Owl Have You Know

A Former Fourth Grade Teacher Is Working To Ease Your Migraines feat. Jillian Levovitz Fink ‘17

Listen on

Episode notes

When she joined Rice Business in 2017, Jillian Fink was in the process of founding OcciGuide, the first device used in the emergency care setting to treat migraines, a neurological condition that disproportionately impacts women. 


In her role as CEO, Jillian navigated the complexities of the healthcare system to get her medical device approved by the FDA, including designing clinical trials using real-world data, navigating U.S. healthcare treatment paradigms, and developing creative strategies to commercialize the device during the COVID-19 pandemic. 


In this episode, the healthcare entrepreneur joins host Maya Pomroy to share her story of pivoting from elementary education to co-founding and leading a medical device startup company. She talks about her unconventional path, her advice to those considering a pivot in entrepreneurship, and how she invests her time in giving back to the community.


The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business and is produced by University FM.



Episode Quotes:


On understanding the value of listening

08:40: [Maya] Was OcciGuide something that was already on the horizon for you? Or, is this something that developed while you were in school? [Jillian] It was very, very, very early; we'd been talking about the potential for it. And then there were actually some of our professors at Rice, or my professors at Rice, who thought it was interesting. And there's a tech entrepreneurship class, or was when I was there, that we got to run it through the class and do some of that really early market research, Lean Canvas development, or whatnot. I got to work with my classmates on it, which was great because I had so many smart classmates, and all of their contributions were just so fun and helpful to be able to partner with them. And then it grew from there.


An advice for women entrepreneurs

17:08: With everything in business or life, finding mentors and people who can be a resource to help you answer questions and also have already identified pathways is so important. There are amazing women out there to find that can provide that support, but there are also men who can also provide that support, and that shouldn't be overlooked.


On understanding the value of listening

17:08: It's so important to listen and not get caught up in getting your message out there, regardless of what other people are saying, but actually to hear what people are saying and respond accordingly, in that non-emotional, non-angry way, but just to have that dialogue, and people will respond to that.

Show Links:


Guest Profile:


Other Links: