We were lucky to catch up with Shapree’ Marshall recently and have shared our conversation below.

Shapree’, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

In 2021, I contracted the COVID-19 virus, leading to a hospitalization where I wasn’t expected to make it past the next five days due to underlying health conditions. As I lay in that hospital bed, I faced an overwhelming sense of doubt and fear. Was I a good person? A good mother? Did my family and friends know I loved them? These questions haunted me as I grappled with the uncertainty of my fate.

During this dark time, a beacon of hope appeared in the form of Nick, a travel nurse from New York. Nick, who loved 90s hip-hop music and pizza, was determined to do everything in his power to give me the opportunity to see my kids grow up. He told me he’d do his part, but I had to do the same. Beyond administering medication, Nick sang 90s hip-hop songs to boost my morale. When I was removed from the ventilator, he even had me perform “Feel Me Flow” by Naughty by Nature to exercise my lung function and lift my spirits.

One day, during our conversations, Nick shared his frustrations about being a travel nurse. Despite being in the profession before the pandemic, he always struggled to find suitable housing while on emergency contracts. The pandemic had highlighted the industry’s importance, causing it to balloon overnight and leading to an unprecedented amount of fraud and scams, which directly impacted his ability to provide patient care.

Grateful for everything Nick had done for me, I started researching this issue after my release. I discovered that over 44% of traveling medical professionals reported similar housing insecurities, and 35% mentioned fraud and scams as significant concerns affecting their ability to care for patients. Nick was right! This revelation inspired me to create A Traveled Path Homes.

What made me confident this was a worthwhile endeavor was the glaring need that no one else seemed to address adequately. While platforms like Airbnb exist, they aren’t tailored to the specific needs of healthcare professionals on emergency contracts. These professionals need reliable, vetted housing options that allow them to focus solely on patient care without added stress.

To address this gap, we at A Traveled Path Homes go beyond merely listing properties. We thoroughly vet each property to ensure its readiness prior to the professionals’ arrival, a solution not offered by other platforms on the market today. This extra step provides our users with peace of mind, knowing they will arrive at a safe, clean, and fully prepared accommodation, allowing them to focus entirely on their crucial work.

The logic behind the idea was simple yet powerful. By providing a dedicated platform for traveling medical professionals to find housing, we could ensure they have one less thing to worry about, enabling them to provide better care for patients. This approach was unique because it catered specifically to the healthcare industry, which has its own set of challenges and requirements.

What excited me most about this idea was the potential for real, tangible impact. I envisioned a world where these professionals could travel from one assignment to the next with confidence, knowing they had a safe and welcoming place to stay. It wasn’t just about housing; it was about creating a support system that acknowledged and appreciated their sacrifices.

The passion and emotion I felt during those initial stages were undeniable. I knew this was more than just a business idea; it was a mission to support those who dedicate their lives to caring for others. A Traveled Path Homes was not just solving a problem but doing so in a way that honored and empowered healthcare professionals.

Shapree’, 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?

Hello! I’m Shapree’ Marshall, founder and CEO of A Traveled Path Homes. My career spans 14 years in the insurance industry, where I’ve developed a deep understanding of business operations, claims, and underwriting. However, stepping into the role of a first-time entrepreneur has been a unique and eye-opening journey. It’s required a significant shift in thinking and an entirely new approach to problem-solving.

What We Offer:
A Traveled Path Homes specializes in providing vetted, safe, and convenient housing solutions exclusively for traveling medical professionals. We understand the unique challenges they face and offer a platform that ensures their accommodations are ready, clean, and secure before they even arrive. This meticulous vetting process is a distinctive feature that sets us apart from other platforms.

Our Unique Approach:
Focused Expertise: We cater specifically to the needs of healthcare professionals, addressing the critical issues of housing insecurity and fraud that affect their ability to perform their duties effectively.
Thorough Vetting: Our properties are carefully vetted to meet high standards of safety and readiness, ensuring a seamless experience for our clients.
Collaborative Development: Our platform was developed with direct input from medical professionals, ensuring it meets their needs and fosters trust within the industry.

Pride and Achievements:
I am immensely proud of how A Traveled Path Homes has transformed the landscape of housing for traveling medical professionals. By involving industry experts in our development process, we have set a new benchmark for quality and reliability. Our commitment to advocacy and support for healthcare workers is central to our mission.

Balancing Multiple Roles:
In addition to leading A Traveled Path Homes, I am a graduate student, a fiancé, and a mother of two. Juggling these roles has been both a challenge and a source of inspiration, driving me to ensure that our platform not only meets but exceeds the needs of our clients.

Our Mission:
A Traveled Path Homes is more than a business; it’s a heartfelt mission to give back to the healthcare community that has given so much. We are dedicated to resolving the housing and fraud challenges faced by traveling medical professionals, striving to be the gold standard in the industry.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about us. We invite you to join us in our mission to support and empower our healthcare heroes, ensuring they have the reliable and safe accommodations they deserve.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In the early days of my entrepreneurial journey, I was stepping into completely unfamiliar territory. I had a clear vision of solving a critical problem—providing secure and reliable housing for traveling medical professionals—but I knew almost nothing about entrepreneurship or how to start a business. My goal was to create a scalable solution, which meant incorporating a technological component. The only catch? I didn’t have a background in development or technology.

Facing this significant learning curve, I realized that understanding the basics of technology was crucial for communicating effectively with my development team and ensuring our platform met its goals. Despite my lack of technical knowledge, I was determined not to be left behind. I immersed myself in learning, devouring every bit of information I could find about technology and development. I attended workshops, read countless articles, and even took online courses to grasp the essentials.

It was challenging, and there were moments of doubt, but my commitment to solving the problem and my passion for helping others kept me going. My resilience was tested as I struggled to keep up with the fast-paced development discussions, but I was relentless in my pursuit of understanding. Gradually, my efforts paid off—I became more confident in my conversations with the team, and my vision for the platform started to take shape.

That period of intense learning and perseverance was pivotal. It not only equipped me with the knowledge I needed to move forward but also reinforced my belief in my ability to overcome obstacles. Today, A Traveled Path Homes stands as a testament to that resilience, embodying the solution I envisioned and the dedication I poured into every step of the journey.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

Securing initial funding for A Traveled Path Homes was challenging, especially as a Black woman entrepreneur. The stark reality is that Black women receive less than 0.2% of venture capital funding, despite their innovation and potential.

To overcome this, I sought unconventional solutions. I partnered with Prime Digital Academy in Minnesota, where students built our platform from UX design to full-stack development, significantly cutting costs. I then focused on entering pitch competitions and programs offering technical assistance. A key moment came in September 2023 when I won a grant from Digital Sandbox, which was crucial for making our website functional and conducting further testing.

Most of our funding has come from such opportunities or personal investment, showcasing our resilience and determination to turn our vision into reality despite the barriers.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.atphousing.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556557552018
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-traveled-path-homes/?viewAsMember=true