In April, five scalable ventures with a lasting impact on society will compete in the 2021 Global Impact Award for the chance to win up to $50,000. In celebration of their achievements and anticipation of their April presentations will be featuring a Q&A series with the finalists on our blog over the next month. Today’s blog is all about Cedars Health, Inc.

Cedars Health, Inc. provides minimally invasive procedures using their biocompatible implant, which mechanically compresses the prostate to dilate the urethral channel. The venture was founded by Raphael Chung (BS ’20) and Kevin Park (MS ’20).

Cedar’s Health, Inc. was awarded the first place $10,000 prize in the Fall 2020 Skandalaris Venture Competition. Their SVC finalist blog is a companion piece this article and is a great way to learn about the venture and their founders.

How did participating in SVC shape your venture?

SVC helped us prepare our pitch deck and practice our presentation skills. We received helpful feedback about the business and financial aspects we should look more into, as well as potential challenges and mitigations we need to address. SVC connected us with experts in various fields such as investment, marketing, and product development. 

What is your favorite part about being an entrepreneur?

It can be rewarding to solve problems and come up with solutions to overcome obstacles.

What is the most challenging part about being an entrepreneur?

The most challenging part is uncertainty. Unforeseen obstacles and unidentified risks can slow down the progress and prevent us from reaching our milestones. However, we learned that there is always a way to mitigate these obstacles if we think differently.

What is your #1 tip for building a strong team?

It is important for the team members to have faith and vision in the problem being tackled and solution being developed. Team members who are passionate will likely remain interested and enjoy working on the project. Team members should also communicate with one another to work together on the same goals.

What is your must-read book?

A lot of lessons can be learned by reading Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou.

What is your favorite entrepreneurial news source?

MassDevice.com is a good source for medical device news, including entrepreneurial news.

Website: https://cedarshealth.weebly.com/