MOMpreneur: n. defined as a female business owner who is actively balancing the role of mom and the role of entrepreneur.
Welcome to our latest installment of MOMpreneur Monday, highlighting businesses and brands that were founded by female entrepreneurs and fellow mommas!
Today’s featured Modern Boca MOMpreneur is Dahlia Attia-King, Owner of Panacea. We are so excited to discuss the benefits of genetic testing with her!
Not to mention, we have a great promotion to share with Modern Boca Mom readers: Get 50% off your own Panacea genetic testing kit with code MBM50!
Tell us a little about your background and why you decided to start Panacea…
Hi! I’m Dahlia Attia-King and I’m a South Florida native. I was born and raised in the Palm Beach/Jupiter area and I live in Boynton Beach with my husband, Aaron, and two doggies, Diesel and Rocky. I’m not quite a mom, but my beautiful step-daughter, Tori, lives in Texas and I am an aunt to Sabrina and Phoenix, my amazing niece and nephew.
When I think about the future, I wonder what it could look like for Tori, Sabrina and Phoenix. I hope they can be empowered decision makers, and nowhere is that more important than when it comes to their health and wellness. My inspiration in creating a health tech company is believing that I can leave that space a tiny bit better than when I entered it. Hopefully, the next few generations can have opportunities that mine maybe didn’t.
What challenges did you face early on?
Frankly, I never in my wildest dreams thought I would start a health tech company or any company for that matter! I wanted to be a doctor–I wanted to help people. I was applying to medical school while I worked for a small group of genetic laboratories.
This is where I first learned how world changing genetic testing could be, but how impossibly difficult it is for people to access it.
Get 50% off your own Panacea genetic testing kit with code MBM50!
Insurance coverage for testing is sparse and physicians are hesitant to order uncovered tests. More than 80% of people whose lives could be changed or saved by testing are not getting tested. Long story short, I dared to believe I could improve this space and after many failures, a few successes and with a team far more impressive than myself, Panacea and our lab partners’ testing and clinical experts’ support is now available in almost every state in the nation!
What exciting things are coming up for your business?
We had the honor of being featured recently in Palm Beach Illustrated where I was able to share my personal story about how Panacea likely saved my life and my sister’s. With our national expansion and launch beyond Florida, we are also getting some really exciting recognition in the media about the benefits of genetic testing by giants such as Yahoo Finance. It’s been rewarding to see and this will allow more and more people to discover how they can empower themselves through Panacea in a way that isn’t possible in today’s healthcare system.
What is unique about your business and why should our Modern Boca Mom readers become your clients?
Despite all the innovation and countless direct-to-consumer companies offering some type of genetic testing, no one has been able to easily offer or move the needle on preventative medical genetic testing.
That’s because medical genetic testing faces multiple barriers to access such as 1) poor insurance coverage, 2) a lack of physician training on how to use the test, 3) costs that are so high, very few people can afford them and 4) a complete absence of genetic counseling for people who are getting direct to consumer tests.
Get 50% off your own Panacea genetic testing kit with code MBM50!
Accessing medical genetic testing in today’s healthcare system can take months and cost thousands of dollars, if a patient is ever successful at all. So the unique thing about Panacea is that we fully understand and address the MULTITUDE of problems that plague the space. We have created one simple solution that makes testing and clinical guidance more affordable and accessible than ever before.
Tell us more about the benefits of genetic testing…
Getting a clinical genetic test through Panacea is accomplished with just a few clicks on our site. Every single purchase includes a 1-hr session with a certified genetic counselor and physician oversight on the backend. It’s a one stop shop for an otherwise complex and arduous process. A one-stop shop that could save your life!
It’s really easy for a founder to talk about how great their company is and how their product will change your life, but I’m not just the founder of Panacea, I’m an actual user, whose life likely was saved by the company. My sister and I found out through the testing that Panacea offers that we have a gene mutation that makes us 9x more likely to develop ovarian cancer and now we can use this information to get ahead of our risks, and maybe save our own lives.
Women are THE ultimate healthcare decision makers for themselves AND their families–we take care of our kids’ and spouses’ health every day. The decision to get preventative testing for yourself and/or your family is probably one of the most important and empowering healthcare decisions you can make because it puts YOU in control of your health. Preventative genetic testing is a powerful risk assessment tool and there are many things that can be done to reduce your identified genetic risks.
Also, the peace of mind that comes if you don’t have any genetic risks identified is invaluable. Either way, it’s a win.
Get 50% off your own Panacea genetic testing kit with code MBM50!
What do you love about working and living in South Florida?
South Florida is one of the most beautiful and sought after destinations in the world. Our warm weather, endless sunshine and majestic beaches make it a place everyone wants to be.
We’ve seen so much movement and growth in SoFlo in recent years and that brings cultural and social diversity and a healthy boost to the economy. It’s really a great place to start and run a business– so much opportunity exists here and you get the added benefit of living every day where people wish to vacation!
Get 50% off your own Panacea genetic testing kit with code MBM50!
Benefits of Genetic Testing | Panacea
