Wellthy CEO Lindsay Jurist-Rosner: 'You have to push through the tough times and savor the great moments'

When Wellthy CEO Lindsay Jurist-Rosner was nine years old, she got involved in her mom's care after she was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). She was a family caregiver for 28 years, and it was an incredibly tough and challenging experience. Caregiving is this silent crisis that impacts so many families, and yet unfortunately there is no infrastructure to help.

Lindsay launched Wellthy to bring much-needed support and relief to families managing care. In 2014, Lindsay Jurist-Rosner partnered with Kevin Roche, CTO and Co-Founder, to build a better healthcare experience for families managing complex care situations. In the early days, Kevin and Lindsay had a deep understanding and appreciation for the caregiving problem but didn’t always know exactly what the solution should be. Over time, through a lot of testing and learning, and with the help of the founding team and countless collaborators from within and outside the company, the team developed the high-touch, tech-powered and holistic solution that exists today.

Q: What inspired you to found Wellthy and what were the main challenges you faced?

I was inspired by my own caregiving experience. I got involved in my mom’s care when I was a kid and she got diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Taking care of my mom was the single hardest, loneliest, and most stressful thing I’ve ever experienced. The eye opening realization for me was just how many others out there are similarly struggling with caregiving, whether taking care of a parent with dementia or child with autism, it is way too difficult to manage and navigate complex care in our country today.

‍
Q: Did you start the venture alone?

I started Wellthy with a cofounder/CTO, Kevin Roche, and several other founding team members, Dana Pischera and Peter Goody, as well as dozens of friends, advisors, mentors, and angel investors.

Q: What's your business model, and how have you grown your revenue?

Wellthy provides our care concierge as an employee benefit. Employers cover the cost of Wellthy for their employees with complex care needs. Our revenue has grown significantly over the years and we have 10X’ed our revenue in the last two years.

Q: Do you think luck played a role in the success of your company?

Sure, certainly luck is part of it as well as a lot of hard work, perseverance, learning, and iterating.

Q: What are your goals for the future?

We want to build Wellthy into a large, global company with lasting impact for generations.

Q: If you had to start over, what would you do differently?

Absolutely nothing. All of the mistakes and errors helped us get better and stronger.

Q: Can you talk about one woman who has impacted your life?

My mom. She was my hero. While battling MS, she was an educator, a board member, a phenomenal mother, a wife, and a dear friend to so many. She was entirely selfless and despite her constant discomfort and pain, she never ever complained and she was always there for those she loved. I miss her desperately every day.

Q: What are your favorite books?

“Being Mortal” by Atul Gawandi is the most important book I’ve ever read. It opened my eyes to our healthcare system, growing old, and questions of morality and mortality.

Q: What's your advice for female founders who are just starting out?

Two pieces of advice. Firstly, don’t give up! Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. You’ll go through an extreme amount of rejection, doubt, and sacrifice. You have to push through the tough times and savor the great moments. Secondly, love what you’re building. You will live, eat, and breathe your startup so please make sure you genuinely love what you’re doing.