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Women of Distinction


        and assess new technology with   created an 18-month plan in-  “I founded BeanStock Ventures   actual engineering side of the
        potential clients.”        cluding a financial plan to ensure   with the vision of creating a team   business. That is where Bean-
           Shawnnah spent quite a bit   that my two daughters, Marissa   of software development experts   Stock Ventures comes in. We have
        of time on the road looking at   and Jazmine, had their college   in the medical device space. We   the entire product development
        very different technologies across   educations paid for. Having   develop software for our clients   package and can assist them in
        the board in the healthcare and   recently remarried, I discussed   and provide SOAR (Software   areas where they might want or
        medical device space. Shawnnah   my plans with my husband, Luis   Online/Onsite Agile Regulatory)   need support.”
        had traveled a lot throughout   and my stepson Orion to make   training and quality systems to   I asked Shawnnah what some
        her career so this wasn’t new to   sure everyone was on board with   assist in satisfying their regula-  of her future plans were for Bean-
        her, but she had reached a point   my decision to leave my job and   tory requirements. In addition,   Stock Ventures and she respond-
        where she wanted to be home   venture out on my own.”  BeanStock Ventures invests in   ed, “I think the key area we want
        more with her family. When a   Shawnnah was exploring   startups by using our revenue   to move into is on the venture
        position opened up at Illumina,   different avenues, with her wide   from the consulting business to   side. We envision building a VC
        a company of which she had   variety of experience in differ-  advance innovations in health-  fund to support startups in the
        always wanted to be a part, she
        jumped at the chance to be part
        of unlocking the power of the
        genome. “Illumina develops,
        manufactures, and markets inte-
        grated systems for the analysis of
        genetic variation and biological
        function. I absolutely loved my
        time there but now with two
        children in college I was finally
        in a place in life where I could
        aim towards my ultimate goal of
        owning my own company.”
           As this was always in
        Shawnnah’s game plan, she
        had gone back to school years
        earlier in 2011 to earn her MBA.
        “I always wanted to have my own
        company. I had always been able
        to obtain upward mobility, but I
        never wanted to step over others
        to advance my own career. Most
        of my moves over the years had
        been lateral ones. Yes, I got paid   ent areas she had considered   care. Our goal is to help support   medical devices and life sciences
        more and more as I moved, and   building her own medical device,   these startups get to their next   space. We believe doing so will
        eventually compensation be-  getting a patent, and pitching it.   milestone and provide them with   help to stimulate the economy
        came a non-issue. I mean, there   “What ended up happening was   expertise in product develop-  and enable great technologies
        is a certain point where you earn   that instead of building a product   ment. Our approach is similar to   to get to market faster. Our goal
        enough money to provide for   company, I started receiving   the accelerators and incubators   is to get these brilliant ideas to
        your family and the motivation to   interest from individuals and   out there that provide support   market faster so that the patients
        grow is not just in the compen-  companies asking me to help   for the business aspects, but   can start benefiting from them.”
        sation. The incentive for me is in   them with their software design,   instead we are focused on the   If anyone can accomplish
        the opportunity and I never really   regulatory and medical device   product development aspects.   these goals, it is Shawnnah Mon-
        felt like I had the opportunity   development.” Well-respected in   Many of these startup founders   terrey. She has let nothing stop
        to grow. Using my MBA was an   the medical device and software   are very scientific, technical, and   her along the way and advocates
        opportunity for me to learn more   areas, there suddenly seemed   highly educated, but do not have   for every one of her clients to
        about the business side of things   to be an unending supply of   the product development and   be sure they can achieve their
        in addition to the technical side.”  customers coming to Shawnnah   regulatory expertise to build   dreams. With Shawnnah on
           Shawnnah joined several   asking for assistance with build-  and deliver on the product side.   their side, I have no doubt their
        different organizations, to get   ing their teams and launching   The product development is the   dreams will become a reality.
        more involved in the community.   their products. At first, she said
        “I joined The Society of Women   no, since she had her own plans   BeanStock Ventures Website: www.beanstockventures.com
        Engineers, where I served as vice   to build her own product, but   Contact us page: https://www.beanstockventures.com/contact
                                                                 Our services flyer: https://www.beanstockventures.com/wp-content/up-
        president for two years. I also   before long the need became   loads/2020/02/BeanStock-Ventures-Service-Flyer-1.pdf
        joined Athena, which is also a   overwhelming and the op-  Trends from the CEO of BeanStock Ventures: https://www.beanstockven-
        STEM organization for women. I   portunities to give back were   tures.com/news/covid-19-beanstock-ventures-was-built-for-the-future/
        started investing a lot of my time   rewarding, so she jumped in.   Effective Virtual Product Development Management video:
        in volunteering. When I decided   Today, Shawnnah is the Founder   https://youtu.be/dEo6Aho9syk
        to start my own enterprise, I   and CEO of BeanStock Ventures.   Schedule an appointment with us:
                                                                 https://calendly.com/beanstockventures/30min
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