Knight-Hennessy Scholar Harnessed CMU’s Ecosystem To Revolutionize Care for Diabetics
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As a young girl, Saisri Akondi loved to play hopscotch with her grandfather, a fierce competitor who always played to win. Years later, she watched in anguish while the devastating effects of diabetes stole his joy and zest for life. When he lost both feet to diabetic amputations, she made it her mission to help others avoid a similar fate.
She immersed herself in the study of peripheral neuropathy, focused on developing advanced tools that could provide early detection and intervention. Approximately 34% of diabetic patients develop foot complications that can lead to ulcers and, in many cases, amputations, she learned.
“This not only impacts the patient’s quality of life but also imposes a significant cost burden on hospital systems,” said Akondi.
After she earned her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology in India, Dave Mawhinney(opens in new window), founding executive director of the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship(opens in new window), convinced her to pursue her entrepreneurial ambitions at Carnegie Mellon University.
At CMU, Akondi found the perfect ecosystem in which to build her medical device startup, D.Sole(opens in new window), which develops tools that monitor foot biomechanics and provide early warnings to prevent ulcers and infections. As an engineer, she initially struggled to grasp a business or design perspective. However, through CMU's Master of Integrated Innovation for Products and Services(opens in new window) program, she honed an interdisciplinary approach that has enabled her to think from multiple perspectives, a crucial factor in the company’s success. Winning the McGinnis Venture Competition(opens in new window) in 2023 was a pivotal moment for her in terms of gaining investment support and recognition. From there, she started getting more support and more customers.
“The biggest lesson in building my company has been that technology is not hard. People management is. The MIIPS program helped me understand and practice managing people, teaching me to put myself in someone else’s shoes,” she said.
Today, Akondi’s groundbreaking work not only honors her grandfather but holds the promise of transforming diabetic care for millions around the world. Akondi has been named a recipient of the Stanford Knight-Hennessy Scholars(opens in new window) award, which will provide her with the resources, support and opportunities needed to advance her education, enhance her leadership capabilities and make a significant impact in the field of diabetic care.
“We are incredibly proud of Saisri for being awarded the prestigious Stanford Knight-Hennessy Scholarship. This recognition is a testament to her exceptional talent and commitment and to the entrepreneurial spirit we foster at the Swartz Center,” Mawhinney said. “Our community aims to nurture leaders who are poised to make significant contributions on a global scale, and we look forward to Saisri's continued success and the positive change she brings to the field of health care.”
Akondi brings a wealth of experience to share with the Knight-Hennessy community, including insights from navigating the United States’ complex health care ecosystem as an immigrant and startup founder. She also plans to share her understanding and refining of business models, finding product-market fit and applying techniques to ensure a product meets real customer needs.
Currently, Akondi and D.Sole are in collaboration with the Department of Veteran Affairs, as the veteran population has many diabetic patients with neuropathy. She looks forward to establishing partnerships through the Knight-Hennessy award that will help her further her mission. Additionally, Stanford Medical School's renowned diabetic foot clinic offers a valuable opportunity to use her product in clinical studies and gather valuable data.
“Starting a company can be such a lonely journey. You need direction and, at the same time, advice from people who have done this before,” she said. “When I look back, I feel the big difference-maker in my company’s success was coming to Carnegie Mellon.”
Application Guidance
Undergraduate and graduate students interested in applying to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program can receive one-on-one advising from the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development (OURSD)(opens in new window) on all aspects of their applications.
OURSD advisors also provide in-depth feedback on the written portions of the application to help applicants achieve a cohesive and compelling narrative in alignment with the Knight-Hennessy criteria and the applicant's own trajectory and goals. The personal and professional narratives that applicants craft for applications like the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship are often useful for many other competitive opportunities they might pursue in the future.
"Saisri Akondi is the very embodiment of the Knight-Hennessy criteria: Independence of thought, purposeful leadership and a civic mindset," said OURSD Director Richelle Bernazzoli of CMU's second Stanford Knight-Hennessy Scholar. "With D.Sole, she is charting a courageous path that will change countless lives, and her time at Stanford as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar will no doubt advance her mission while also allowing her to contribute meaningfully to the leadership potential of her peers in the program."
