We were lucky to catch up with Christina Vosbikian recently and have shared our conversation below.
Christina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?
I love this question. I am so incredibly blessed with two parents who have lived by example to show me the importance of working hard and doing good with the opportunities I am afforded. What they “did right” is believe in me loudly – and push me to do good along the way!
Their only daughter, my parents consistently taught me that I could do anything I put my mind to. It wasn’t even a question. Whether it was math competitions, sports (which I was not good at, to be clear), science experiments, writing for the school paper, applying to college and so much more – the confidence my parents brought to supporting me always made me feel like nothing was out of reach and that I could achieve something of impact in this world. That second point – impact – is something my parents very clearly taught me by example. My mom’s family came to the U.S. as refugees from a war-torn Ukraine post-WW2 and my dad’s family came from Armenia to escape genocide. Hard work and overcoming adversity were ingrained in my parents. When starting her own dental practice, my mom used to take a bus across Philadelphia carrying her patients’ files in a box. She was commuting to a space she rented every night – after working a full day already – to build up her practice in her “free time.” Building a practice from scratch like that is something people rarely do anymore. Over time, she got her own space and worked tirelessly – coming to work early mornings to clean her office, staying late to chart and more – to build up a successful practice that has helped thousands of patients. Beyond being an incredible dentist herself, she gives so much to her community. I still remember when a young patient told my mom that they couldn’t afford books to study for the SAT. She immediately gave them mine. I truly think she would give the shirt off her back to her family or to help somebody in need. There are countless stories like that I can point to. I credit my mom with showing me what hard work, humility and caring look like in action. My dad is the same. He is tied for my biggest fan, with my mom – and also pushes me to work hard and do good, especially with his wise lessons and encouragement. When I was little, his maxims were omnipresent: “I’d take a hard worker over somebody with natural talent any day,” “Be a producer, not a consumer,” and more. He taught me that if somebody worked twice as hard as me to get to the same place, they deserved it more – and that, since I was given a lot of support, I had a responsibility to do good and be excellent. Between setting me up with tutors, taking countless calls of mine at work and always responding to my texts with immense encouragement – he helps me believe that I can create something of meaning in this world. I owe everything to my parents – and my family (my maternal grandmother, especially) without whose support I could never have dreamed big enough to start Coord Health!
Christina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m Christina Vosbikian, Founder and CEO of Coord Health. Coord is on a mission to support women between OBGYN visits without exacerbating provider burnout (aka we want to make OBGYNs’ lives easier and improve women’s experiences with health and wellness!).
My path into women’s health started from a mix of policy, finance, and hands-on operating experience. After Princeton, I worked at Goldman Sachs and Berkshire Partners, but it was during at Harvard Business School that I transitioned to working in women’s health. During my MBA, I co-led the Women’s Health Student Interest Group, launched the first Women’s Health Summit, was honored with the Robert F. Jasse Award for entrepreneurship, and gained operating women’s health experience at Allara Health and Planned Parenthood Direct. I’m now continuing this work as a Blavatnik Fellow in Life Science Entrepreneurship, while I build Coord full-time.
At Coord Health, we’re starting with virtual nutrition counseling for women, covered by insurance, and already live in Massachusetts. We’re (I hope!) making it easier for OBGYNs to extend care beyond the clinic, while giving women more touchpoints to get the evidence-based, personalized support they deserve. What I’m most proud of is that we’re not just building a company – we’re building a movement to redefine how women are supported throughout our health journeys.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
The most effective strategy for building our base has been a relentless focus on excellence. I approach every decision by asking: would I want my mom, my grandmother, or my best friend to experience this service or work with this clinical team? That personal lens keeps our standards high and ensures that every woman who engages with Coord Health feels truly supported. If anyone reading this has feedback on how we can do an even better job, my email is [email protected] – please reach out, I value our community’s and patients’ views immensely!
I also carry a deep respect for OBGYNs. From shadowing them (which is just a small taste), I’ve seen how tirelessly they and their teams of NPs, RNs and MAs work – usually seeing 30–40 patients a day and working hours of unpaid overtime – to serve women. Because of that, I would never put anything in front of OBGYNs that is less than excellent, nor would I be able to – as their bar is sky-high (as it should be). We want to be a partner doctors and patients can trust, one that lightens their load and elevates the care patients receive. That commitment to quality and trust has been the most powerful driver of our growth – and it is why my team of Registered Dietitians are all incredible health experts with top training. They are the reason we can live up to these standards of care and service!
Let’s move on to buying businesses – can you talk to us about your experience with business acquisitions?
Not directly, but my whole prior job was about buying great companies and making them even better. I was part of a much bigger team, but learning what makes a good partnership and how to sustain growth and value over time are lessons I hope will be valuable as we grow at Coord. The process of investing in or buying a company is, of course, motivated by careful analysis – but it’s also driven by conviction that there is something special to create through the partnership, and that both sides provide value to one another.
If you’re thinking of buying a business: do you truly believe you are the best one to own it and to drive value authentically and with integrity? If you’re thinking of selling a business: are you finding a buyer who will uphold your values and, in turn, provide value themselves?
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.coordhealth.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coord_health/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vosbikian/