During high school, Christy Lee spent more than two years volunteering at a hospital and in long-term care, where she supported nurses, patients and residents
“I was helping out with the nurse call system,” said Lee. “If patients needed snacks, I would bring snacks. If they needed someone to talk to, I’d be the one talking to them.”
Even with the call system in place, Lee recognized a significant pain point: the constant back-and-forth required for patient requests. Nurses had to enter the room to determine the patients' needs, leading to inefficiencies in communication and care.
“That’s a lot of unnecessary steps for them and additional wasted time and workload,” said Lee.
At first, Lee didn’t think this would become a business opportunity, but her experience inspired her to create PatientCompanion, an app that streamlines communication between patients and health-care providers. The app enables patients to clearly specify their needs and allows nurses to effectively manage their workloads.
“I didn’t know how to start a startup or anything like that, until last year, when I encountered Communitech during Techtoberfest,” said Lee. “That’s how I got started on the journey.”
Lee took business courses and participated in programming at the University of Waterloo and Velocity. She built a solid network during her studies and took various courses that laid the groundwork for her business. Through these efforts, she eventually validated the call system problem with over 300 nurses across Canada and the United States. Lee participated in several pitch competitions, and part of the funding she received was allocated to PatientCompanion’s first pilot program at a local hospital, which allowed her to gather valuable feedback from both nurses and patients, leading to further refinement of the product.
Lee is now among 10 founders selected to be part of the Communitech Fierce Founders Intensive Track, which started on July 31, 2024. The program provides $50,000 in matching funds, mentorship and a collaborative environment where participants can share their experiences and challenges.
Joining Lee in this cohort are the following founders:
Founders in the Intensive Track program are partnered with a lead growth coach and meet with them weekly to execute on their personalized growth plans. If they need help with something outside their coach’s expertise, they can tap into the broader network of growth coaches at Communitech. These coaches help founders take on challenges to ensure their businesses grow while they grow as leaders. Founders also take part in monthly group coaching sessions with fellow founders in the program, where they have the opportunity to connect with one another, build a community and feel supported.
Founders participating in the program receive $50,000 in matching funds to help them execute on their growth plans and grow their businesses. Communitech Fierce Founders is funded by the Federal Economic Development Agency of Southern Ontario, City of Kitchener, Google and the Province of Ontario.
“My growth coach has been amazing in terms of giving her insights into building and further expanding PatientCompanion, as well as the network that we have with the other female founders through the program,” said Lee. “The fact that I’m part of the program, I think it gives me a lot of support in terms of being able to share my journey with other female founders, as well as mentorship and networking. It’s been amazing.”
When it comes to advice for fellow founders on a similar path, Lee said it’s important to connect with users.
“Get close to the users and talk to the users a lot, especially for a health-care solution,” said Lee. “You need to solve a problem that they want to solve. So, listen to them carefully and don’t be afraid of making changes, taking feedback and listening as much as you can.”
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