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When you’ve got dreams of tackling a national crisis with an innovative solution, how do you get into the room with decision-makers? How do you help to shift political policies that are needed alongside your product to truly make a difference?
When the going gets tough, how do you find encouragement as a founder who is facing behind-the-scenes struggles while living in a culture that idolizes entrepreneurs and shows only the highlight reel to the public? How do you keep your cool, and maintain your mental health when the day-to-day grind can become too much to handle?
Today on the Rank & File Podcast I am honored to sit down with Yossuf Albanawi and Gautam Chebrolu — two entrepreneurs who have been named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs for their innovative pill-dispensing bottle, Pilleve, to answer all of these pressing questions.
Yossuf and Gautam are two passionate young men who have personally experienced the devastating effects of addiction and set out on a mission to fight the opioid addiction crisis in the USA. Their pill-dispensing bottle helps to track patients’ usage, and therefore signal health care providers so that early intervention can happen before addiction strikes. The bottle and accompanying app is remarkably simple to use and is already being tested with Pilleve’s many health care partners in the States.
During today’s chat with the founders, we talk all about how they have strategically positioned the company in Washington D.C. to become a part of the opioid addiction conversation on Capitol Hill and how they are getting in the room with decision-makers. We also talk about their experience with the ups and downs of social entrepreneurship and how they keep up with their mental, emotional and spiritual health while living in a culture that idolizes the entrepreneurship lifestyle without recognizing the tough realities that it comes with.
I can’t wait for you to be encouraged by Yossuf and Gautam. They are the real deal and full of wisdom that all passionate changemakers should hear.
To learn more about Pilleve and to get a recap of the business advice shared in this episode, click here to read the interview inside Issue #17 of Rank & File.
In Today’s podcast episode, you’ll learn:
- How to get into the room with decision-makers
- How to effect political policies as a social entrepreneur
- How to cope in a culture that idolizes the entrepreneurship lifestyle
- How to maintain mental and emotional health during the ups and downs of entrepreneurship
Important links from this episode:
Pilleve
Rank & File Magazine Issue #17: Lessons Learned from Capitol Hill: How Two Social Entrepreneurs are Overcoming Obstacles in the Fight Against Opioid Addiction A Founder to Founder Conversation with Pilleve