Career and family are often presented as two opposing priorities, especially when building a tech startup. Entrepreneurship requires dedication and sacrifice, but that doesn’t necessarily have to look like a single, childless founder going at it alone that we often picture from pop culture depictions.
Shelley Vaisberg, Chief Clinical Officer and co-founder of Brainbot, a digital concussion recovery assistant, along with her partner Adam Shedletzky, who is also CEO of the health tech startup, are a prime example of people breaking the mold of the typical tech entrepreneurs. As partners in life and business, Shelley and Adam are building a successful startup all while raising two young daughters.
This month, Brainbot was selected as the only Canadian company to participate in Techstars Healthcare Accelerator. Techstars is the most active pre-seed investor in the world and the accelerator will provide Brainbot with funding and fundraising opportunities, workshops and curated resources, as well as in-depth engagement with the world’s largest health insurance company and leading U.S.-based payers and providers.
As they kick off this exciting new chapter, Techtalent.ca sat down with Shelley and Adam to learn more about their journey with Brainbot and how they balance their working relationship as life partners and parents.
To begin, can you tell us about Brainbot and how you came to co-found it together?
SV: Brainbot is the world’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered Concussion Recovery Assistant that empowers people to take control of their recovery journey. Leveraging clinical best practices and artificial intelligence, it provides personalized, accessible, real-time education and guidance that people with persistent concussion symptoms can use to help manage their symptom triggers and confidently return to daily activities.
In terms of our founding story, I have experienced a concussion from both an expert and patient perspective. As an Occupational Therapist (OT), I saw firsthand that many patients with persistent concussion symptoms unnecessarily suffer for years due to a lack of access to the right tools at the right time. I then experienced this challenge first-hand after suffering from a concussion and Adam also felt this as my caregiver as he supported my recovery. We decided to create Brainbot to bridge this gap on all sides.
People often warn against going into business with a friend, let alone your partner! What are some of the benefits you have experienced in co-founding a business together?
AS: We hear this a lot, and I understand why many people would be hesitant but I think many of the benefits are overlooked. In business, it is critical to trust your partner and be on the same page working towards the same goal. Shelley and I trust each other infinitely and we are equally invested in the success of Brainbot. Beyond our passion and belief in the solution we’ve created, we are both also working to support our family which is a huge motivator. We understand each other’s communication styles and have full visibility into each other’s schedules so we can support each other accordingly. Entrepreneurship comes with many challenges and stressors and at times it can be hard to turn off after work especially when we work together, but ultimately being able to support each other through this journey has been very rewarding.
While Brainbot is your brainchild, you also have two daughters together – how do you balance entrepreneurship with raising a family?
SV: Building a company from the ground up is very demanding, but entrepreneurship also affords more flexibility than a traditional 9 to 5. Working together, we can set schedules that work best for our family. When I need to pull back to prioritize our family, Adam is there to pick up the slack and vice versa. Raising a family also takes a village of our friends and family who support us! Of course, there are still moments when balancing everything can be overwhelming and challenging, but open communication is key.
AS: I agree, no working parents have the perfect schedule but our setup works for us right now, and we have the flexibility to adapt our schedule as our needs change.
You both come from very different career backgrounds – how have your diverse experiences lent themselves to building a health tech startup?
SV: As I mentioned, my professional experience as an OT and my personal experience with a concussion were the driving factors in us creating Brainbot. With 10 years of experience treating people living with traumatic brain injuries and extensive training in concussion management and cognitive rehabilitation, I am the subject matter expert for our team. I have a heavy hand in developing and vetting the content for Brainbot.
AS: As CEO, I lead Brainbot’s business development which is where my strengths lie. I have a bit of an eclectic background that has lent itself to the jack-of-all-trades approach required when building a startup. I am a trained lawyer and management consultant but have also worked for the government on the policy side, focusing on the environment and climate change, as well as led business development for companies in the cannabis and carbon market industries. Having experience working in these dynamic regulatory environments has been really helpful as we navigate Brainbot’s growth.
What is next for Brainbot?
AS: We were recently selected to participate in Techstars Healthcare Accelerator in LA which is a huge opportunity for us that we’re really excited about. I’ll be in LA for the next three months for the program, with Shelley and our children joining me later on.
SV: With the mentorship and funding opportunities from the accelerator, we are looking forward to growing Brainbot so more people can have access to this important tool for their concussion recovery journey.
To learn more about Brainbot, visit www.brainbot.co.