From Pharmacist to Innovator: Rashmi Varma’s Journey to Bridging Health Gaps

Rashmi Varma joined Berkeley’s entrepreneurial community after taking a SCET class in her first year as a master’s student at UC Berkeley School of Public Health. Since then, she has continued to share her passion for healthcare access in vulnerable communities and advocated for interdisciplinary collaboration to solve these complex global issues. Over the past year, she has furthered her mission by developing a startup, AlkeLink, a mobile inventory monitoring app for pharmacists and physicians to prevent drug stock-outs and streamline the drug restocking process. 

Varma, who prides herself as an avid reader, first identified the issue after reading an article published on BBC. The article described a successful separation surgery on conjoined twins in Kenya but noted the tragic loss of one of the twins to malaria, a disease easily addressed by anti-malarial medication. 

Varma found herself struck by the stark contrast between a difficult-to-execute separation surgery and a tragically preventable death attributed to a drug stock-out. Inspired to address this issue, Varma developed her idea in the course and further brought her vision to life at the bi-annual Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship Bootcamp and the Collider Cup this past May. 

Public Health to Business Innovation

Throughout her education, Varma found herself fascinated by global health, social economics, and population health, especially in vulnerable communities. Her studies took her to South India, where she founded a menstrual hygiene education program for young girls in the region. The relationships she formed with her students left an indelible impression on her, and she grew determined to nourish the budding connections she had established after her stewardship ended. However, once she returned to the States, Varma was not able to maintain the meaningful relationships she had devoted herself to. Due to the lack of infrastructure in the region, Rashmi found the connections she had formed with community members were not sustainable, which troubled her greatly. 

From this experience, Varma realized there was a need for a startup system that could help track and maintain connections with people met during their work. This kickstarted her passion for pursuing creative problem-solving through entrepreneurship. She realized she could also utilize startups to work on her passion for mitigating healthcare access gaps in low-resource settings and encouraging sustainable relationships with communities. She recognized that she understood patient health from a micro setting, but wanted to better understand how to tackle these health disparities from a macro perspective. 

Ultimately, Varma’s ambitions led her to pursue a master’s degree in public health at UC Berkeley. It was then that Varma decided to enroll in her first class at the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, titled ENGIN 183C 004 – Challenge Lab: Designing Startups to Transform Society | A Berkeley Changemaker Course. The ethos of the course deeply resonated with her, and her learnings equipped her with the tools and confidence to develop AlkeLink, an app designed to eliminate drug stock-outs at hospitals in the Global South. 

Embracing the unique offerings at UC Berkeley, she immersed herself deeper, enrolling herself in the ENGIN 183A/283A – A. Richard Newton Series | A Berkeley Changemaker Course

and the Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship Bootcamp in the following semesters. 

During her time at UC Berkeley, Varma noted the incredible synergy of the entrepreneurial community in the Bay Area; she recognized the importance of collaborative innovation at the intersection of disparate academic fields – especially in public health and technology – which she deems crucial in finding sustainable and effective solutions to complex global health crises. 

“Bridging these areas is crucial to addressing health disparities and ensuring sustainable solutions. I always believed in leveraging technology to tackle social health issues, particularly in under-resourced settings.”

Varma’s Pearls of Wisdom

When asked about the traits of a successful entrepreneur, Varma believes that entrepreneurs must embrace continuous learning with tenacity. However, she also describes the importance of open-mindedness and flexibility when required to pivot. Additionally, she emphasized just how networking has been to both her personal development and the growth of her venture. She advises aspiring entrepreneurs to spend time connecting with people in the industry, as nurturing these relationships can open doors and make one’s journey more fulfilling. 

“There’s a story about a man with a fig tree in his vineyard. For three years, the tree had not borne any fruit, and the man considered chopping it down. However, he decided to wait another year and nurture the tree with extra care and fertilizer. Finally, it yielded fruit. This parable teaches us about the importance of patience and hope. Sometimes, all that’s needed is a little more time and care for situations to turn around and thrive. It encourages us not to give up too quickly but to invest our efforts and patience a bit longer. In your project, continually nurture your roots and give them the care they need to grow strong. I’m confident that, before long, you’ll enjoy the fruits of your labor.”

Varma noted that the most rewarding aspect of her entrepreneurial journey has been collaborating with people from different age groups, educational backgrounds, unique life experiences, and opportunities to learn from kind and humble mentors. For Varma, mentorship has been invaluable to her success as a founder.  

“Mentorship has been the Olympic torch driving the development of my venture. Whether it was fellow students, professors, or industry experts, their expertise in strategy, brand development, and access to industry resources significantly advanced my project.”

“Every meeting, whether to discuss funding opportunities or technological tools, brought us closer to making a significant impact. The project amendments and revisions felt less like setbacks and more like opportunities for improvement and growth.”

The Journey Ahead

In the years ahead, Varma will continue to dedicate herself to helping to mitigate disparities in healthcare access for vulnerable and marginalized communities, and she will work to see AlkeLink fulfill its mission to end drug stockouts and ease the burden on pharmacists and physicians in the global south. 

In reflecting on her journey, Varma noted that, although the journey has been tough, it has been incredibly rewarding. Despite initial challenges balancing academic responsibilities with the demands of her startup, she continues to remind herself that nothing worthwhile comes easily.

“My gratitude for the tremendous support system I have left little room for dwelling on any obstacles I face. It’s a strange but wonderful feeling to struggle to articulate the immense love and support that seems to be guiding this project forward. This project has been a thrilling combination of diligent effort, timely opportunities, and a pervasive feeling of community and shared purpose that is incredibly motivating. Looking forward, the path ahead is bright with hope and the promise of success, illuminated by the guidance and support of my mentors.”

Finally, Varma emphasized the importance of empowering and uplifting others in the process. 

“I want to be remembered for creating innovative solutions that not only improved systems but also made a tangible difference in people’s lives. I want to be a part of people’s butterfly effect, and pay it forward to as many individuals as I can.”