as a founder

Resources Mentioned:

• Start Mate Accelerator
• Melbourne Center for Nano Fabrication

As always, some reflection time for you-

What pivot could your unique combination of STEMM skills make possible?

Discover how your apparently unrelated experiences might be your greatest superpower.

Learn more about Misti https://www.misti.com.au/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-anushi/?originalSubdomain=au

💬 Message me on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/angelique-greco

⭐️ Visit my website https://angeliquegreco.com.au/ for short bite insights and on how to start crafting your message to set you on track for the career your want (Discover, Articulate, Master).

♻️ If you like the show share it with your community!

✅ Kindly leave me a review or a simple star rating - it really helps growing the show

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/multiple-hats/id1666244822

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