#03 Barry Smith - Serendipity in probiotic food supplement product development and scaling with Symprove

06/08/22 • 27 min

Barry Smith is a former military nurse-turned-farmer, and the “accidental” founder of Symprove: A water-based liquid probiotic formula marketed as a food supplement, containing four strains of live and active bacteria designed to be delivered directly to the gut. Initially developed as a cattle feed under the name Multigerm, but underpinned by the belief that it could help to support healthy gut function in humans, the company pivoted and the product was rebranded for human consumption in 2010. Since then, Symprove has grown into a multi-million pound business, and has been featured in numerous scientific research studies linked with promoting a range of human health benefits, from alleviating the symptoms of IBS as well as those of Parkinson’s disease. Today, Barry shares his unusual journey from establishing his own health and wellness company and shipping products from his literal backyard, to the importance of building an evidence base for Symprove, and where he sees the future of the probiotic industry heading. You can find out more about Symprove in the following ways: https://www.symprove.com/ https://symproveforprofessionals.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Symprove Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/symproveyourlife/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/symprove Find us on: Website: www.founders-keepers.com Instagram: @founderskeepers.pod Twitter: @founders_pod Get in touch: [email protected]

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#02 Livia Ng - Revolutionising clinical trials with Neucruit

At just 24 years old, Livia Ng has built an active community of biotechnology companies focused on providing opportunities for business leaders. A neuroscientist by training, she is the founder and CEO of Neucruit: A seed-stage organisation that connects patients and researchers through data and seeks to optimise clinical trial management. Neucruit’s platform supports clinical trial site selection; optimises recruitment materials; and enables clients to reach patient groups not easily accessed through otherwise traditional methods – in this way helping to address fundamental inequalities in patient representation that still exist in clinical trial conduct and processes. She joins me on this week’s episode to share her insights in shifting from a traditional academic role to building her own company dream team; where she sees the future of clinical trials heading; and the importance of persevering in the face of adversity when building your own empire. You can find out more about Livia and Neucruit’s work at: https://neucruit.com/ Find us on: Website: www.founders-keepers.com Twitter: @founders_pod Instagram: @founderskeepers.pod Get in touch: [email protected]

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#04 Ashley Hanger - Building Australia's first diabetes service subscription box with Stripped Supply

Appropriately for Diabetes Week, the guest on this episode of Founders Keepers is Ashley Hanger: The founder of the diabetes drug and device subscription service, Stripped Supply (tagline: “Diabetes is a prick”). A journalism and public relations graduate by background, Ashley embarked on her journey with Stripped Supply in early 2020 to address an unmet need she saw among young diabetic patients in Australia struggling to order and receive their medication and device supplies on time. Leveraging a large social media following of predominantly Gen Z people living with diabetes, and with an initial waitlist of over 500 subscribers before launching in late 2021, Stripped Supply is now Australia’s first dedicated diabetes patient management subscription service: Automating and delivering custom supplies to its members across the country. The startup boasts that it utilises existing medical infrastructure to bring diabetes medication to people that need them most, and an easy-to-sign up subscription model that makes drug and device refills as easy as possible. Ashley speaks in this episode about her non-traditional route into healthcare business ownership; her love for storytelling as a founder and experience of pitching her story to investors; and how she is effectively harnessing the power of social media in tackling holistic diabetes care. You can find out more about Stripped Supply in the following ways: https://stripped.supply/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stripped.supply/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stripped.supply TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stripped.supply?lang=en Find us on: Website: www.founders-keepers.com Instagram: @founderskeepers.pod Twitter: @founders_pod Get in touch: [email protected]