Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Liz Parrish, CEO of BioViva, located in Bainbridge Island, WA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Our business is a small startup doing R&D into virus vectors to deliver genes in therapy that we hope will tackle cell damage due to aging. So our customers are potentially everybody on this planet.

Tell us about yourself

When I realized that a lot of drugs that help tackle cell damage due to aging are only available to mice, I decided to lobby and R&D to fast-track similar drugs for human patients.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I was a voluntary patient zero in a pioneering gene therapy to tackle some damage due to aging because I wanted to prove that these therapies are safe for humans. It worked since I have had no adverse effects from the therapy that took place in Colombia in 2015.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Raising investors' interest in our product. Nothing can be done without investment, and gene therapy requires large investments to get off the ground because it is relatively new. The potential rewards, however, for both investors (in money) and patients (in health) are sky-high. And no one can say that he will never need these therapies. We are all aging, and aging will kill us all unless we find a cure.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Be passionate about your startup!
  2. Narrow down your field to one essential thing. You're a pioneer, so you start from scratch. Choose one product you firmly believe in and invest all your time, energy, and funds in it.
  3. Be patient, and don't give up. Startups struggle for years before succeeding overnight. 

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://bioviva-science.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BiovivaSciences
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BioVivaScience


If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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