Believing in your ideas that fit with your passion starts you on your journey. Then taking your idea to a project can be a challenging step – as a first time solopreneur and even as a serial entrepreneur! Yes, you heard it right! You need to find alignment on that idea and talent match or fit for the skills and expertise to help build out the next stages of your project.
This is what Angela discovered when she embarked on her project at McGill U – there was a great mix of diverse talent among the different programs to form a team. Based on the alignment of their thinking and ease of communication styles, they initially had all scientists on their team. When they did their interviews of surgeons for research team ideas for the project, they discovered they needed other types of skills to build out the different aspects of the project into a potentially viable opportunity.
So what happened next and how did they do it?
Check out her story on this leg of her journey and her blog! Stay tuned for Episode 3!
Co-Founder’s Blog
Remote Optical started with 6 masters students in Experimental Surgery at McGill University. Each student took on chief titles based off their interests and skillsets, rather than their educational qualifications. Three of the 6 students remain as chief members of the start-up, today. Jeremy Zwaig is CEO and started with his anatomy and cell biology undergraduate degree. He now manages the company’s assets and liabilities, and he conducts market research leading to the ideation, planning, and implementation of new and long-term business strategies. He oversees different aspects of the project as well as ensures that members complete their assigned tasks, in order to achieve success. Oliver Wu Martinez is now COO and started with the same undergraduate degree as Jeremy. Oliver works on managing interns for the company and oversees the hardware development of our prototype. Oliver finds new opportunities for the startup while continuously assessing and implementing improved processes and new technologies to the prototype. He is responsible for overseeing day-to-day activities, scheduling meetings, tracking deadlines (grants, competitions, general business deadlines).Angela is a co-founder and CTO of Remote Optical. She completed her B.Eng in bioengineering from McGill in 2020 and received a graduate certificate in experimental surgery in 2021. Her main responsibility as CTO involves managing the development of the medical eye imaging device. This includes being the point of contact with technical/engineering companies that Remote Optical may collaborate with, as well as overseeing the development of the compression algorithm and software used by ophthalmologist.
These are the three students who originally started Remote Optical, alongside 3 other masters students and Dr Levin, the ophthalmologist and Chief Scientific officer of the company. Athithan Ambikkumar also joined the company after incorporation and is a medical student at McGill University.
About Angela Wong
Angela is a Co-founder and CTO of Remote Optical. She completed her B.Eng in bioengineering from McGill in 2020 and received a graduate certificate in experimental surgery in 2021. Her main responsibility as CTO involves managing the development of the medical eye imaging device. This includes being the point of contact with technical/engineering companies that Remote Optical may collaborate with, as well as overseeing the development of the compression algorithm and software used by ophthalmologist.
About Remote Optical
Remote Optical is a Montreal-based Medtech start-up that specializes in Ophthalmological Devices – improving the way that ophthalmologists remotely and dynamically examine, diagnose, and monitor patients with anterior eye conditions. Remote Optical’s technology brings clinical quality examinations to the ophthalmologist, increasing access for patients in remote and urban communities. Their 3D imaging technology allows the ophthalmologist to scan the anterior segment of the patient’s eye and conduct an exam similar to the in-person slit-lamp examination. This solution improves access to eye care, by saving money and time. The skilled and passionate team at Remote Optical truly believes they have what it takes to reduce the barriers faced in eye healthcare globally every day, and to let everyone access the care they deserve.
