As we begin talking, Inder Singh apologizes for his mildly scratchy voice. Like so many of us this time of year he is getting over a cold, but unlike us, Inder is the inventor of The Kinsa Thermometer, which works with smartphone technology to provide users with a “health context” for quicker response to symptoms. I can’t help but think Singh has an advantage over the rest of us dealing with his coughs and colds.
Even though Inder is the Founder and CEO of Kinsa, he started out in the North Hills of Pittsburgh as a self-proclaimed “nerd” and science enthusiast. As the child of Indian immigrants, Inder was pushed to work hard and take advantage of educational opportunities. While tales of first generation Americans’ determination are somewhat stereotypical, what makes Singh extraordinary is how he is committed to using his talents and success to give back on a global scale.
While Inder was busy competing in science fairs and on multiple sports teams pursuing the “American dream,” it was the trips he took to his parents’ home country that had the greatest impact on how he sees the world. Witnessing extreme poverty, the likes of which he had been largely sheltered from in his comfortable suburban upbringing, made Inder yearn to help.
In 1997, as a student at the University of Michigan, Inder created Dance Marathon, a non-profit organization wherein students raise money and awareness for pediatric rehabilitation programs through dance events. The program spread nationally and has raised over $4 million for children. For many, this would seem like a person’s crowning achievement, but Singh was just getting started.
After receiving post-graduate degrees from MIT Sloan School of Management and Harvard Kennedy School, he acted as the Executive Vice-President of the multi-national Clinton Foundation where he helped negotiate drug costs to help treat millions of HIV and malaria patients in Africa and East Asia. It was during this process that Inder realized how important it is to understand global health and the spread of disease to better prevent it.
For the average person, the idea of changing the world is a daunting, if not a seemingly impossible feat. For Inder, however, it is a call to action. He said he draws inspiration from the famous Margaret Mead quote, “Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact it is the only thing that ever has.” With inspiration and his “nerd” status on his side, Singh was ready to really shake things up.
Inder Singh’s professional and personal experiences ultimately led him to his current project to create the world’s first real-time map of health through the Kinsa Thermometer. The thermometer’s ability to tap into global data provides the user and others with a map of where illness is spreading. Understanding where disease is spreading can help medical professionals and suppliers better serve their patients and hopefully contain illness more quickly.
While this product has many virtues that are exciting on a global scale, its appeal to me, a mother of a toddler, is in its ingenuity. Inder calls the Kinsa thermometer, “better, smarter and cheaper,” than others available. While most thermometers simply tell you whether or not you have a fever, the Kinsa thermometer provides insight on symptoms and treatment suggestions. It leverages the power and technology of your mobile phone while it takes your temperature, and provides valuable information what the user should do next to expedite recovery. Furthermore, the graphics are fun and interactive, making it more bearable to take my squirrely son’s temperature. Anyone with a little one can see the value in that.
The Kinsa Thermometer is FDA approved and will be available for purchase in early February. As this product is getting ready to debut to the public, Singh is already thinking ahead. Just like his work with Dance Marathon and the Clinton Foundation, this is not Inder swan song, he is eager to begin working on the next phase of the Kinsa Thermometer and other Kinsa projects.
Inder is a local boy with global reach, and his experience, talent, and drive are serving him well as he sets out to learn more about the spread (and hopefully prevention) of disease around the world. With such an impressive résumé, it would be easy to think Inder is some kind of Superman, but at least we know even he gets a cold every once in a while.
For more information on Kinsa and to be notified of the Kinsa Thermometer’s release visit: www.kinsahealth.com , on Facebook.com/kinsahealth, and on Twitter @kinsahealth.
Susie Meister is host of The Meister Piece podcast on iTunes and www.susiemeister.com. Follow her on Twitter @susie_meister
