Pros
I’m from a public health background and I also have a physical disability that makes me ripe for exploitation by profiteers in health tech, health insurance, etc — you name the area of healthcare, I’ve got a story about how my safety, financial security, and access to care were sacrificed on the altar of profit. So it’s the understatement of the century to say I’m generally quite skeptical about health tech companies and their assertions re: putting people over profits. But at Parachute I have insight into the data that ties our mission to improved health and cost outcomes, particularly for people like me who have disabilities and/or chronic illness, and we truly are doing amazing things. More often than not, if my work comes up at a medical appointment, practitioners or MAs are looking up my workplace before I’ve even left the building because the response is “Wow, we NEED this tech in our lives”. That’s a great feeling. I’m trusted to identify and execute on opportunities to promote our work with bigger audiences, and my higher-ups know I have something worthwhile to say from a position of both lived experience and specialization in public health and patient outcomes research data. It’s great to have the independence to leverage and weave together my skills and experience as well as the support I need to resource and signal boost larger projects.
Cons
As is common at smaller, younger companies, we’re actively building policy and practice, which means we’re still figuring out how management, pay, promotion ladders work on an iterative basis. That said, I’m compensated generously, treated fairly, and always feel safe and supported as a disabled queer person at my workplace. I also see true investment by execs into ensuring pay/hiring/promotion practices remain fair and equitable and maintaining a supportive, humans-first workplace culture, and I’ve been trusted to take an active role in helping with this important work.