#6 FFF Haimanot Anbesaw, CEO & Co-founder of NutriEla
I met Haimanot at Draper University in San Mateo, CA. We had a entrepreneur training together but in a separate program and ran into each other a number of times in our dorm, but we didn’t really get a chance to talk to. One day, we were assigned into a team called “Angel’ and happened to spend the entire day together running Amazing Race in San Francisco.
My first impression about Haimanot was a skinny, pretty, and very shy girl from Ethiopia.
When we were running all over the places in San Francisco to complete our missions, Haimanot seemed to be even too weak for any of these trainings. One of our team members was helping her to carry a bag and she looked uncomfortable when homeless people were passing by her. Yes, these are not the qualities I usually admire for people, especially for an entrepreneur.
Of course I judged the character too soon (I am sorry Haimanot!!).
As the half day was passed, we walked about 20 miles already and heading out to the Golden Gate Bridge for another 10 miles. We were tired and needed to be distracted.
“So, remind me again, what is the business you do?” I asked.
“We build a meal plan for a cancer patient in Ethiopia. We have been working on it about 6 years.” Said Haimanot.
“Cool, how long has it been in the market?”
“We are just soft launching it now.”
I was a bit confused, it has been 6 years and now soft launching?
Ran, another team member who came from China and working on Blockchain asked.
“Why did you even work for 6 years?”
Yes, why? What is so exciting about a meal plan?
“Well, I lost my sister from cancer. A few years later, I lost my brother. Four years later, I lost my mom from cancer.”
For her, it is not for the money or fame, but this is something she has to fix. Later I learned that the kitchen in Ethiopian hospital doesn’t have a meal plan for a patient but offers whatever it is cooking in the kitchen. Why? As a starter, there is only one dietitian works in the entire nation, Ethiopia, which has over 100 million population. Patients are not getting right or sufficient nutrition to fight the cancer or illness they are having. Ethiopian patients are too polite to say no to the hospital food, instead they just put the dish away so I was told.
Haimanot decided not to sit and watch the same thing happens over in her country but instead change it the way she knows by building a software that helps hospital to provide a proper meal to their patient. She partnered with the only dietitian in Ethiopia. She is one fierce female founder and perhaps one of the most fierce one. She didn’t let the years distract her but stayed focused building a product and team for her mission.
Haimanot is a recipient of many awards and won a prize to build a team and product today. I have no doubt she will make a great impact on the patient care in Ethiopian hospitals sooner or later and further more empower every girl and boy to follow her footsteps. But she can still use support, love, and hug. If you know someone you can connect to her for her mission or help her with product development and fund raising, let me know. I will be happy to connect you two.
Her company is called NutriEla and it is soft launching now. You can find her company at facebook, telegram, and twitter @mynutriela Congrats Haimanot and you rock!!!
