James Li is the CEO of Mighty Health. Previously, he co-founded Encore Alert, a marketing intelligence platform that worked with brands like IDEO, Denver Broncos, and the American Cancer Society, which he led to an acquisition by Meltwater in 2016. In college, he wrote speeches for then-Vice President Joe Biden and was named Georgetown Entrepreneur of the Year.
Dr. Bernard Chang is the Chief Medical Officer of Mighty Health. As the Vice Chair of Research at Columbia University Medical Center, he is one of our nation’s top researchers on the intersection of cardiovascular disease and psychology, and was the youngest ever ED doctor to receive a top-tier NIH grant. He currently sits on the alumni board at Stanford School of Medicine (where he obtained his MD).
What inspired you/your team to create this company?
Growing up (especially in an Asian family), we can often think of our parents as invincible–they look after you and take care of you, and you usually don’t worry too much about them.
But a few years ago, my dad was suddenly rushed to the hospital for emergency open heart surgery. Though he luckily survived, it was quite the wakeup call—he had to change his lifestyle habits immediately, or else he’d have to deal with painful, worsening chronic issues for the rest of his life.
These changes—exercise, nutrition, sleep, and reducing stress—are hard as is, but even more so for folks over 50: most wellness apps are designed for motivated millennials, making them feel less relatable to older adults. They don’t take into account evolving health needs, joint issues, or technical limitations. And because the over 50 population is at higher risk of COVID complications, they’re mostly stuck at home and won’t be able to return to gyms for the foreseeable future.
We’re building Mighty Health to help this population, often overlooked in the tech world, live their best, healthiest lives.
What distinguishes your company and product in the market?
We’re the first digital wellness platform designed specifically for people over 50:
1) Coaching: Each member has a personal accountability coach keeping them motivated through SMS, providing a real human relationship.
2) Content: Workout videos that are easy on the joints, a personalized nutrition plan and grocery list designed by cardiologists, lessons written by physicians on how to improve chronic conditions
3) Celebrations: Family members can receive texts about each member’s achievements. Our app is simple to set up and use, accommodating large and high contrast text, large tap areas, and older devices.