Panacea started from an innocent conversation in January 2016.
Slowly but surely, this idea grew into something more tangible — meeting with Korean skincare manufacturers, finalizing a founding team, creating an advisory team, developing the first phase of skincare products, raising capital from F&F and angel investors, finalizing a launch strategy.
This journey has been 1.5 years in the making. And it’s surreal that we’ve made it here because we’ve endured more than our fair share of challenges and setbacks. There’s been too many “Oh shit, what are we going to do?” moments to count.
BUT, we made it … to the start line (i.e. launch).
And this wouldn’t have been possible without our incredible team. I’ve always subscribed to the belief that it takes a village. And Panacea is no different. Here’s a shoutout to our village for helping us get here:
Nick and Jason: Man … words can’t describe how grateful I am for both of you. I couldn’t be prouder of you guys and please know that the greatest fulfillment for me in building Panacea is the opportunity to share this journey together. Love you both with everything I got.
Our Advisory Team (Michelle, Stu, Dan, Nate, Ariel): Thank you for always going above and beyond. Your guidance, insight, mentorship, support, and willingness to help at a moment’s notice have been invaluable. And what I love most is that all of you are great people — I’m honored to call all of you close friends.
Our Investors (Mom/Dad, Mom/Dad #2 (i.e. Jason’s parents or my parents depending on who you’re asking), Aaron, Michael, Jake, Jonathan Mike A., Courtney, Carter, Cory, Mike L., Corey, John, Andrew, and Wayne): Thank you for believing in us from day one. I’m still blown away that you would even consider investing while we were an idea. Please know we fully intend to be great stewards of your investment. I wake up blessed and grateful for the opportunity to create an enduring brand that we’re all proud of.
Our Partners (Institute, Azione PR, Kolmar, Yonwoo, Moisan Legal, Black & Black, SDG, Zarna, Mary Grace, Full Stack Finance, Joe, Steph, Sarah, Caneel, Shannaz, Bluprint Partners, AMS, Flexport, Eric, Chip): Thank you for being a true member of our team. Thank you for the emails and calls at dawn and in the middle of the night. Thank you for putting Panacea first, when you have a million other things you can be focused on. Thank you for for being an integral teammate instead of an external “partner” who is looking to get paid for their services. Your passion and excitement for Panacea inspires us to become better. We feed off your energy.
I’ve always wondered why we save our gratitude toward those who’ve supported us for the highest of highs: wedding days, award ceremonies, and funerals.
We certainly haven’t made it yet and hell, our journey hasn’t officially begun. But I’m indebted to my village because without them, we wouldn’t have even gotten to the start line. As a team, we consistently talk about embracing the process and celebrating the small wins.
And that ethos is intertwined with Panacea’s DNA: the belief that starting your day with intention provides momentum. That small wins add up to greater wins throughout the rest of your day.
Let’s start this race because we’re ready to go.
