Helping teams grow, giving them a relatable perspective, and connecting them with outside opportunities is just some of what Emily Levy, from PICCPerfect, is looking forward to. Emily, the new Innovation Catalyst, is joining Accelerate this summer, having graduated from Babson College with a Business Degree concentrating in Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Design (TED).
As Co-Founder and CEO of PICCPerfect – a company that creates stylish and functional medical accessories that add confidence and ease into the life of chronically ill patients - the 22 year-old from Rhode Island has a solid foundation on what it takes to start a company at a young age: “I’ve been running my own business for the past year and a half and I think what is unique about me is I’m pretty much their age, so being not only a mentor to [the teams] but also being a realistic mentor like ‘Hey I did this, you can do this’”.
She cites her experience with winning the Beantown Throwdown and Babson Summer Venture as just two ways she’ll be able to engage and connect with Wentworth students. One goal she plans to accomplish at Wentworth is getting more women involved in the program. “The startup world is very male dominated”, she says, “I feel like at times, women are more likely to hear ‘oh how’s your project?’ and I need to correct them and say ‘Oh my business’ and I feel like men don’t get that as often as women do.”
Accelerate isn’t the only place you’ll find Emily: she and her team at PICCPerfect were accepted into this year’s MassChallenge. The social entrepreneur said accomplishing this is checking off a goal on her list, after not making the cut the previous year. While the process of applying and pitching was nerve-wracking, being one of the 128 teams is “thrilling” and she is looking forward to not only being in the accelerator but also being “in a community learning from others with different skillset”. At the end of the program PICCPerfect is hoping to finish a complete rebranding of their business, and launch two new products.
Good luck and WELCOME EMILY!
Photos Courtesy of PICCPerfect
