Championing women's brain health with Imen Maaroufi Clark
Join us this week to explore Imen's venture and learn about Prickly Pear Health, securing funding, and her advice for balancing innovation with practicality & more in our new Viaka network deep dives
Our weekly newsletter shines a spotlight on members of our Viaka Network. Plus, you'll find relevant job postings, upcoming events, and reading materials. Subscribe below!
We spoke with Imen Maaroufi Clark, Founder and CEO of Prickly Pear Health
Current Work
What are you currently working on? (this can be job(s), projects, startups, etc)
After moving to the West Coast, following the sun and the water as the Mediterranean, I discovered the Journey Venture Studio, which was starting its inaugural cohort in Phoenix. Symbolically, I was accepted as its first female founder and began innovating and researching to launch the next health-tech venture designed to support women's brain health.
The Story Behind the Venture
Can you share the story behind your current venture or role? What motivated you to pursue this path?
I moved to the US seven years ago, with a passion for using emerging technology for good. During grad school, I met my first co-founder, who studied jazz composition and film scoring at Berklee College of Music. Together, we commercialized a patented motion capture technology that turned body movement into music, collecting data for neurologists. This technology supported people with neurological conditions, such as Parkinson's disease and dementia, by encouraging joyful exercise to slow neurodegeneration. Spending time in senior living facilities made me realize the importance of prevention before clinical symptoms become irreversible. Shockingly, 70% of Alzheimer's disease patients are women, and many brain diseases disproportionately affect women. Recognizing the impact of hormonal fluctuations on cognitive, emotional, and neurological health, I felt a responsibility to address these issues.
Connecting with the MENA Startup Community
Why are you interested in connecting with MENA's 'global startup community'?
Born and raised in Tunisia, I attended the first public American system school there; Tunis Business School, which opened my eyes to international experiences, and encouraged me to continue my studies and do grad school at Hult International School, where I continued to learn about international business. Now settled in the US, I feel a responsibility to represent and collaborate with the MENA region, continuing to connect and share knowledge.
Strategies for Securing Funding
What strategies have you found most effective for securing funding and attracting investors?
Investors need to understand the market size (TAM, SAM, SOM) and how you plan to capture it. Timing is also crucial; in my case brain health and women's health are currently hot topics. Differentiating yourself from the competition and defending your position are key. In pre-seed and seed rounds, investors focus on the founders' resilience and coachability, as pivoting is inevitable in a user-centric approach.
Overcoming Challenges
Can you share a particular challenge or setback you experienced, and what you learned from it?
In healthcare, sales can be tricky. B2B sales require data to justify purchases, but B2C sales require resources and expertise. I learned from past mistakes and now approach it through a B2C2B model, mastering user acquisition and data collection before targeting B2B opportunities.
Balancing Innovation and Practicality
How do you balance innovation and practicality when developing new products or services?
I prioritize human-centered design and user research methodologies with high empathy. The best innovations focus on the jobs to be done for users, designing solutions that are desirable, viable, and feasible.
Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to make an impact in the MENA region and beyond?
Think global and act local. Be proud to solve problems for your community, as real innovation happens when you share and address common pains. Representing your people through innovation is a powerful and impactful journey.
Favorite Viaka Network Moments
What's your favorite part of the Viaka Network thus far? Do you have any memorable experiences or helpful connections made that you can share with us?
Meeting Hani in Boston was a memorable experience. We bonded over entrepreneurship and startups, and he became a lifelong friend and supporter. The LA brunch in 2023 and the online events have been fantastic, as well as seeing Tunisian friends attend Viaka events in Dubai. It feels like we've accomplished so much in a short time.
Support from the Viaka Network
How can members of the Viaka Network (and beyond) be most helpful to you and your work right now?
I have always found fascinating talent through Viaka. Please share, engage, and ask questions. We can't do this without your support.
Bonus: Favorite Dish from MENA
What is your favorite dish from the MENA world?
As a Tunisian, I would say Tunisian Pasta. Believe it or not, pasta originated in Tunisia! Also, Tunisian Shakshuka is a favorite of mine (What makes it Tunsian is adding Harissa for sure).
Startup showcase: Prickly Pear Health
What unique qualities or value does your product/service offer that sets it apart from others in the market?
Prickly Pear Health focuses on the six pillars of brain health: sleep, exercise, nutrition, mental stimulation, social activity, and stress management. By recognizing the impact of hormonal fluctuations during menopause on brain health, we provide a holistic, Medicine 3.0 approach to support women through this transition. Our platform uses AI-powered technology to process behavioral and health patterns, delivering personalized recommendations and leveraging engaging technology to enhance their well-being.
How do you envision getting your first customers on board? What's your strategy to grow beyond the initial phase?
We are adopting a B2C2B strategy, starting with direct user engagement to learn their needs and motivations, ensuring high stickiness and mastering acquisition. From there, we aim to provide referrals to providers when our AI detects the need for mental health, nutrition, or neurology consultations. This will help providers improve care quality and cater to women's needs more effectively. We also plan to offer this as an employee benefit to reduce absenteeism and improve productivity, especially among women aged 36-59.
What kind of impact do you hope your product will have in the market? Where do you see your company headed in the next few years?
We aim to become the next-gen digital health solution for women, monitoring brain health and acting promptly. Our goal is to destigmatize the menopausal transition and empower women on their journey to healthy brain aging and longevity, enriching their lives through joyful resilience. We believe in enriching brains and empowering lives.
Follow Prickly Pear Health on LinkedIn and check out their website for more information.
Below is a list of upcoming events from beyond the Viaka Network over the next couple of weeks:
AngelSpark - Live startup pitch event - Happening today! (In- Person, Dubai, UAE)
AUC Venture Lab Spring'24 Demo Day - July 2nd (In- Person, Cairo, Egypt)
Hacking Content Creating with AI, with Alia ElKhatib - July 2nd (Virtual)
Investment and Growth: Strategies for Startups - July 3rd (Riyadh, SA)
Advanced Lead Generation for B2B Fintechs- July 4th (Virtual)
Unpacking the Future of Work and Learning in MENA - July 6th (Virtual)
du AI advantage series: the future of entrepreneurship- Presented by DIFC Innovation Hub - July 10th (Dubai, UAE)
Save the Dates: Events in July, August and September
We’ve curated a list of exciting events happening later in July, August and September that you won't want to miss! Make sure to mark your calendars, take time off work, book your tickets, and sort out accommodations early:
Turing Fest: this is the 9th edition of the unique cross-functional tech event. The gathering will unite founders and leaders in engineering, product development, and growth, offering opportunities to connect, learn, and collaborate on building better technology - July 9th- 10th (In-Person, Edinburgh, Scotland)
Jordan StartUp Expo: The Global Stage For Jordan’s Most Innovative & Emerging Startups - August 14th -15th (In-Person, Amman, Jordan)
Seamless North Africa: The Future of Fintech, Payments, Banking, Retail & E-Commerce Across North Africa - September 2nd- 3rd (In- Person, Cairo, Egypt)
Dubai AI & Web3 festival organised by Dubai AI campus - September 11th- 12th (In- Person, Dubai, UAE)
If you’d like to share an event in this newsletter, we encourage you to join the Viaka Network and share the event with info@viaka.net!
Recent job openings from the Viaka Network. If you apply, let us know so we can also make a personal introduction!
Stealth Startup, a MENA-focused fintech is looking for a: Product Manager/Lead
We for P is looking for a PT (contract): Community Manager (Remote)
If you’d like to share a job posting in this newsletter, we encourage you to join the Viaka Network and share the event with info@viaka.net!
Check out this episode of Lenny’s Podcast with Jessica Livingston where the dive into how Y Combinator (YC), a powerhouse startup accelerator, evaluates founders. Jessica Livingston, a co-founder of YC, emphasizes that founders and their dynamics are just as important as the initial startup idea:
People over ideas: Early ideas change, but the founders stay the same. So, YC focuses on the "social radar" - how founders interact, their expertise, and their overall approach.
Green flags: Look for co-founders who respect each other, understand their problem deeply, and are genuinely passionate about their solution. They should be open to feedback and resourceful.
Red flags: Avoid founders who dominate conversations, lack transparency, or get defensive with questions. A "hacker in a cage" situation (technical co-founder with little say) is also a bad sign.
Embrace the unknown: YC's success with the batch model stemmed from their willingness to experiment despite being new to investing. Don't be afraid to try new things!
That’s it for this week. Thank you! 👋
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