Passion, Commitment, and Perseverance: The Pillars of Entrepreneurship
Dear Readers,
Welcome to another edition of PIE, where we interview the brightest entrepreneurs and VCs from Princeton and beyond. This issue’s featured founder is Kalil Shaw (Princeton ‘21), cofounder of Alira Infrared Biosensing. Alira aims to improve molecular analysis through machine learning and mid-infrared spectroscopy. They design sensors to meet customers’ exact specifications, be it a simple handheld device or an integration for production line. When asked about his entrepreneurial journey, Kalil highlights the importance of having passion, commitment, and perseverance.
- Where did the idea for Alira originate?
The backbone of Alira was based on the thesis work of Alexandra Werth, a Ph.D. student at Princeton’s Department of Electrical Engineering. Before my freshman year, Alex had been working on the project under Professor Claire Gmachl, who was one of the pioneers in developing the quantum cascade laser — a fundamental part of our system. I was fortunate enough to take a class with Professor Gmachl last fall and loved her class so much that I was inspired to look into her research on campus. As an Electrical Engineering pre-med major, I was immediately drawn to her research on developing optical sensors for medical applications, such as detecting glucose in people with diabetes. The research team welcomed me with open arms and since then, we have been looking into commercializing the technology primarily to assist with non-invasive biomarker detection.
2. What was the moment or series of events that made you realize that this company was worth sacrificing your time?
From an academic perspective, I am very interested in research and applications connecting engineering disciplines to medical issues. But more importantly, my ultimate goal is to contribute to improving quality of life, especially for those with debilitating or threatening conditions. I realized that Alira has true potential to develop a device that could improve the everyday lives of people worldwide. Working towards this goal alongside an incredibly talented team is definitely worth sacrificing my time.
3. What experiences at Princeton inspired you to go into your field and contributed the most with developing your entrepreneurial skills?
I’ve always been interested in engineering, medicine, and serving my community. My time here has only increased those interests. I have been fortunate enough to participate in many Princeton initiatives including shadowing experiences through the Princeternship program and traveling to Kenya with our Engineers Without Borders chapter. Each experience, though not always directly related to my field, helps me better understand how current medical systems and techniques operate. It is encouraging to think how innovation can help improve so many situations on a global scale.
Last year, I also had the opportunity to pursue independent work in the field and was recently able to present an academic poster on our research at the Diabetes Technology Conference. And lastly, the team took part in the Keller Center eLab accelerator which provided us with opportunities to interact and learn from experienced entrepreneurs. It’s always inspiring taking concepts learned in class and discovering how they can work in the real world.
4. Most valuable piece of advice you’d give to aspiring entrepreneurs?
Pursue something that speaks to and expresses your passion(s). Entrepreneurship is almost entirely based on dedication, commitment and perseverance. Nothing comes easy, but the work becomes easier when it’s for a purpose you’re truly passionate about.
And that’s it for this issue! Feel free to reach out to me for any questions or comments.
Find out more about Alira here.
For more interviews of leading founders/VCs go here!
