Continued from Hugh Brownstone.
Elliot Menschik has always been a voracious learner. So when it came time for college, he chose a dual-degree program in electrical engineering at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Upon graduation, Menschik dove right into an M.D./Ph.D. program at the University of Pennsylvania, focusing on computational neuroscience. “I did a lot of work with Alzheimer’s disease and memory function,” says Menschik, who lives in Wynnewood. “I received a brief faculty post teaching in the engineering school while I finished up my medical degree. It was during this time that I became frustrated with the state of software and technology and how it was being used in medicine. There had to be a better way.”
HxTechnologies was his solution. “I built it with the intention of enabling hospitals to share data electronically with other hospitals when patients were moved,” he says.
After nine years of success, Menschik sold his software company. “It was a requirement of the deal that I work with the buyer for a couple of years,” he says. “While fulfilling my obligation, I realized I wanted to continue working in startups.”
The next step was VenturefOrth, a shared workspace concept that allows tech startups to collaborate with other like-minded entrepreneurs. Educational events are also part of the business model, which launched in January. “This month, we’re having executives from Urban Outfitters coming to talk about best practices in search-engine optimization for startup organizations,” he says. “We’ll be highlighting the kinds of lessons that are really hard to come by for startup entrepreneurs.”
Visit venturef0rth.com.
