I’m Elya Lane, a serial entrepreneur driven by a profound mission to make a positive impact. As a dedicated advocate for individuals battling rare and chronic health conditions, I’ve utilized my extensive business background to create products and foster communities that can truly save lives. Living with a rare genetic condition has transformed my journey from patient to healthcare pioneer. My prior experience includes founding and successfully managing ventures like Enlightened Learning and NinjAcademy. However, Corra (Techstars 2024) represents my first venture into healthcare innovation — a pursuit I’m deeply passionate about because its success was literally a matter of life or death. Throughout my career, resilience and innovation have defined my approach, with a clear goal of revolutionizing medicine and ensuring personalized healthcare is accessible to all.

What does your company do, and why is it important?

Corra is a digital health platform that uses machine learning to transform how we interpret and manage health data. By analyzing comprehensive health inputs such as nutrition, medications, and symptoms, Corra provides personalized health insights that empower both patients and doctors to make informed decisions. This approach bridges the gap between patients and healthcare providers, enhancing preventative care, reducing health disparities, and making personalized medicine accessible to everyone. Corra’s importance lies in its ability to turn complex data into actionable insights, thereby improving overall health management and outcomes.

What advice would you give aspiring entrepreneurs who are just starting their journey?

My key advice is to ensure you are genuinely passionate about your idea, as this passion will sustain you through difficult times. Startup life demands more hours than a typical 9-5 but also offers immense rewards. Focus on solving a real problem, seek advice, and continuously expand your knowledge until you become an expert in your field. Surround yourself with a strong network of mentors and peers for support and guidance, and make sure you have a team you can trust without reservation. Look for opportunities to give back — the strongest networks are born from a place of mutual respect and support. Embrace setbacks as learning opportunities, keep your customers at the center of your business, and iterate based on their feedback. Most importantly, stay resilient and adaptable, as persistence and flexibility are crucial to success.

What has been your proudest moment or biggest triumph in your entrepreneurial journey?

My proudest moment in my entrepreneurial journey was realizing that Corra had actually saved my life. Struggling with my own chronic health conditions, I built Corra to provide personalized health insights and empower myself and others. Witnessing our community grow and hearing testimonials from users who improved their health because of Corra is incredibly rewarding. Knowing that we have built something with the power to reach people at their most vulnerable and give them hope is the greatest achievement I could hope for as an entrepreneur.

Are there any lessons you've learned along the way that you wish someone had shared with you when you started?

Start fundraising early! If you start raising before you need the funds, you can pitch from a position of power rather than desperation. Not every dev team is a good fit. If you’re not a technical founder, either find a trustworthy dev team or get a technical cofounder, and always run a small test case before committing fully. Finally, legal safeguards are crucial — chat with a lawyer, make sure everyone signs NDAs, and have contracts that assign their work to the company. These strategies can greatly enhance your chances of success.

Can you share any resources or organizations that have been particularly helpful to you as an entrepreneur?

- Techstars obviously!

- CooleyGO provides a variety of free legal documents which are very helpful for startups.

- LegalZoom simplifies the business filing process for new entrepreneurs.

- SCORE offers free mentoring, workshops, and resources for small businesses.

- SBA is a comprehensive source of information on starting and managing a business, including funding opportunities.

- OpenVC is a great platform to search for investors.

- Bridge is excellent for finding warm introductions to potential investors.

- Listen to the podcast StartUp by Alex Blumberg.

- Also, ask for discounts and sponsorships: Many conferences and events are willing to provide discounted tickets or support to startup founders.

- I also personally use Slack and Asana for all of our team organization and communication!

Why did you want to do an accelerator, and why did you choose Techstars?

I wanted to join an accelerator to gain access to resources, mentorship, and a network that could help scale Corra effectively. While interviewing with three different accelerators, I remember discussing the pros and cons with my husband. I realized Techstars had a focus on building successful founders rather than just successful businesses. More than anything though, I loved Techstars' "Give First" approach. That really aligned with who I am as a person and the type of company I want to build. I had already experienced how much Techstars has to offer after being a participant in one of their pre-accelerators, so taking the next step to join a full accelerator was an easy choice.

What was your biggest takeaway from your time spent in program?

I think the biggest takeaway from my time with Techstars is that the support and experience don’t end when the program does — it continues to evolve after graduation. The most valuable lesson I learned is to fundraise early and build a strong network. Without a network, you are sunk. Techstars emphasized the importance of creating connections and maintaining them, which has been crucial to my ongoing success.

Read More