How One Idea Becomes Multiple Growth Engines

The Vision

I worked with a startup CEO at Epiphany Water Solutions who set out to address the global water crisis by bringing clean water to villages in Africa with limited access. The original vision focused on deploying water purification systems directly in African communities.

The Challenge

To move forward, the company needed angel funding and corporate sponsorship to test the technology in market. Strategically, this proved difficult. Local investors in Pittsburgh had limited interest in early-stage ventures focused on international markets, making fundraising a significant challenge.

The Strategic Pivot

Through strategy and creative problem-solving, I helped the CEO pivot to a broader ecosystem approach that addressed urgent local water problems while still supporting the long-term global mission. We applied the technology to treat fracking wastewater, a major environmental and regulatory issue in the United States.

Funding & Partnerships

This pivot unlocked momentum. Within three months, the company secured $2M in funding for a pilot from private and corporate investors. Consol Energy also purchased a $500K minority stake in Epiphany Water Solutions.

Broader Impact

The strategy created value beyond funding. At the time, the state faced public skepticism around natural gas mining. By partnering with industry and public stakeholders, the pilot helped address environmental concerns while improving public perception. The Governor’s office supported outreach efforts to promote the solution to both the fracking industry and the general public.

Results

Today, Epiphany Water Solutions is a successful water technology company and credits its growth to that first pilot with Consol Energy.

Epiphany Environmental Water Solutions

Growth and Cost-Reduction Strategy

Example: Multiple Sclerosis Health Solution

People living with multiple sclerosis (MS) have it rough. Falling, getting hurt, and ending up in the emergency room is a common—and costly—part of life with this debilitating disease.

At the time, my company was both an insurer and a hospital owner. We were looking for ways to reduce costs, create new revenue, and open new markets.

Each stakeholder had a clear problem:

• Hospitals: MS patients often arrived through the ER, resulting in expensive care

• Insurer: MS was one of the most expensive diseases to insure

• MS sufferers: Patients had no way to predict flare-ups that could suddenly send them to the hospital

My goal was to solve all three problems at once.

The Hypothesis

I asked a simple but powerful question:
Could we predict good days versus bad days for people with MS?

If we could, I imagined a simple app that showed a sun or a cloud—signaling whether someone was likely to have a good day or a bad day.

The Team & Data

I led a team made up of two co-workers, one external partner, and two vendors.

An early Fitbit prototype captured quantitative biometric data. Qualitative insights were gathered through short daily text entries from participants describing how they felt.

Agile Testing & Validation

Working in agile sprints, we tested:

• Customer interest in the solution

• Advertiser interest (pharmaceutical companies)

• Sensor technology accuracy

• Statistical validation methods

• Wireframes and UX concepts

• Algorithm development

Statistical & Analytical Methods Used

To validate predictions, we applied:

• Linear regression to identify relationships between biometric signals and flare-ups

• Decision trees to surface key predictors of good vs. bad days

• Random forests to improve prediction accuracy

• Confidence intervals to measure reliability

• Hypothesis testing (t-tests and z-tests) to confirm statistical significance

What the Tests Proved

Desirability

End-users were ecstatic about the concept. It gave them a sense of control over a disease that often feels unpredictable.

Feasibility

The algorithm worked. Using sensor data and personal feedback, we could statistically predict when flare-ups would occur.

Viability

The business model supported three revenue tiers:

• Freemium access

• A paid app

• Advertising from pharmaceutical companies with direct access to their target audience

Overcoming Constraints

We hit one challenge: we were not allowed to speak directly with “patients,” only “consumers.” So we had to get creative.

Our first sprint tested general interest. Each fall, the MS Society hosts a walk in my city. We surveyed attendees and analyzed the data, which showed strong demand.

I then partnered with the MS Society, which ran an ad in its magazine to recruit participants. We quickly secured over 100 participants for the pilot.

Pilot Results

During a six-week pilot, participants used the body sensor and kept a personal diary. The results were clear—we could reliably predict good days versus bad days for people with MS. The remaining work was to finalize the user experience.

Why This Project Matters

This remains one of my favorite projects because it shows how human-centered design, rigorous research, and rapid testing can create value for patients, hospitals, and insurers at the same time.

Additional research methods used: one-on-one interviews, surveys, controlled experiments, and focus groups.

Result

Although the solution proved viable, the project was deprioritized due to competing organizational priorities.

Turning Declining Sales into Sustainable Growth

Example: MES Fasteners

The Objective

In this engagement, I led a team to design and deliver a collaborative digital marketing strategy to reverse declining sales. The work spanned the full customer lifecycle—from brand and demand generation through conversion and long-term retention.

The Approach

The solution was built across six integrated focus areas:

Brand & Audience

• Brand positioning

• Buyer personas

• Customer journey mapping

Market & Platform Intelligence

• Competitive analysis

• Google audit and configuration

Experience & Optimization

• UX audit

• Technical SEO

• On-page optimization

Content Strategy

• Content audit and strategy

• Content creation (blogs, whitepapers, infographics, video)

Demand & Distribution

• Content distribution strategy

• Paid media (PPC and paid social)

• Email sequences and lead nurturing

Conversion & Retention

• Lead generation

• Landing page creation

• Conversion optimization

• Upsell strategy and retention planning

Results

The solution was adopted and deployed by MES. Based on industry benchmarks, the model projected a marketing ROI of 28.8, generating $28 for every $1 invested. Just as importantly, it established a sustainable post-sale engagement model that strengthened customer relationships and enabled ongoing upsell opportunities.