TNS MENTOR CHANGEMAKER: Christina Blackburn @ Vanguard Medicine
ABOUT: Christina Blackburn is a gender-based violence researcher, doctoral student at Thomas Jefferson University, an award-winning tech founder, and non profit founder since 2012. Our goal is to positively impact how care is delivered to vulnerable victims of domestic violence and child endangerment globally with an emphasis on women with small children. We use data driven technology and creative solutions, as well as immersive experiential learning to scale and grow our concept. Christina has been developing curriculum, administering training for frontline clinicians, mentoring graduate and medical students, and mentoring undergraduate students since 2014 at the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, La Salle University, The New School, and Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
How have you been involved with the Impact Entrepreneurship Initiative?
Mentoring has been instrumental to my success as a founder, so I am always looking for opportunities to give back and mentor others. I have worked with the New School mentoring students who are beginning to think about and plan their own businesses. I have also had several students contact me after the class and I have advised them on networking, building a team, how to gain a mentor, and how to stay on track to meet their goals. I love doing this because if someone did not pour into me, I would not be where I am today.
What does it mean to you to mentor others? What advice do you have to other mentors?
When people see you are serious, passionate, dedicated, and have a clear vision – they will follow you… forever. If you can get a few loyal experts to believe in you, customers will be much easier to sell to because you have proven to yourself and others, you have what it takes to win the hearts of key stakeholders.
Be that ambitious person and you will easily attract people who will want to help. Also, don’t be afraid to ask random strangers, who are experts in your field, to be a part of your “Advisory Board”. People love official titles if they are going to help. I have done this successfully many times. I will listen to a presenter at a conference and will contact them afterward, tell them what I am doing, and ask them to join my board. It also helps if you are doing something innovative. People don’t like boring.