Entrepreneurial spirit knows no boundaries, and the relentless pursuit of excellence transcends any and all obstacles. For Dr. Naishu Wang, CEO of Alfa Scientific Designs, Inc., that entrepreneurial drive has led her on a remarkable journey, while her commitment to achievement has cemented her imprint on the scientific and healthcare industries. It’s been a long, hard-fought and ultimately rewarding trek – and Dr. Wang wouldn’t have wanted it any other way!
Dr. Wang’s background – she acquired a medical degree from the Chongqing University of Medical Sciences in her native China – provided the necessary knowledge to eventually excel in the healthcare and scientific industries. But it was her long-term goal of improving and perfecting in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) testing that supplied a spark of innovation – and encouragement. Over 30 years ago, Dr. Wang moved to the United States to pursue a PhD at Ohio University. Her education and work experiences led her down the path of innovation to found her own company. Opportunities in the US encouraged her to embrace a more business-friendly environment, all while improving her ideas for enhanced IVD processes.
In 1996, Dr. Wang founded Alfa Scientific Designs, Inc., (ALFA). Thus, the process of bringing her ideas and innovation to a broad marketplace began. ALFA’s initial products and services included devices to better identify diseases and illnesses, and eventually Dr. Wang’s groundbreaking IVD testing method called Driven Flow™ technology was born. Today, ALFA is widely respected as a pioneer for IVD testing methods.
Innovative Company wanted to know a little more about Dr. Wang, who was recently featured in Women in Business & Industry magazine. We asked her about ALFA’s future business development, how to market in a rapidly changing world, who she draws personal inspiration from and much more.
Who has been your greatest inspiration?
My greatest inspiration comes from my colleagues. In our internal team discussions our primary focus is always on our customers and how we can improve our products for them. These discussions give me great inspiration to develop new products and technologies that fulfill our customers’ needs. Throughout the years these discussions have inspired me to develop our latest patented breakthrough, Driven Flow™ technology.
What piece of advice would you give to someone who wants to become an entrepreneur?
One of the critical lessons learned during my 20 years of experience growing ALFA is to keep focused on innovating technological advances ahead of the competition. With many companies vying to compete in our market, innovation is the most important factor to maintain a healthy, successful business. You will always be successful by continuously staying on the cutting edge of technology and innovation.
Where do you see your business in 10 years?
In 10 years my expectation is to have the next big invention that can take our industry’s technology even further. Right now our new Driven Flow™ technology is proving to be much higher in consistency and accuracy. Additionally, it has improved the speed of point-of-care testing by 5-10 times. Driven Flow™ is positioned to be the new global standard for rapid, in-vitro diagnostic tests. Our strategy over the next 10 years is to continue along our strong innovative path.
How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Recently we have focused a lot on new media marketing. Our position as an innovator within this industry requires us to reach our audience through novel media marketing channels. Because we continuously develop new patented technologies, maintaining cutting edge marketing channels is what we find most successful.
What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?
To be honest from a business perspective we were lucky enough to not really have any significant failures. In our 20-year history, we have continuously advanced and continue to do so. We have made a lot of small mistakes along the way, but we have a culture to capture those and funnel them into something positive that creates a continuous improvement process fueled by those small mistakes.
How does your company provide innovation within your industry?
We constantly are adding to the innovative breakthroughs in our industry. For example, we have invented numerous products and new technological advances over the years. To date we have 20 patents granted. This innovative spirit is a driver for our business. Our latest invention, Driven Flow™ technology, will improve the healthcare industry by providing much higher accuracy and consistency, along with much faster speeds. Driven Flow™ technology makes it possible to change a screening test to a confirmatory test, a shift that will likely change our industry as a whole.
We’re glad that Dr. Wang provided such insightful answers. Young executives and even seasoned entrepreneurs can learn something from Dr. Wang’s responses. With innovative leadership, robust R&D efforts and trusted products & services, Alfa Scientific Designs, Inc. plans to build on their impressive legacy. Accolades continue to accumulate for ALFA; just one of their prestigious honors include recognition by Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics with an Outstanding Service Award as a preferred manufacturer of Siemens pregnancy products.
To learn more about Alfa Scientific Designs, Inc., and their advanced Driven Flow™ technology, please visit their website. Thanks again to Dr. Naishu Wang for her time, and thanks to all of our readers for stopping by! Check back for more advice, insight and innovative ideas from today’s most accomplished CEOs and entrepreneurs.