Podcasts about neopenda

Superpowers for Good should not be considered investment advice. Seek counsel before making investment decisions. When you purchase an item, launch a campaign or create an investment account after clicking a link here, we may earn a fee. Engage to support our work.Watch the show on television by downloading the e360tv channel app to your Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV. You can also see it on YouTube.Devin: What is your superpower?Sona: Resilience—the unwavering determination to overcome obstacles and solve critical problems.Every year, millions of people in low-income countries suffer due to a lack of access to basic medical technology. Sona Shah, CEO and co-founder of Neopenda, is tackling this challenge head-on with an innovative solution—a wearable vital signs monitor called Neoguard. This simple yet powerful device is already saving lives in sub-Saharan Africa and has the potential to make a global impact.Neoguard is a headband-style device that monitors four key vital signs: pulse rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and temperature. The data is transmitted wirelessly via Bluetooth to a centralized dashboard on a tablet, allowing clinicians to monitor multiple patients simultaneously. “The intent of this product,” Sona explained, “is really to alert clinicians in really overcrowded, understaffed hospitals that something could be wrong with the patient so that our clinicians can provide more timely and appropriate care to the patients that need it most.”What makes Neoguard even more remarkable is that it was specifically designed for low-resource settings. Sona shared how she and her team traveled to Uganda during the early days of Neopenda to understand the unique challenges faced by hospitals in such environments. “We saw hospitals that didn't have any functioning medical equipment. They had rooms that nurses called the ‘equipment graveyard,' just mounds of broken equipment,” she said. This inspired her to create technology that is resilient and tailored to these conditions, addressing issues like power instability and limited connectivity.Beyond its life-saving potential, Neoguard represents a significant business opportunity. With a $3.4 billion market for vital signs monitoring across Africa alone, Neopenda is poised for growth. The company has already launched in over 45 hospitals, primarily in Kenya, and is generating revenue. To scale further, Neopenda is raising capital through a regulated crowdfunding campaign on WeFunder, allowing anyone to invest with as little as $100. “What better way to scale than involve the community in our efforts?” Sona said, emphasizing the value of democratizing access to investment opportunities.Neopenda is more than just a company—it's a movement to bring equitable healthcare to underserved populations while offering investors a chance to make both an impact and a profit. Sona's story is proof that innovation and compassion can go hand in hand to create a better world.tl;dr:Neopenda creates affordable medical technology like Neoguard, a wearable vital signs monitor saving lives.Sona Shah's passion for equitable healthcare drives her innovative solutions for underserved populations.Neoguard is designed for low-resource settings, addressing challenges like power instability and broken equipment.Neopenda is raising capital via a WeFunder crowdfunding campaign, democratizing investment opportunities.Sona's resilience and vision have propelled Neopenda's growth, proving impact and profit can coexist.How to Develop Resilience As a SuperpowerSona Shah's superpower is resilience—the unwavering determination to overcome obstacles and solve critical problems. She described it as the ability to “move mountains” when faced with challenges. Sona's resilience stems from her passion for addressing inequities in healthcare. “If there's something that I'm really passionate about, I will move mountains to figure out how to make it work,” she said. This mindset has enabled her to navigate the complexities of developing medical devices, securing funding, and building a sustainable business model in underserved markets.Illustrative Story:One of Sona's most challenging moments came during the early stages of Neopenda's journey when she and her team had to establish a manufacturing process—something completely outside their expertise. Through determination and by hiring the right talent, they overcame this obstacle. Later, when funding became tight, Sona's resilience drove her to find creative solutions, ensuring that Neopenda stayed on track. Another pivotal moment came in 2023 when the company pivoted from a distributor-led sales model to selling directly to hospitals, a risky but ultimately successful decision that significantly boosted their growth.Tips for Developing Resilience:Find a Problem Worth Solving: Focus on a mission that ignites your passion and commitment.Surround Yourself with Support: Build a network of people who care about you and your cause.Invest in Self-Care: Prioritize your mental health to maintain your capacity to lead effectively.Embrace Feedback: Learn from mistakes and be open to constructive criticism.Stay Persistent: Don't let setbacks deter you; keep moving forward with determination.By following Sona Shah's example and advice, you can make resilience a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Guest ProfileSona Shah (she/her):CEO & Co-founder, NeopendaAbout Neopenda: Neopenda is a healthtech company designing wearable medical technology for under-resourced hospitals in emerging markets. Our flagship product, neoGuard, is a CE-marked, patented vital signs monitor built specifically for environments with limited infrastructure. It tracks four critical vitals, pulse, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and temperature, without requiring stable electricity or internet. Already in use across 45+ hospitals in five African countries, neoGuard has delivered over 35,000 hours of patient monitoring, helping healthcare workers detect early signs of distress and intervene before it's too late. Headquartered in Chicago and operating globally, Neopenda's mission is to close the healthcare access gap with scalable, context-appropriate innovation.Behind every device we build is a story, of a nurse who stayed calm because an alert came in time, of a baby who went home safely, of a health system that finally had the right tool for the job. We didn't set out to build technology for the sake of it. We set out to build trust, dignity, and access where it's been missing for too long. Because where you're born shouldn't determine whether you survive.Website: neopenda.comX/Twitter Handle: @neopenda_healthCompany Facebook Page: facebook.com/NeopendaOther URL: wefunder.com/neopendaBiographical Information: Sona Shah is the CEO and Co-founder of Neopenda, a healthtech company bringing life-saving innovation to underserved health systems.Her journey began while teaching in Kenya, where she witnessed firsthand the challenges facing under-resourced hospitals. That experience shaped her lifelong commitment to global health equity and continues to inform how she leads today, with empathy, purpose, and persistence.With a background in biomedical and chemical engineering, Sona has spent the past decade designing and scaling technologies that work in real-world clinical settings across East and West Africa. Under her leadership, Neopenda has developed and commercialized neoGuard, a CE-marked wearable vital signs monitor tailored to the needs of low-resource hospitals. The company has sold to over 45 hospitals, delivered more than 40,000 hours of neonatal monitoring, and launched local manufacturing in Kenya.Sona is a graduate of Columbia University and Georgia Institute of Technology. Amongst other accolades, she's been recognized as an MIT Solve Fellow, Inc 30 under 30 recipient, a UN Women prize recipient, White House invitee, and a global leader in maternal and newborn health. Her work lives at the intersection of innovation, equity, and impact, and is driven by a deep belief that everyone, everywhere deserves access to quality care.Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/sonarshahSupport Our SponsorsOur generous sponsors make our work possible, serving impact investors, social entrepreneurs, community builders and diverse founders. Today's advertisers include FundingHope, Ovanova PET and Crowdfunding Made Simple. 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In this episode of BioTalk, host Rich Bendis welcomes Sona Shah, CEO and Co-Founder of Neopenda, for an inspiring conversation on innovation, impact, and scaling medical technology in underserved markets. Sona shares how a formative experience teaching in rural Kenya ignited her passion for global health, leading to the creation of neoGuard, a wearable vital signs monitor tailored for low-resource settings. They discuss the engineering challenges of building clinical-grade hardware for hospitals with limited infrastructure, the company's growth from Maryland's Relevant Health accelerator, and the deployment of over 350 devices across East and West Africa. Sona also talks about Neopenda's next wave of products, lessons in balancing cost and quality, and the importance of community, resilience, and mission-driven entrepreneurship. Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant. Sona Shah is the CEO and Co-founder of Neopenda, a company dedicated to improving healthcare access in emerging markets. Neopenda develops innovative medical technologies—such as the neoGuard system—designed to help healthcare providers deliver high-quality care in low-resource settings. The company's mission is to make life-saving technology available where it's needed most. Sona's path into global health innovation began during a semester teaching primary school in Kenya, where she witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by under-resourced healthcare systems. That experience, paired with her background in biomedical engineering, inspired her to co-found Neopenda in 2015. Since then, the company has focused on delivering scalable, impactful solutions to countries including Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana, with a long-term goal of reaching the next billion people who could benefit from better access to care. She remains committed to advancing tech-driven healthcare solutions that make a meaningful difference in the world's most underserved communities.

In today's episode, we are continuing our “episode swap” series with an episode from the Global Health Pursuit podcast hosted by engineer turned social impact storyteller, Hetal Baman.On her podcast, Hetal tackles tough questions from the vast field of global health with a beginner's mindset. In this interview, Hetal speaks with Sona Shah the co-founder of Neopenda. Neopenda's mission is to develop affordable medical devices addressing neonatal mortality, which are tailored to the unique constraints of underserved healthcare environments in low and middle-income countries.Be sure to visit our podcast website for the full episode transcript. LINKS:Learn more about Sona Shah's company Neopenda at neopenda.comConnect with the Global Health Pursuit podcast at https://www.globalhealthpursuit.comFollow our host: WEBSITE | LINKEDINFollow us: LinkedIn | Instagram Connect with us: narrativespodcast@gmail.com | subscribe to our news Tell us what you think: write a review CHAPTERS:00:08 - Introducing New Voices04:47 - The Journey to Neopenda12:27 - Addressing Healthcare Inequities18:00 - Becoming an Entrepreneur31:03 - The Product Market Fit Journey and Growing Neopenda's Team36:24 - Navigating Challenges During COVID-19 and Restructuring Neopenda44:19 - Advice From a Startup Entrepreneur

How does vital signs monitoring address neonatal mortality in low-income countries? What challenges do medical device startups face, especially in regulated healthcare environments? In this interview, Sona Shah, CEO of Neopenda, walks us through her personal journey from studying chemical engineering at Georgia Tech to creating impactful healthcare solutions while navigating the complexities of medical device development. She shares her experiences teaching in Kenya, working in pharma, and meeting her co-founder Tess at Columbia University. The conversation delves deep into the challenges of launching a healthcare startup, the importance of culturally sensitive design, and critical business decisions such as choosing a for-profit model and restructuring the team during COVID-19. Sona provides valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs driven to solve urgent healthcare problems.Takeaways: Sona Shah's journey from engineering to healthcare highlights the importance of cultural sensitivity in medical device design. Neopenda was founded to address neonatal mortality in low-income countries with innovative monitoring solutions. The challenges of launching a healthcare startup include navigating regulatory hurdles and securing funding. COVID-19 opened opportunities for Neopenda to adapt its device for adult and pediatric patients. Creating a sustainable business model is crucial for balancing profitability with social impact in healthcare. Restructuring during tough times can lead to stronger teams and better company performance in the long run. Links referenced in this episode:neopenda.com______Support the Podcast: Click here to send in a one-time or monthly donationSubmit a Question: Click here to send in a question!Join the Podcast Mailing list: https://www.globalhealthpursuit.com/mailing-listMake sure to follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook!Email me at hetal@globalhealthpursuit.com______Thank you to our partners at CHIMUK: A sustainable and ethical handmade fashion brand transforming women's lives through knitting. Purchase one of a kind, high quality baby alpaca, and cotton handmade scarves, hats, and more! Each product comes with a special QR code linking you to a photo/bio of the artisan who handmade your product! Click here to see the impact you can make by shopping with Chimuk. >>Use the code GHP10 for 10% off at checkout!

Click on the arrow to listen to the amazing story of Neopenda!  Or go here if you'd prefer to read a transcript of our interview.

How do you solve the most complex challenges that exist in our world — preventing chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer, ensuring access to quality education for refugees and displaced people and combating climate change, to name a few. For decades, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has taken on missions that seem beyond the bounds of possibility. In the 1960s, the MIT Instrumentation Lab developed the navigation system of the Apollo spacecraft — which safely landed astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon, and returned them to Earth. Today, MIT is still taking these challenges head on. Through its initiative MIT Solve, people from all over the world pitch their solutions to massive global problems. On the podcast, we are sharing the journey of Alex Amouyel, ruthless problem solver and the Executive Director of MIT Solve. Since MIT Solve was established, Alex has been blazing a trail for people whose big ideas can change the world. In the episode, you’ll also hear from two MIT Solvers. Richard Rowe, Chairman and CEO of Open Learning Exchange, an organization that’s committed to use learning as a tool to break the cycle of global poverty and violence. Sona Shah, CEO and Co-Founder of medical device startup Neopenda, also joins us on the podcast. To help newborns survive, Neopenda created its first product, a small device (worn as a headband) that monitors the vital signs of critically ill newborns in low-resource areas. To learn more about MIT Solve, visit https://solve.mit.edu This show is produced by Hueman Group Media. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sincerelyhueman/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sincerelyhueman/support

From BioMedical Engineer to life-saving entrepreneur, Sona shares a bit of her journey from educator, to masters student, to founding Neopenda. You can learn more at Neopenda.com and if you are interested in participating in their company's growth, check out https://republic.co/neopenda

Sona is co-founder and CEO of Neopenda, a medical device company creating needs-based health solutions for high-growth emerging markets. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/therealcapitalist/message

Neopenda co-founder and CEO Sona Shah joins Scott in-studio at WGN Radio to talk newborn health. Three million babies die within their first month of life, and nearly all of those deaths occur in a developing country. Neopenda’s vital signs monitor aims to fix that.

Key Links: NeoPenda NeoPenda Crowdfunding ----- Three years ago, two biomedical engineers had the courage to travel to Uganda and discover why millions of newborns die of preventable causes. In this episode, hear how Sona and her co-founder Teresa created a social impact startup while still in grad school, and how you can tackle a Global Goal with field research. 7:50 Sona’s Story to Become a Social Entrepreneur While still in grad school, Sona and her cofounder headed to Uganda and decided to solve the problem they found at the newborn wards. 9:30 Tackling Global Goal # 3.2: NeoPenda’s goal is to help end all preventable deaths for children under 5 years old with a simple vitals monitor. 15:45 Why is the Product so Disruptive? Sona talks about infrastructure and medical device problems in emerging markets, and the valuable data that their devices collect. 22:30 Business Model and Growth Path How will two biomedical engineers grow a company to enter and transform newborn health in an emerging market? Hear how to enter an emerging market with new technology. 32:00 Create A Career Around a Global Goal Chandler and Sona share what it takes to explore a problem you care about and create a solution. “You might come out of grad school with a startup… and be the happiest you’ve ever been.” In countries where two nurses are responsible for 125+ newborns at once, a simple device that measures 4 vital signs can transform the infant mortality rate. Listen to find out how NeoPenda’s monitors work, learn about the business model, and hear the journey of a starting social entrepreneur. More details: http://www.globalgoalsproject.io/13-sona-shah/ -----