With more than 87% of global companies having at least one woman in a senior management position, women entrepreneurs are a new reality nowadays.
At FutureBlock, we’re not an exception. We are happy to cooperate with women specialists, having them both in our management team and portfolio companies. One of them is InToSleep - an innovative AI-based biofeedback solution for sleep disorders (insomnia), led by Carmit Lev Solash.
In this interview, you’ll find the insights into the success story of Carmit, an amazing CEO and a digital marketing expert in one.
How did you start working in the digital business?
I have an MBA in Marketing and a BA in Economics & Psychology, both from Tel Aviv University. I have always felt great interest in marketing and been good at managing numbers and turning them into reality. Before InToSleep, I’ve worked with many corporations and startups (both B2B and B2C) as a senior marketing manager, a business developer, and a startup consultant. I was also a CEO and Founder of an art e-commerce startup in the past.
How did you switch from marketing to business execution?
To me, it was a very smooth process of career development rather than switching from one activity to another. I started with consulting startups in digital marketing and business strategy in 2007 and with the people’s belief in me, my professional skills, and leadership qualities, I gradually came to building a startup in 2015 and then executing InToSleep in 2020.
Why do you think they’ve offered you the CEO position at InToSleep?
I think it’s partially because of my professional qualities and diverse experience. As a CEO & Founder and a global marketing Director in the past, I’ve got lots of experience and expertise in both the business execution and global brand building.
I also believe it’s about my special kind of mindset - my startup mentality, strategic thinking, and the ability to adjust to changes and think outside the box.
Why specifically the sleep issues sector?
I know what sleep disorders mean in real life. My father suffered from insomnia, and my husband may be experiencing sleep issues from time to time. I know how it feels like to be constantly waking up at night because of your loved ones failing to fall asleep and perfectly understand their pain.
What is InToSleep?
This is an analytical biofeedback solution that acts as a customized sleep coach.
It’s very simple to use: when you go to bed, you put a thimble on one finger, open the mobile application, and insert the smartphone into the projector that shows images. While you look at the ceiling image and listen to the audio it plays, the biofeedback data coming from the finger sensor is processed online by the mobile application and changes both the image and the audio.
Contrary to other sleep assistants (that may, by the way, cause medication addiction or add more stress), it not only helps you fall asleep but also guides and teaches your body how to sleep well, if used repeatedly. That’s why at InToSleep, we define our solution as a real-time personal sleep guru.
Tell a few words on InToSleep’s plans.
We’re planning to cover more use cases in future, by providing a real-time in-app support and live chats with sleeping clinicians and advisors. Moreover, we want to expand the verticals the solution deals with, covering such disorders as social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias related to flying, animals, or exams, and much more.
What pieces of advice would you give to women who want to become successful in business?
I believe that women have lots of unique qualities that they shouldn’t be afraid of. We naturally possess emotional intelligence skills, are creative and good at management, and know how to resolve conflicts between different team members.
I would advise women to focus on these skills and not to be afraid to lead a business like a woman. Another useful thing is to develop your out-of-box thinking as well as flexibility skills that are very important in terms of the COVID-19 situation. And the main thing is to believe in yourself: there are many opportunities for women in business, and all our obstacles are mostly in our minds.
