Physician Builder Spotlight: Ali R Rahimi

We’re shining light on MD-entrepreneurs! Each week, we feature an entrepreneurial doctor who’s building a cool product, company, or working on a big idea that you definitely want to know about. This week, meet Ali Rahimi, Founder and CEO of ALYKA Health (more on the company’s mission below!). You can connect further with Ali on LinkedIn.

1. Ali, what inspired you to become a physician entrepreneur? I was inspired to become an entrepreneur to be able to innovate faster in healthcare and to scale the prevention and management of cardiovascular care.

2. Tell us what your company does and what problem you're trying to solve. ALYKA is a virtual heart health advisor integrating multi-layer health data to elevate the patient experience with empowerment, engagement and education. We aim to close cardiovascular care gaps upstream of their clinic visits (in-person or virtual), to improve outcomes and lower costs.

3. What's your advice to anyone who's thinking about entrepreneurship or a nontraditional career in medicine? 100% you need to understand your why. Then, you should speak with entrepreneurs at different stages to gain their perspective on the startup journey, lessons learned, and wins and losses.

4. How can a physician overcome their biggest fear to start a company/organization? Be mission and purpose driven. That is the best energy for take-off and surrounding yourself with fellow team members and investors.

5. What's the #1 lesson you've learned since building your company that wasn't obvious to you before? It’s a very long and arduous journey, so always be learning. You will get bruised and pushed down, so surround yourself with a great team and advisors.

6. Name the top resources you found most helpful to get going as an entrepreneur that others would benefit from? (1) Find a successful entrepreneur(s) as mentors (2) Speak with your family and let them know about this undertaking and how you will need their undying support (3) Keep learning from any and all websites, including Y Combinator, local venture newsletters, IT newsletters, and blogs.

7. How can other physicians support you? I would be glad to share learnings and provide insights as an MD entrepreneur. I’m also open to connecting with those who are interested in helping with our mission to reach 10 million hearts in 10 years ❤️

If you are interested in learning more, you can reach out to Ali and learn more about his company here.