WEXCHANGE PODCAST

Learn about the success stories, lessons learned, insights and advice of experts from the entrepreneurial ecosystem and woman entrepreneurs in STEM from Latin America and the Caribbean.

Women STEMpreneurs: 3 Solutions to Help Combat COVID-19, EP 8

In this episode of the WeXchange podcast, we interview three women STEMpreneurs that talk about how their startups are creating solutions to help tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. These women share their thoughts on the unexpected opportunities that arise in uncertain times.

Laura Mendoza is a chemical engineer from Mexico who is co-founder and CPO of Unima, a biotech startup that designs low-cost diagnostic solutions for infectious diseases. Her goal is to give access to diagnostics to over 3 billion people in developing countries. Laura won the 2018 WeXchange Pitch Competition in Lima, Peru, and sheds light on how to turn a pandemic into an opportunity to showcase Unima’s capabilities.

Ingrid Briggiler is the founder of Llamando al Doctor, a telemedicine platform from Argentina that immediately connects doctors with patients. Ingrid is a gynecologist and obstetrician, and was a finalist in the 2019 WeXchange Pitch Competition in Asuncion, Paraguay. Her platform currently has 3 million users, and in this episode, she talks about how Llamando al Doctor has become a technological tool that helps close the socio-economic gap that exists in the access to health services in many Spanish-speaking countries.

Regina Athié, is CEO and co-founder of Cuéntame, a Mexican healthtech startup that offers online therapy through video calls with certified psychologists. Regina was a finalist in the 2018 MassChallenge Mexico and the 2019 WeXchange Pitch Competition in Asuncion, Paraguay. In this episode, Regina explains how Cuéntame adapted its content to meet the emotional and mental needs of people affected by the pandemic.

 

Show Notes:

 

Laura Mendoza

  • [1:27] – About Laura and Unima
  • [3:12] – Main operations of Unima
  • [4:11] – COVID-19 solutions
  • [6:29] – The pandemic’s impact in Unima
  • [9:11] – New work dynamic
  • [11:48] – Advice to other entrepreneurs or investors

 

Ingrid Briggiler

  • [12:32] – About Ingrid and Llamando al Doctor
  • [13:39] – COVID-19’s impact on operations
  • [15:20] – The next six months
  • [17:48] – Percentage of coronavirus consultations
  • [19:12] – Advice to other entrepreneurs or investors

 

Regina Athié

  • [22:58] – About Regina and Cuéntame
  • [25:21] – COVID-19 support kit
  • [30:14] – A spike in usage rate
  • [31:00] – Advice to other entrepreneurs or investors

 

Resources mentioned: