Shanthi Raju, Founder, Hidentity LLC
Every successful entrepreneur starts somewhere. There’s no silver bullet or magic pill which will effortlessly launch you into the world of entrepreneurship and miraculously generate success overnight. Indeed, for some, the passion for entrepreneurship begins at a very early age and it takes unwavering diligence, tenacity, and determination to nourish the entrepreneurial seed and finally bring it to fruition.
Driven by their vision, such passionate entrepreneurs defy all the odds and relentlessly pursue their vision and pioneer it into success with undying perseverance, grit, and a never-give up-attitude. Avidly exhibiting such traits, one such decisive healthcare leader who is not only making strides in the entrepreneurial world but also impeccably contributing to the evolution in this sector is Shanthi Raju.
Since childhood, Shanthi was fascinated by the entrepreneurial spirit of Walt Disney. The famous Walt Disney quote: “First, think. Second, dream. Third, believe. And finally, dare.” has been a major driving force for Shanthi during her entrepreneurial journey. She was also highly inspired by the humble nature, and inspiring life of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the Former President of India and a world-renowned Space Scientist.
The Beginning of the Entrepreneurial Journey
Shanthi’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2017 when she sensed the need for a disruptive solution for making medical records immediately available during an emergency. Her daughter had severe food allergies, and every time they called 911, either she or her husband had to explain her health conditions to the paramedics. “What would happen if we weren’t there to support her”— this thought startled her and she decided to develop a product that would allow people to inform first responders of their medical history to ensure proper treatment in any sort of emergency. This App will not only be useful during medical emergencies, but also during wellness visit to their physicians office. No more filling out paper forms at your doctor’s office. Thus, Hidentity LLC was born.
“What makes Hidentity unique is that paramedics can access medical records securely without the patient needing to wear any inconvenient medical accessories, such as medical ID bracelets or pendants. It will be a very useful service for patients with pre-existing medical conditions and those who are prone to medical emergencies,” affirms Shanthi.
Hidentity has a HIPAA compliant software application called “PHR Raksha” that seamlessly connects the Patients, Paramedics, and Hospitals. PHR Raksha’s subscribed users perceive a Healthcard along with transparent sleeve with a QR code printed on it to hold their government-issued photo ID card. During a medical emergency, the paramedics can scan the QR code to get access to the patient’s health information.
Distinctive Features of Hidentity
Patients with the Hidentity PHR Raksha App on their smartphones will have the option to display ICE (In Case of Emergency) contact information on the lock screen of a smartphone. This means that ICE information can be accessed by the police and first responders without accessing the entire list of phone contacts. This further allows the emergency contacts to be called sooner while keeping the phone contacts private and secure. Also, registered users have the option to upload their COVID vaccination report or immunization passport to their patient portal using the Hidentity PHR Raksha App, so that hospitals will have that information to provide informed medical treatment. This application can be used during medical emergencies as well as during a patient’s routine visits and follow-up visits to hospitals.
“The number of emergency visits to hospitals has spiked during the pandemic and senior citizens are one of the most affected groups. Hidentity PHR Raksha will ensure that their registered users get informed treatment during medical emergencies,” states Shanthi.
Facing Challenges Head-On
When asked about the challenges she faced in her role of founder and CEO, Shanthi expresses, “For several years starting in 2017, we had to endure a legal battle with a company in India that infringed upon Hidentity’s healthcare concept and also attempted to falsify their patent date in India to precede Hidentity’s already submitted U.S. patent, which I learned about while trying to expand my business to the Indian market. That company was in full swing promoting this concept in many countries as “e-Healthcard” or “eHealthsystem”, including the United States as well. They were also granted patents in Australia and Switzerland using the false patent filing date.”
Under the percipient leadership of Shanthi, the company successfully overcame the challenge by filing a pre-grant opposition court case against them with the evidence to prove their falsified patent filing date. In early 2020, the final order was issued by the Indian patent office and the opposing company’s patents were declared void and their granted patent in Switzerland was cancelled. Hidentity won the case.
Embracing Failure is a Key Step to Success
As a visionary entrepreneur, Shanthi firmly believes that thinking through to the future, as well as having the patience and passion to pursue dreams is important. Especially during the unprecedented times of the pandemic, meticulous planning, execution and having strong SMEs, and passionate team members are the most important factors for a business. According to her, team members and advisory board members are the pillars for making any business successful. Possessing such a passionate and diligent team, she aims to make Hidentity, one of the top healthcare companies. The company is targetting to launch it’s product in the United States and Canada this year, and is set to expand it’s reach to other countries in the upcoming years.
Besides Hidentity, Shanthi is also successfully spearheading Comfitub LLC, a startup company focused on creating a spa-level bath experience in the convenience of consumers’ homes. As a torch-bearer of two pioneering companies, Shanthi advises emerging entrepreneurs not to give up on their dreams and stay prepared to face failures and rejections.
“Remember that failure and rejections are just a part of your success that drives you to achieve your goals. If you are not seeing these setbacks, it simply means that you are not doing something out of the box. When people reject you with a smile, accept it with a bigger smile. This world is filled with opportunities” states Shanthi
The ardent business leader perceives failures and rejections as redirections that shape entrepreneurs to be stronger and take a better path to success that they have not explored yet.
“Every time we fail we learn a lesson which will allow us to grow. Don’t limit yourself and keep knocking on every door of opportunity that you come across because you never know who will open and be ready to hear your dreams,” asserts Shanthi on a concluding note.