Sarah Hill of Healium

January 25, 2022 thetechtribune

An exclusive Tech Tribune Q&A with Sarah Hill (co-founder and CEO) of Healium, which was honored in our:

Tell us the origin story of Healium – what problem were you trying to solve and why?

I was a TV journalist who covered a lot of trauma. We went in with the trauma teams in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami and covered lots of bad stuff. I eventually developed insomnia that led to panic attacks. I didn’t want to take medication so I developed Healium for me as well as the millions of people who want to be less anxious and sleep better.

What was the biggest hurdle you encountered in your journey?

The technology was new so it required education. Raising investment dollars as a female founder in the Midwest was also tough.

What does the future hold for Healium?

We’ve just launched some new sleep content and we’ll be adding additional wearables to our platform. Every 60 days, we add a new piece of content. Healium ultimately works with any consumer wearable that you may already have in your home.

What are your thoughts on the local tech startup scene in Columbia?

Columbia, MO is a great place to start a company because it has a low cost of goods (so investment dollars go further here), there’s a ripe talent pool with three colleges and universities nearby, and it’s centrally located between either coast.

What’s your best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Your family is your first set of co-founders. Make sure your partner is on board with the commitment you’re about to make. Run from any advisor who early on wants to take a large equity stake in your company without a detailed services agreement and accountability for unmet milestones. Before you bring on a co-founder, see how they operate as an employee first. Not everyone has the desire, the grit, or the bandwidth to be a co-founder. Practice good self-care. Give yourself your own “atta girl”.