Gabriella RestrepoInteresting fact: Co-founded a startup while on a D1 football scholarship in the US.
TL;DR
Introducing our Engagement Manager, Halvard Ramstad. Halvard has a background in sports, and has worked in the health-tech space for a fast-growing start-up in London for the past years.
What did you do before Livv?
I grew up in Oslo, Norway and was very involved in sports from a young age, especially football. I played for FC Lyn Oslo before moving to the US on a D1 scholarship at the University of Delaware..
During my undergraduate studies, I co-founded UtdanningX AS, an EdTech platform that helped Scandinavian students apply to study at elite universities abroad.
I later went on to grad school at Imperial College London, where I rowed crew and competed in various regattas for the University’s rowing team.
My professional journey started at Amazon in their HQ in London before getting an incredible opportunity to be a part of a Y-Combinator health-tech startup in London, Terra API.
How did you become interested in health-tech and what led you to Livv Health?
I’ve always been passionate about sports and understanding the human body. I had a rough knee injury during my junior season in the USA. Four surgeries later I was told I could never play football or play sports at a high level again due to a medical error during my recovery process.
Unfortunately I learned the hard way that more data doesn’t equal better outcomes in healthcare. I’ve since become deeply passionate about understanding how we can use data and AI to improve health systems globally. This led me to working with wearables and sensor data at Terra in London and now at Livv Health.
Hobbies outside the office?
I remain passionate about sports, even though my knee injury limits my ability to run. In the past year, I’ve gotten into road cycling and I took up rowing while in England.
Recently, I’ve just acquired my hunting license in Norway and I enjoy cross-country skiing, sailing and a lot of other sports out in nature. Beyond sports, I love traveling and meeting people from different cultures, which I’m glad I’ve gotten to do a lot of over the years while living abroad.
Why do you believe in Livv Health and what is the problem we are solving?
Firstly, it came from my own experience with a career-ending knee injury, involving multiple surgeries - two in the US and two more in Norway - and managing the hassle of countless health documents from the UK, Norway, and the US. This led me to the realization that our health data are extremely fragmented across a lot of different sources.
It was very challenging to present a comprehensive and holistic picture of my own health to doctors in Norway after a time abroad. That is precisely the problem Livv Health aims to solve, and why I have such belief in our mission to create a more integrated and efficient system - I cannot understate how important it is for people to have ownership and control over their own health data.
If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and why?
I would choose Phil Knight, the founder of Nike. His book, "Shoe Dog," is a fantastic book and it fuelled my passion for entrepreneurship. I relate to his origins as a former athlete, and his unconventional path to success.
I admire his ability to build a successful company, a goal I aspire to achieve one day myself. He is also known for being a very down-to-earth and charismatic leader that fosters a friendly work environment with highly driven people, traits I greatly respect.
Lastly, what do you envision the healthcare system will look like in the future?
Currently, health data is fragmented across various sources like GP records, psychologists, wearables data, etc. In the future, I envision individuals owning and controlling their own health data, consolidated into one single place, similar to how personal banking apps operate today. This shift will promote preventative care rather than reactive, providing people with a comprehensive overview of their own health and empowering them to take proactive steps in managing their well-being continuously.
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