Ellington West, the CEO of Sonavi Labs, has faced plenty of difficulties and role models. Or ones that provided both, such as her Black father, an inventor whose microphone technology is used in 90 per cent of the world's electronics and also presented her with a challenge, or her grandmother, a member of the "human computers" that assisted NASA in launching John Glenn into orbit in 1962.

In an interview, West, 34, stated, "My father is my hero, my role model, and my greatest influence." A digital stethoscope developed at Johns Hopkins by a team lead by the daughter West's father could detect pneumonia and possibly COVID-19 and prevent deaths. This is presently the daughter West's biggest difficulty.

The tool was created by Dr. West and a student named Ian McLane in response to a challenge from the Gates Foundation, but Dr. West was concerned that the research might go to waste if it wasn't turned into a useful, marketable product.
The younger West joined immediately in, leaving her position as a director of business development at a healthcare organization to work with McLane on founding Sonavi Labs.

The Baltimore startup has raised $4.5 million from venture capital firms since 2017. According to Inc. magazine, it made West one of fewer than 100 Black business owners who have raised more than $1 million in venture funding. Sand Hill Angels, Gaingels, PTX Capital, Nightingale Partners, and Synetro Group are some of Sonavi's supporters. Last September, it closed a $3.5 million round.

Source: CityBiz