It’s always exciting to discover software that can improve the quality of human lives, and in this case – save them.  Our guest, Shanel Fields, is a prime example of why it is important to support underrepresented founders, as she’s set out to build a startup that reduces the number of dead on arrival cases.  This is a scenario that occurs all too often in underserved communities.   Founder Bio: Shanel Fields is the Founder and CEO of MD Ally -  a  911 telehealth company that enables virtual patient care for public safety systems. As the child of a volunteer EMT, Shanel’s always had a deep appreciation for first responders and brings a unique perspective to public safety technology. She started the company while at Wharton Business School after learning that low-income communities experienced higher rates of “dead on arrivals,” because of their longer ambulance wait times. She decided to do something about it by launching a company that integrates telehealth into 911 and improves healthcare outcomes.   After successfully raising over $1M in seed funding this year, Shanel is one of the too few venture-backed, black, female CEOs with a seat at the table of what has traditionally been a male-dominated space. She continues to break barriers as a thought-leader that's been featured on the front page of The New York Times Business section, interviewed on Good Morning America and, most recently, appointed to Techstars Board of Directors.   Timestamps: 2:40 Shanel’s background: New York, Atlanta, Philly 5:50 Early career at AT&T, Athena Health, and Wharton MBA 8:51 MD Ally Origins: A 911 telehealth company 11:33  How Shanel’s background in sales impacts her perspective on entrepreneurship 17:11 Enterprise Sales at a startup vs. large company 20:13  Shanel’s keys to generating customer conversations at an early phase 24:59  Prioritizing customers in the midst of an endless “to do” list 30:12  MD Ally and how it contributes life saving tech for low income and indigent communities? 33:11 Building tech products in the 911 market 39:56  MD Ally’s funding journey + learning lessons