BOSS Spotlight Feature: Dr. Jasmine Weiss
What were some obstacles that you faced in the beginning process of starting your business or career? There were many challenges when I first started iDream Enterprise LLC. The first obstacle was knowing which problem to solve and how to acquire customers. I was still in my medical training to become a pediatrician and physician-researcher, so balancing a new business and completing my research training was tough. I even had to navigate starting one business with team members who weren't a good fit before having the courage to step out on my own, as a solo founder and try again. Learning how to navigate structuring a new business and finding the ideal customer wasn't easy and remains a continuous process. It speaks to the adaptability and flexibility you must have while figuring out who your target audience is and exactly what service to offer. Ultimately, we want to help Black and Brown physicians and physicians in training along their career journey to increase representation in medicine and alleviate health disparities in marginalized communities.
What inspired you to break into your industry? My passion for becoming an entrepreneur started because of my personal experiences and the challenges I faced in childhood and along my journey to becoming a physician. As a premature baby, I frequently visited the pediatrician due to severe asthma. This experience inspired me to pursue a medical career. Along my journey to becoming a physician, I had parents who were supportive and resourceful, but they did not know how to navigate this career path. My mother's career in technology inspired my interest in innovation, while my dad's career as a roofing entrepreneur inspired my passion for entrepreneurship.Attending Florida A&M University, an HBCU, highlighted the value of community and Black excellence, which more deeply instilled in me the importance of working collectively to achieve success. This wisdom helped me in medical school at Duke University School of Medicine, where there were so few Black physicians in training. As a student, I was repeatedly reminded that the Black community suffers more from health disparities, such as higher maternal and infant mortality rates and diseases like heart disease, fibroids, and prostate cancer. As a pediatrician in training at Emory School of Medicine, I often felt isolated, especially since I was one of two Black residents out of 80 during my first year of residency. I witnessed how this translated into bias in patient care and learned how the lack of representation contributed to less access to high-quality care for the Black community. Despite these challenges, I helped found a resident diversity committee and led initiatives to increase representation in healthcare. During my fellowship at Yale School of Medicine in the National Clinician Scholar Program, I learned how to tackle some of the challenges in increasing representation in medicine by creating new research and providing evidence to support why this is important. Currently, I am an Assistant Professor at UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, and I am continuously refining my research skills by exploring the impact of HBCUs on the physician workforce pipeline while providing the best patient care possible to children in North Carolina. This journey to becoming a physician and conducting research further ignited my passion for making a change for my community, my peers, and the profession, even outside of my academic endeavors through entrepreneurship.
Becoming an entrepreneur allowed me to leverage my life experiences, skills as a physician, community-building skills, and passion for innovation to create iDream Enterprise, LLC. Through our 2022 Health Career Bootcamps and our newest initiative, Black Med Connect (B-MED), our goal is to empower Black students and medical professionals. We aim to increase representation in the healthcare workforce and alleviate health disparities. We plan to do this by launching our online network to connect Black physicians and physicians in training both personally and professionally this Fall.
How do you balance your personal and professional life, or have you been able to find a balance? I have found balance by keeping everything in life in perspective. For me, my faith is most important as a Christian. I feel like I am here for a purpose, which has kept me going no matter what challenges or obstacles have come along the journey to becoming a physician and an entrepreneur. Next for me is my family. I always want to make sure I spend as much time with them as possible, doing fun things, being there for moments, and sharing moments with my friends who have supported me over the years. Then comes my career and business, fulfilling my purpose. I've also learned that it is very important to make time for myself because so many responsibilities that I’m balancing can lead to feeling burned out. So, I make sure to plan relaxation time, time to have fun with those that I love, and time for some self-care every once in a while, to stay balanced. I recognize that if I don’t take care of myself, I can’t take care of others, whether that be my patients, my research responsibilities, those that I love, or my customers.
What is an inspirational quote that you live by? An inspirational quote I live by is actually my favorite scripture, Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV): 'Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Who were some influential people or mentors that helped or encouraged you along the way? My most influential mentor has been my mother. She's always been a sounding board throughout my life and has shared great wisdom with me over the years. She's been there as I navigated the long journey to becoming a physician and now as I pursue my dreams of being a physician entrepreneur. She's such an inspiration, with how she lives her life, serves the Lord, and looks out for our family. She manages all of this while working hard in the global technology sector, specifically on the mobile app team for one of the largest banks, in her role as a Release Train Engineer on an Agile team. She's been in the technology industry for four decades. My father has also been instrumental in my life, providing guidance and support along the way, and he's an entrepreneur who has owned his own roofing company in the past and is a Coast Guard veteran.
Throughout my journey, I've had many mentors, including Dr. Jonathan Edwards, my first mentor as a high school student. He allowed me to shadow patients in is Internal Medicine office, even though I was a high school student, allowing me to start learning what it's like to care for patients at an early age. Over the years in medicine, I've been fortunate to have many phenomenal mentors, from Dr. Brenda Armstrong, one of the first Black women cardiologists in this country during medical school, to mentors like Dr. Stephanie Holt in my residency program and Dr. Ingenia Genao and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith during my fellowship training. Now, as a practicing physician and assistant professor at UNC Chapel Hill, I continue to benefit from the guidance of mentors.
My family has been a significant influence, with my aunt being a pharmacist, my cousin a nurse, and many other family members and friends contributing to my journey.
I've also been fortunate to have business mentors, including Dr. David Rosenthal from Yale School of Medicine, who is both an academic physician and passionate about entrepreneur. I've benefited from individuals associated with Boost Pad, Inc., an organization that supports minority business owners in their journeys in Charlotte North Carolina.
Lastly, The Boss Network and Sage have been very influential this year, providing me with the funding and resources necessary to build the business and the Black Med Connect Platform.
What are your "must-haves" to keep your career or business going strong? My 'must-haves' for continued business growth include a successful launch of the Black Med Connect (B-MED) app in the fall. This app connects Black college premedical students, medical trainees, and practicing physicians in a secure online space, fostering personal and professional connections nationwide.
Additionally, I must secure partnerships with medical schools, medical training programs, and hospitals, who will become customers on this innovative platform. This will enable them to connect with a diverse talent pool for their recruitment efforts and showcase their diversity initiatives. These collaborations will serve as the primary revenue stream for my company, with the ultimate goal of expanding our services to benefit more trainees and physicians and hiring additional employees to scale the business.
Securing funding through grants and other opportunities is another critical component to sustain our growth and expansion, ultimately aiming to serve all Black healthcare professionals on the platform over time.
Lastly, I must have persistence, as the business journey is filled with ups and downs, and delayed gratification is needed. Remembering my 'why' – the driving force behind these efforts. Maintaining a clear sense of purpose is a 'must-have' to stay motivated every day.
What is your definition of a BOSS? My definition of a “BOSS” is a visionary person with the creativity and drive to see solutions to problems that others may not see, to bring these solutions the market even when others may not have the courage to do so. A Boss also leads by example persists during challenges and knows when to rely on others to assist with working towards solutions. Lastly, a Boss is a person who knows how to lead and knows how to follow. Bosses listen to others to ensure that the best decisions are being made, even if it's not their idea or exact method. A boss also puts the team before themselves to achieve the desired outcome.
Provide us with two words that describe you. Physician Entrepreneur
Learn more about Dr. Jasmine at:
Social Handles
My Instagram is @blackmedconnect and @jasmineweissmd
My LinkedIn is Jasmine Weiss, MD, MHS
My Twitter is @blacmedconnect or @Jweisspeds
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