Venture Out: What This CEO Says Can Only Be Learned from Experience
In our partnership with StartOut, we regularly invite them to highlight an LGBT entrepreneur. Meet the founder of Pierson Labs who just wont give up.
While jogging in the spring of 1984, Ramona Pierson was struck by a drunk driver and put in an 18-month coma. The accident broke 104 of her bones, caused multiple forms of brain trauma, punctured holes in her lungs, required nearly 100 surgeries, and rendered her blind. After re-learning how to speak and how to function in society with the aid of a seeing-eye dog, now Pierson is a highly sought after inventor, strategist and entrepreneur.
Pierson, 49, is the founder of Pierson Labs, which promises it will soon bring data to life by personalizing its predictive power. The San Francisco-based company is quickly adding employees whilein stealth mode, meaning Pierson is keeping all financial information and strategy under wraps. In the coming eight to 10 weeks, though, it will launch a new product the details of which are still largely a secret. Then every 30 days, Pierson says her company will offer new plug-ins, apps and functionality as it builds toward an ultimate vision.
Pierson has been with her partner, Debra Chrapaty, for 15 years since first meeting in New York City shortly after Pierson regained sight in one eye thanks to a dangerous surgery. Pierson was in New York to work on her post-doc and the couple now live in California.
http://www.advocate.com/business/2012/07/05/what-out-ceo-ramona-pierson-says-can-only-be-learned-experience