In 2009 I was looking for my next career move. I wanted to do something that was meaningful for me, would provide significant benefit for people who needed it, and of course, if I did both of those things, I wanted it to be highly profitable. I wanted to combine my interest in medicine, my legal background and my considerable experience running and growing software companies over my career. While I was considering different opportunities, I met with Dr. Deepak Kaura , an inspired paediatric radiologist who wanted to share large radiology images with a few other paediatric radiologists in North America. In 2009, Dropbox and a number of other file sharing products were readily available, but he was unable to use them – because they did not meet the legal standard for privacy compliance of patient data. During the same time frame, I met with Mark Maier – the owner of Canada’s largest dental laboratory. They faced very similar problems in the transfer of highly confidential patient files. That was all I needed to see to make the leap and start the company. Multiple health industries dealing with a challenge of transferring large highly confidential files. Importantly, the problem was not one for technology, but rather a legal one where I felt I could add significant understanding to the development of software that would solve the confidentiality issue.
It has been an incredible start up road. I’ve learned more about the delivery of health care than I ever thought I’d have to know, and most days I feel like I’ve just scratched the surface. I tend to end the evening very tired, having poured most of my day into trying to see how software can dramatically improve the life of patients who need it. In the end, I hope to help millions of patients through the use of our software and even save a few lives along the way.
This is a picture of the three founders of Brightsquid taken in 2016.
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Over the past few years, I’ve become more engaged in the start up world and entrepreneurship in Canada. I’ve spoken at events, taught University of Calgary classes and spent a great deal of time with other entrepreneurs. I’m regularly amazed by other people that have put their ‘expected’ futures on hold to pursue their passion. I know that most of the entrepreneurs that I’ve met, have never and will never work that hard doing anything else in their lives.
As you’ll also note from other areas of my website, I’m humbled by the sacrifice that my parents made to come to Canada in the 1960s. They left everything they knew to come to a Canada, a place which was far away and, at that time, very foreign. I’m a proud son of immigrant parents who, by example, taught me their work ethic, their values and the deep seated desire to better the lives of the people around them.
Canada has a long history of welcoming immigrants – and generations of Joshis will benefit from that. It’s time for me to connect my passion for entrepreneurship and technology start ups with my desire to help qualified people come to Canada.
And so begins the story with CANSTARTUP.