Business Talk Magazine

There is a famous saying, “A person without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder.” A strong purpose sets a person on a trajectory to create something innovative and impactful. Speaking of which, the purpose of every entrepreneur is to become an influencer in their respective field. Individuals with calling and unbending motivation set directions for others. Their leadership, reputation and credibility directly translate to business success. While there are no clear paths to becoming an influential figure, connecting and engaging with others around a shared goal is a fine idea. A fine example of this notion is Phil Gattone, founder and CEO of Neurish Networks. An electrical and computer engineer, Phil bags over 15 years of experience in software development. He is one of the few leaders in the community who shaped his childhood challenge to aid others. The following piece is his journey to becoming a self-made entrepreneur and how his creation has become a vital component of society.

AN IMPACTFUL & INSPIRING BEGINNING

Phil had epilepsy since he was a child and had terrible seizures throughout school. His first seizure happened in the middle of a night, which frightened not only him but his parents too. “They thought I was dying,” says Phil. Doctors thought it was just a single occurrence. But, he had multiple seizures; at one point, he was having 300 seizures a day. The disorder had the worse social impact on his childhood. He struggled with things that were normal to his age. He required special aid, and the other kids, not knowing what epilepsy was, made him feel isolated. However, Phil found hope in the embrace of his family (Parents, brothers and sister). Their invaluable support even helped him graduate high school with honours and finish college as well. After graduating in 2009, he moved to the east coast and started developing software for defence contractors and Govt. Organizations.  

Growing up with this seizure disorder, Phil met thousands of people like him, and very few had the same support as him. Having strong technology background, he found this ambiguity an incredible opportunity for an integrated network to help people with epilepsy. And that is how Neurish Networks came to being. While he had a good share of challenges in bringing his creation to its full potential, Neurish is now on a progressive trajectory and endorsed by many stakeholders, including users and the community at large. 

Neurish Network: A SOCIAL REMEDY FOR EPILEPSY PATIENTS

Headquartered in Washington, DC, Neurish provides applications, tools, and software to improve the lives of epilepsy-affected patients, caregivers, friends, and families. It has developed two applications:  

• FriendsWithEpilepsy.com: A social network for epilepsy-affected patients, caregivers, friends, and family. After joining, users can create profiles and connect with other people locally or globally. They can share their experiences and have open discussions with questions and answers from the community.

• EpilepsyDocs.com: This application allows users to search, rate, and review epilepsy specialists across the country. It has a customized map with locations of epileptologists across the country. All patients can get a second opinion or share their experience in the app.

Neurish ultimately aims to build a community where people with this seizure disorder can meet and help each other. The tools provide affected people with the opportunity to find genuine information, find quality care and learn how to thrive. This eventually creates a strong and nurturing support network that can help people with epilepsy live the best version of themselves.

NOT WITHERED BY HURDLES

Starting in 2015, Phil and his brainchild had to face its share of hurdles. First was marketing their products and building a user base. Being boot-strapped, it became difficult to invest heavily in marketing and build a firm presence. The second and biggest challenge has been finding a good investor. Neurish initially began through a startup accelerator and pitched their idea to multiple investors in Atlanta, Boston, and San Francisco. By now, Phil formed a team, and they were developing products for Neurish. In 2016, they found a sponsor, a pharmaceutical magnate, who helped them complete their prototype. However, the beta version had too many features, so they redesigned Neurish into an integrated platform for multiple applications. “This gave us much more flexibility and opened further opportunities to expand to other medical conditions,” adjoins Phil. 

In 2020, they applied for another accelerator, New Chip, which gave them useful insights into start-up funding, refined their pitch deck and connected with dozens of investors. After graduating from New Chip, Phil and his team have been focusing on raising their seed round of funding. Working with the accelerators, they have created a strong network of stakeholders, including financials, partnerships, clients with a growing user base, which significantly helps in marketing and reaching the audience. Although they are yet to find an investor for the rapid ascent, it doesn’t stop them from growing – on their own. As Phil says proudly, “We turn our challenges into motivation because we’re on a mission, and we’re not stopping until we succeed.”    

IMPACTFUL AND POTENTIALLY COMPETITIVE

Besides being impactful, Neurish is a highly competitive platform. Epilepsy is something that affects people and their surrounding community. Although physicians can offer medical treatment, the affected needs to connect socially for complete recovery. This is where Neurish is creating its niche. It connects people and adds significant value to their life and deep impact on the world as well. “I think deep down we all want to leave a mark, which motivates us to keep going; and that, I believe, is what every entrepreneur and investor wants,” explains Phil. He and his team are well researched on the growing digital acquisitions in healthcare and believe this is the best time for Neurish’s growth.

A CLOSER LOOK AT PHIL GATTONE

Phil’s endeavour in mushrooming his brainchild is quite incorrigible. As an entrepreneur and leader, it took great effort to communicate his vision of Neurish. But now, with mentors and advisors on board, he is communicating his vision with a large base. Phil is also very passionate about life. He loves working out and spending quality time with family and friends. The social enthusiasm helps him drive creativity within his company. At Neurish, everyone loves experimenting with ideas from every perspective. They do brainstorming to curate new ideas that can create creative solutions.  

Recently, he got married, and his wife is a major support in growing Neurish. They share a similar vision about the company, and while Phil spends hours on his passion, his wife supports him diligently. In his words, he says, “She has always encouraged me to work hard and is there for me when I am frustrated. She really keeps me going.” He is focused on raising the seed round of funding and looking for investors willing to align with their vision.

A PARTING NOTE BY THE FOUNDER

“Be open to learning and don’t compare yourself to other leaders. Be yourself and develop your own vision while also being open to other’s views and opinions. Finally, make others want to be like you.”

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