Young Change Makers: Why and How Jonathan Xing Of NovaXS Biotech Corp Is Helping To Change Our World
Embrace failure: When I first started my entrepreneurial journey, I was afraid of failure because I cared a lot about what others think of me. However, the more I continued on my journey, the more I realized that failures are the milestones to the success and learning from the failures is the key.
As part of my series about young people who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jonathan Xing.
Tianyi Jonathan Xing is the Chief Operating Officer and co-Founder of NovaXS Biotech Corp., a smart medical device company developing an in-home and needle-free drug delivery platform. He is a strategic and highly driven serial entrepreneur and angel investor dedicated to making an impact on the world and making healthcare technology accessible for all. He has a proven track record in business development in various industries including sports management, health and wellness and real estate development.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
Thank you so much for including me in this interview series. I’m Jonathan Xing, I’m the co-founder and COO of NovaXS Biotech Corp, a smart medical device company developing an in-home and needle-free drug delivery platform. I’m also a serial entrepreneur with three other startups in various industries including sports management, health and wellness and real estate development. I grew up in China and came the United States for high school. My upbringing truly shaped the person I am today and I’m excited to tell those stories in today’s interview.
Is there a particular book or organization that made a significant impact on you growing up? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
My family is religious, we practice Tibetan Buddhism. I have grown up surrounded by monks and nuns. My parents brought me to Tibet every summer and those visits had a significant impact on me. In my upbringing, I’ve realized the limited resources the Tibetan people have and have witnessed gender inequality. It was not that much of difference in the urban cities of China, but even the small differences began to add up. As time went on, I realized that I should do something to make a change. When I was 16, the Tibetan Buddhist nun temple I grew up visiting was destroyed by a natural disaster right before my eyes. My religion and this community have had such a big impact on my life, I knew I had to do something to help. This lead me down the path to my first entrepreneurial venture. I ended up collaborating with two famous Chinese singers to publish a charity music album to raise money to rebuild the nun temple. We raised half a million dollars and continued the project by building resorts and creating Tibetan consumer goods brands to increase the employment rate in the area and teach the Tibetan people how to make a living by themselves. This experience was the foundation for the entrepreneur I am today. It all started with my family, my community and the religion that taught me my values. When I saw a problem, I knew I had to help solve it.
How do you define “Making A Difference”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
I would define “making a difference” as when my actions could make the lives of others happier and easier. For example, I saw an opportunity to bring American basketball to Chinese fans and help kids build confidence and have a good time. So I took action and hosted an NBA training camp. I acted as an organizer, facilitator and public speaker. It was a lot of hard work, but seeing the kids have a good time and giving the NBA basketball players a chance to give back was so rewarding and made it all worth it. Today I’m the founder and president of NovaXS. We’re developing a needle-free smart drug delivery platform that improves the remote healthcare adherence and outcome. I co-founded this company because I saw a way to make healthcare delivery easier and knew I had to take action to become part of the solution.
Ok super. Let’s now jump to the main part of our interview. You are currently leading an organization that aims to make a social impact. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
The pandemic taught us that healthcare resources are limited and that remote healthcare is a way we can provide quality care to more people. Remote healthcare is the biggest trend of today and will transform our future. More and more procedures are being performed in patients’ homes, so remote monitoring becomes the key to better care outcomes. There are already many remote patient monitoring devices that keep track of a patients’ glucose levels and blood pressure, but none of the current solutions monitor the actual treatment. There are 21 million people globally administering self-injections every day. It’s a painful and tedious process and there needs to be a change.
NovaXS aims to be that change by simplifying the whole treatment process with a smart needle-free solution that also monitors drug delivery and builds a communication channel between providers and patients. This takes the pain out of self-injections and improves the overall care outcome and treatment adherence.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
My grandfather passed away when I was sixteen, the same year I came to the United States for high school. He was very healthy. I remember him spending everyday playing cards with his friends. No one saw this coming and there was no way to predict his loss, because we did not know his real health status back then. The doctors didn’t either. He was healthy and no one suspected it. My grandfather meant lot to me because I was raised at his house, so his loss left me shocked. It was from that point on that I understood how many gaps there are in our healthcare system. A few years later, I started NovaXS because the healthcare providers should deliver the best care possible with tools that provide precise and accurate health information so they can make informed decisions about their patients’ health.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. We don’t always get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
Finding what motivates you and reminding yourself of the “trigger point” is the key to your mission and how you drive change. One of my triggers was witnessing a nun temple destroyed by the natural disaster. I decided I had to help them rebuild the temple. That was an “aha moment” because it was the first time I stepped up to help in a big way and I realized my passion for helping others.
Another aha moment was when I moved to the states and played on the varsity basketball team and was the captain in my senior year. I started to see the differences in basketball training between China and the United States. Like so many kids in China, basketball is in my blood and I wanted share my positive experiences with basketball in the states with kids in China. Basketball teaches us many things including discipline, confidence, teamwork and it’s also a great way to have fun. To do this, I started a basketball training program for kids in China.
For the startup I am currently building with my co-founder, Alina, and our CTO, Alex, our aha moment was realizing we’ve all lost loved ones due to health complications. In the moment, we knew we could work together to solve some of the biggest healthcare problems of our generation.
Many young people don’t know the steps to take to start a new organization. But you did. What are some of the things or steps you took to get your project started?
The first step is always asking yourself “why?” Why us? Why this? And why now? For a successful venture, team, timing, and the solution is the key. Start to look for puzzles and the solution will become clearer eventually.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
Founding a medical device startup was very challenging to me at the beginning because I do not come from a scientific background. In the early days of NovaXS, I had to read thousands of research papers to understand the technology. I had trouble communicating with our CTO, Alex, because what I care about is the solution, but he cares about the actual functionality of the device. It took us a long time to be on the same page and find the best communication method for the two of us. Luckily, we’re at a point where we get along well. Nothing is easy in the startup world and that is exactly why I love what I am doing, because everyday is a new challenge.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or take away you learned from that?
When I first started NovaXS, I cared a lot about if my team getting the work done instead of focusing on how the work was done. In other words, I forgot to create a positive culture and that motivates them internally. I saw the negative impact of this type of culture, so now I take 30 minute each week to talk with each of my colleague on topics that are not relevant to work. I do truly care about each of them as a person. I want to get to know them and spend time celebrating what they have achieved. I also take time to learn about what challenges they’re facing and discussing ways we can work together to overcome their biggest obstacles.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
I have encountered so many mentors along the journey and I’m grateful for my strong support network. If I had to pick one, I would say Ben Wallace is the most impactful mentor I have. Learning about his life’s journey has been so enlightening and he is truly a legend. He has served as an inspiration. I was introduced to him by my godmother because she knows how much I love basketball. We had a dinner together where we had a great time talking about basketball and the lessons basketball taught us. He soon became my partner, my brother, and my “godfather.” I soon learned about his family and upbringing and it became clear why he has such a competitive spirit, probably the most competitive athlete in NBA history. He always told me that never aim for a “B” because B is just two steps away from an “F.”
Without saying specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
I think the biggest help I have ever been able to give people is hope. I think this is very important, because they need to believe in themselves and have the work ethics to achieve their dreams. Nobody else could help them except themselves.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
Absolutely. The first thing is to educate yourself. As a medical device company, we talk directly to the patients who would be impacted the most by our technology, that’s how we study the root of the problem we’re solving. The second thing is to educate others. Through the product development process, we engage with patients and the insights we gain from them with the entire team so we can build the best product possible. The third thing is to seek out the people trying to solve the problem. NovaXS’ technology is aimed at improving the patient experience, we want to develop a product that really solves the patients’ pain points. Support those who are using their resources to change the world for the better.
Fantastic. Here is the main question of the interview. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each).
- Embrace failure: When I first started my entrepreneurial journey, I was afraid of failure because I cared a lot about what others think of me. However, the more I continued on my journey, the more I realized that failures are the milestones to the success and learning from the failures is the key.
- The solution means nothing if there is no problem: I always think about “why” and “how” the solution could solve the pain points and problems. The most successful product is never the best and most advanced technology, but the ones help people solve their daily problems.
- Meet as many people as you can: Networking is very important for entrepreneurs because you never know who could help you someday. At the beginning I was very shy, and I was afraid to interrupt others’ conversations. But I’ve come to realize that sometimes it is something I need to overcome in order to get the job done.
- Alumni connections help: I had the privilege of graduating from one of the most connected high schools (The Webb Schools) and universities (USC) in the nation. I had a great alumni network group. But it wasn’t until last year that I started to engage in the alumni LinkedIn group and attend alumni socials in-person. I sometimes wish I’d utilized these resources earlier. I’ve learned now that building connections gets me to where I want to go a lot faster than if I try to achieve my goals on my own.
- Self-care is as important as your company: If you do not treat yourself well, you will never treat your company nor your colleagues well. At the beginning, I focused too much on my companies and forgot about my friends, family and my own health. It was not wise to do so. Even though many teachings state that to become an entrepreneur, you need to give up your life, I disagree with the statement. Passion and fun in life will give you more energy to make an impact at work.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
Believe in yourself. You have to start from somewhere to make an impact for our society, your community, and your beloved ones. We need to learn from our past and from each other so we don’t repeat the same mistakes of our past. Believing in yourself is the first step in making a positive change for everyone, everywhere.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I would say Lebron James just because I have been of his fan for years. I think he is a very inspiring individual who is not only a legend in basketball, but he always thinks about others and makes a positive impact. I am really proud to be one of his fans.
How can our readers follow you online?
Please follow my LinkedIn or Instagram. I am willing to connect with each one of your readers and start a conversation about trying our best to make the world a better place.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Young Change Makers: Why and How Jonathan Xing Of NovaXS Biotech Corp Is Helping To Change Our… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.