This post was written by Caitlin Goss, SEMBA ’17
Last Friday, SEMBA welcomed our second Entrepreneur in Residence, Nick Donowitz, Chief Operating Officer of THINKmd. We had the opportunity to learn about Nick’s journey and discuss two case studies from his past and current entrepreneurial ventures.
Nick began his career working at the Cape Eleuthara Institute – Island School in the Bahamas and then returned to the US for his MBA and Masters in Environmental Management from Duke University. During graduate school summers he worked for Symbioscience, a division of Mars, Inc., on strategic supply chain and water purification projects in Sawesi, Indonesia. After graduating, Nick led the development of Heliae Technology Holdings, an early-stage algae biotechnology company founded by members of the Mars family. Most recently, Nick is driving the growth of the Burlington-based global healthcare company THINKmd. THINKmd has created an innovative platform, Medsinc, that aims to save the lives of children with point-of-care clinical assessment through a mobile application.
Seizing the opportunity to get more insight into this dynamic entrepreneur, we asked Nick three quick questions. Below are edited responses.
What is the biggest challenge ahead for THINKmd?
Scale and distribution. Our biggest challenge is how to get out, implement our product and prove impact. We’re working to develop a strategy that focuses on developing world distribution through strategic governmental and NGO partners as well as select US-based partnerships.
What’s the last book you read?
Reinventing Organizations by Frederic Laloux. I’m currently thinking about and working on how to structure the organization, cultivate a mission and innovate in the right way. This book offers cutting-edge advice and insight into these exact questions by exploring enlightened organizational structures and practices. The book describes “teal organizations” where self-management replaces hierarchical structure, organizations are seen as living entities and distributed leadership supports individual and collective purpose.
How do you find inspiration?
I’m inspired by watching other entrepreneurs create a future for us. It’s a “kind of magic – to see a problem and come up with a solution that didn’t exist.” Seeing something created from nothing and then implemented is fascinating and drives me in my work.
About SEMBA’s Entrepreneur in Residence Series
Throughout the year, SEMBA brings leading-edge practitioners – both executive change agents in companies and start-up entrepreneurs – to campus to share their personal experience and perspective with the students. This intimate experience provides students with unparalleled networking opportunities through direct contact with influential professionals.
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