Businesswoman Vanessa Best has been passionate about fostering the growth of healthcare and entrepreneurship. It was a no brainer for our CEO when she said yes to an invitation to be a part of the recently concluded Regional Symposium and Pitch Competition hosted by Hofstra University’s Healthcare Entrepreneurship Community Challenge program.
Best served as a Community Technical Advisor for the annual competition and symposium, as part of the US Economic Development Administration.
For Best, it felt like a natural fit.
“I teach a curriculum called StreetWise as an instructor contracted by Interise for the Emerging Leaders program of the US Small Business Administration (SBA),” says Best. “For seven months, we work with businesses that have revenues of $400k up to $10m in developing strategic steps for growth. I feel fortunate to have seen these businesses double their revenue and secure million-dollar contracts. I also manage my own company, Precision HealthCare Consultants, which provides healthcare solutions for doctors, hospitals, and health systems. When I was invited to be a Community Technical Advisor for this event, it was in line with my passions for both entrepreneurship and healthcare.”
In September 2017, Hofstra University was one of the awardees of funding from the US Development Administration through its competitive i6 Challenge grant program. This feat launched the annual Healthcare Entrepreneurship Community Challenge, with a goal of training and inspiring entrepreneurs to develop marketable solutions in addressing health problems in downstate New York.
Each year, the challenge chooses to tackle a specific problem. For 2018, Best’s tenure as a Community Technical Advisor allowed her to guide people in producing viable strategies in strengthening patient empowerment through self-care and a proactive approach to wellbeing. The challenge focused on the communities of New York City and the regions of Long Island and Hudson Valley. Qualified participants go through training and mentorship sessions, with a culminating symposium where they can pitch their proposals.
“It was an amazing experience to help the participating entrepreneurs and businesses develop, test, and present their proposed solutions at the symposium,” says Best, adding that the US federal government funds many programs that entrepreneurs should utilize, such as the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs of the National Institute of Health (NIH).
Learn more about how Precision helps federal agencies through US SBA designations such as 8(a) , HUBZone, WOSB, EDWOSB and Corporate thru NMSDC by visiting https://www.precisionhcc.com/federal/