How Founders Can Make the Grind Bearable
June 16, 2025
Startups are hard, but you don’t need to deliberately suffer to succeed.
Meet Pankhuri Dudani, Co-Founder of Openhelix and a recipient of the Sterling Road Grant. A clinical dermatologist by background, Pankhuri is tackling one of the biggest gaps in healthcare—the broken communication between pharma companies and medical professionals.
Through Openhelix, she’s working to fix this ethically, ensuring both sides collaborate better to improve patient care.
Pankhuri explains:
“I’m a clinical dermatologist, and our main goal is to improve communication between pharma companies and medical professionals. Right now, that relationship is broken. Physicians don’t trust pharma reps, and pharma companies struggle to get the feedback they need to improve their products. Patients are the ones who lose out. That’s where we come in—acting as an ethical bridge between these two groups.”
Pankhuri and her co-founder have pivoted six times, refining their approach to create real impact. The Sterling Road grant played a key role in their journey.
“When we first connected with Ash, we were working on something completely different. Our focus was always healthcare, but we had to find the right way to make an impact. This grant gave us the space to iterate—and we just landed our first customer.”
“What I appreciate most about Ash is that he’s no-nonsense. A lot of people in the startup world are ‘chest-thumpy’—they love hearing themselves talk. Ash isn’t like that. From day one, he made it clear this was about us and our success, not about him.”
“We tend to get stuck trying to build the ‘perfect’ product. Ash’s advice? Go to market, get feedback, and learn from failures. That’s how we ended up on pivot number six—and it’s working.”
One of the biggest takeaways from working with Ash? Blunt but effective feedback.
“At one point, we had just made a fresh pivot, and I was unsure if we were on the right track. I told Ash, ‘We have an early handshake deal,’ but I was really hesitant.
Ash immediately responded, ‘Yeah, yeah, because pharma companies are known for giving out money easily, right?’
That sarcasm snapped me out of it. I realized—we were onto something real.”
“This was one of the first grants we applied for, and getting that early validation was huge. Ash literally told us, ‘I don’t like your idea, but I like you.’ That set the tone for everything that followed.”
One of the most unexpected but impactful moments? Ash reminding Pankhuri of her own authority.
“I’m a clinical dermatologist, but somewhere along the way, I forgot the weight that carries. Ash told me, ‘You’re a doctor. If you say something, people will listen.’
Now, every time we meet, he calls me Dr. Dudani. That tiny shift changed how I see myself—and how I lead.”
“Ash has been pushing us to move to the U.S. and explore opportunities there. He’s even helping with connections and logistics. Hopefully, in the next 4-6 months, we’ll be in a position to take that step.”
“For early-stage founders? Absolutely. But not just for the money—for the mentorship.”
“Ash doesn’t care about inflating his own ego. He cares about helping you win. You’ll get real feedback, no sugarcoating, and a safe space to make mistakes and come back stronger.”
“Most startup events are full of people who just like to hear themselves talk. Sterling Road is different. It’s real help, real mentorship, and real impact.”
Pankhuri’s journey with Openhelix proves that success isn’t about getting it right on day one—it’s about adapting, learning, and having the right people in your corner.
