Jamey Edwards is the Chief Operating Officer of StartUp Health, which was founded in 2011 to invest in a global army of entrepreneurs, called Health Transformers, committed to achieving health moonshots.
Jamey joined StartUp Health in 2022 to lead its efforts to support scaling digital health innovation across its own operations and the portfolio.
1) What is your morning routine?
I have taken my kids to school each morning since they were of school age. My son now walks, but I still take my daughter.
It’s quality time together where we can talk and share space without any interruptions and they know that dad made them a priority and was “present.”
2) Which technology could you not live without?
I would say the toaster as I was a fan of Pop-tarts (Maple and Brown Sugar!) growing up, but my smartphone has definitely become a crucial productivity tool.
Hard to imagine life without one!
3) How do you relax?
I relax by spending time with my family, sports like golf, skiing or beach volleyball and playing music.
I have been playing guitar for quite some time and used to play out in coffee houses when I was younger. I just wish I could still sing!
4) Which quote resonates with you?
There is a specific Steve Jobs quote that has always hit home for me because it goes right to the centre of creating impact in your life and others:
“Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use.
“Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.”
5) What is the best thing about your job?
I get to be inspired on a daily basis.
I love being able to meet with our health transformers each and every day, learn about their obstacles and help navigate them.
I am constantly in awe of their smarts, passion and dedication to solving the world’s health challenges and it’s an honour and privilege to be able to serve them as they achieve their moonshots!
6) If you could spend a day in someone else’s shoes, whose would they be and why?
I think I am a really lucky guy so not sure I want to walk in anyone else’s shoes as I really like mine 😉 BUT…I do think it would be interesting to walk in Elon Musk’s shoes for a day.
This isn’t an endorsement of his views or behaviour, but you have to respect someone who has put it all on the line, multiple times, to take on some of society’s greatest issues.
He has successfully taken on the establishment in entrenched industries and built category leading businesses in finance, energy, automotive and space exploration.
That’s not luck. That’s bold vision and execution!
7) What is the one thing that we are not talking about?
Kindness! I think the world simply needs more kindness.
I think we have spent too much time building walls instead of bridges, being suspicious instead of trusting and need to resist the fight or flight mechanism in our Amygdala more.
I liked it when John Krasinski was doing Some Good News and think things like the #pinksocks are good for society. I think we need to balance our self-interest with community.
If we can manage to be kind first and put others before ourselves more often, the world would be a better place.
8) Would you rather travel 100 years forward or back in time?
Forward! I can’t wait to see what the future holds and how many of our Health Transformers at StartUp Health have solved the world’s greatest health challenges!
9) What advice would you give to an 18-year-old you (and would you have listened to you!)?
1) Listen more and talk less. 2) Use the words Yes and No at the right times. Yes is where the fun starts, but no can also be the start of a great dialogue and building understanding. 3) Trust your gut.
10) What is your biggest regret?
Not listening to my mom about piano lessons when I was younger. Music is such a great creative outlet and is a mathematically driven language as well.
Being a musician is about creatively framing that math in a way that can inspire people, make them happy or sad or be used as a way to communicate broader messages of impact.
It’s never too late though, right? 🙂
