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Meet the SVC Finalist: Compass

Sydney Everett (Staff)
April 14, 2021
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On April 26, 2021, finalists will compete for $22,500 in awards in the Spring 2021 Skandalaris Venture Competition. In anticipation of the SVC finals, we are publishing a Q&A series with the finalists. Today's featured team is Compass. 

Compass is a free SMS-based medical triage platform that aims to increase accessibility to healthcare services while simultaneously reducing clinician overhead. 

Compass was a finalist in the Fall 2020 Skandalaris Venture Competition. Their 2020 SVC finalist blog is a great companion piece to today's feature and an opportunity to learn more about the venture. 

How did participating in  SVC shape your venture?

We had the opportunity to be selected as finalists for SVC 2020 as well, and it was immensely insightful to receive feedback from veteran entrepreneurs and scientists. With the feedback we received, we were able to revise our strategy and define a more rigid set of objectives for our team. 

What is your favorite part about being an entrepreneur?

Many of us on the team are only undergraduates - being an entrepreneur gives us the opportunity to support our community by applying what we learn in class and through our other extracurricular activities. 

What is the most challenging part about being an entrepreneur?

Currently, the most challenging aspect of being an entrepreneur is building a network and community that supports your venture. As students, it is difficult to capture the attention of many people. With the right network, however, we have been able to expand our venture and garner interest from numerous partners. 

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

Diversity. Building a team that is functionally diverse is the most important component of building a strong team. Having a diverse team allows a group of students to ideate, develop, and implement a product. 

What is your favorite entrepreneurial news source?

TechCrunch, Business Insider, and the Y Combinator Blog.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/compasscovid

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/covidcompass