SheStarts Q&A with Dr Louise Metcalf, Gheorg Founder & CEO
In 2019, the founder and CEO of Gheorg, Dr Louise Metcalf was selected into the award-winning SheStarts accelerator. The accelerator was a six month program where Louise rapidly learned how to create a startup through masterclasses, mentors and advisors, and a product team to create an MVP (Minimum Viable Product or first version of the product) of Gheorg.
Read the full SheStarts Q&A with Dr Louise Metcalf here.
The below is an excerpt from the Q&A with SheStarts:
Dr Louise Metcalf is the founder and CEO of Gheorg, a senior psychologist and a serial entrepreneur. With nearly 30 years of experience in mental health and wellness, she has been published in leading international scientific journals, worked with the United Nations, and built several businesses from the ground up. Up until joining SheStarts3, Gheorg was Louise’s “long-time, part-time” hobby. Now she’s building Gheorg into a real robot to help children with anxiety all over the world.
Tell us about the moment you came up with Gheorg.
As a psychologist, I’ve seen the rising tide of childhood anxiety first hand. I’ve had multiple goes at solutions, but it wasn’t until I had my own child that I started to put the pieces together. I started to see the gaps that parents and teachers just physically can’t step into. Childhood anxiety isn’t about ‘bad’ parenting; most parents work very hard to help their kids. I did a lot of observation and thinking of what could help fill that gap – and suddenly, there was my initial concept for Gheorg!
Did you ever imagine you would be a tech startup founder?
If you’d asked me a year ago, I would have laughed! I was building Gheorg at the time, but I am used to – and expected to – have to slog it out for the next 10 years. In my experience, investors and banks don’t lend to women (I have lost count at how many times have I tried that and been laughed at). and bootstrapping is a longer business build process.
Learn about how Gheorg works here or download the Gheorg app to trial it for free via the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.