Ocular Technologies        

MBA Program: MIT Sloan School of Management

Industry: Healthcare

Founding Student Name(s): Grayson Armstrong, Zoan Liu, Brett Sternfield

Brief Description of Solution: Ocular Technologies is developing a telemedical solution to improve patient access to quality eye care. Our solution includes a portable diagnostic device, telemedical software platform, and a network of consulting eye doctors who provide patients with expert ocular diagnostics from across the room or across the world.

Funding Dollars: $400,000

What led you to launch this venture? Personal connections to limited access to eye care and the consequences it can have on quality of life.

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far with venture? Forming an incredible team and addressing an immediate need during COVID.

How has your MBA program helped you further this startup venture? I found my co-founder, Zona, and transformed a technical solution to a clinical problem into a sustainable, scalable business

What founder or entrepreneur inspired you to start your own entrepreneurial journey? How did he or she prove motivational to you? My mentor, Steve Fantone. He showed me how gratifying and purposeful the journey of starting a business, delivering value to customers and providing people with gainful employment can be.

Which MBA class has been most valuable in building your startup and what was the biggest lesson you gained from it? Founding Teams with Erin Scott and Kit Hickey. Teams are purposeful creations and make or break good ideas.

What professor made a significant contribution to your plans and why? Bill Aulet. He challenged me to turn losses into wins, never believe your own BS, and always stay hungry.

How did the pandemic impact your startup plans? It destroyed our mediocre plans for the summer and provided us with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to gain traction and make an immediate difference helping provide quality care to patients.

What is your long-term goal with your startup? To build a lasting enterprise that improves access to eye care for the world.

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