Pravina Pindoria
It is because of an Arch Grant award that a solution to a common business problem became a viable entrepreneurial venture. In 2015, a British couple conceptualized and built workflow management software that helps businesses track repeatable processes all in one place. They named it Tallyfy, and today the business continues to add value to the St. Louis region.
The entrepreneurs behind the project are Pravina Pindoria, a pediatric nurse by trade, and her husband Amit Kothari, a software developer. While Pindoria attended the nursing school at City University in London, the critical thinking skills she gained there were transferable across industries.
In her nursing career, she found herself constantly facing inefficiencies in recording and bureaucratic processes at the hospitals and clinics where she worked. Her husband faced similar inconveniences, and soon they posed the question, “Why, in the age of mobile and real-time, does this have to take so long and isn’t there an easy software to use?” The solution came in the form of a business opportunity, and the couple decided to become full time entrepreneurs devoted to solving workflow complexities with Tallyfy.
Tallyfy led the couple to Santiago, Chile where the idea first won a grant to start their business in that city. Better business prospects in the U.S. inspired the couple to apply for an Arch Grant, and in 2015 their idea was selected to win a $50,000 grant with the condition that the business be moved to St. Louis for at least one year. Years later, the non-profit Arch Grants has continued to play a vital role for the tech startup.
The move to St. Louis proved to be a mutually beneficial endeavor. The “small, big-town,” of St. Louis, the first city that Pindoria had visited in the U.S., welcomed the couple with smiling faces and helping hands from day one. “Within the first few days, Betsy Cohen (Executive Director of the St. Louis Mosaic Project) took us out for a welcome drink and offered introductions to other transplants from England, people who really helped us navigate and find things like health insurance, best areas to live. Vin Ko (Senior Program Manager of the St. Louis Mosaic Project) has continued to help in this way.” Pindoria reports of continued connection to culture in St. Louis through many networking events and frequent meetings with others of similar Indian heritage.
For two and a half years, Tallyfy has operated in T-Rex, a location in the heart of the tech start-up scene in St. Louis that has facilitated the growth of businesses both within and around it. “When we first arrived in Downtown T-Rex, I believe there were 100 startups working out of it. Today, there are over 200 startups. As businesses create jobs, there are more employees in need of parking, food, and facilities. As a result, Washington Ave. in Downtown has transformed in front of our eyes, from just a couple of restaurants to over 20 in two years.” Pindoria also recognizes other area incentives, most importantly the cultural alignment to entrepreneurship. “People, organizations and the culture itself seem to be weighing in towards encouraging and helping startups to grow.” These factors and the affordable costs of living and running a business are all reasons why the couple plans to call St. Louis home for the foreseeable future. “St. Louis can only get better - it’s a fact, and we feel it too. We’re very lucky to have found this town.”
This year, Tallyfy sought to grow itself and its community by hiring and training the future workforce. Five students from Washington University in St. Louis have joined the team as interns, and all of them are first generation U.S. born from different ethnicities. Pindoria has found the interns to be valuable assets to the business, sharing their input on what they perceive as a good piece of software and many other applicable concepts. “They are all so excited to be working with a startup, rather than a corporate. We’re learning so much from them and are actually applying all of their ideas with great results.” Tallyfy also employs four full time individuals.
Finally, when asked about the pathway to entrepreneurial and personal success, Pindoria attributes having an open mind, being friendly and saying “Yes” to every opportunity. “If a children’s nurse can do it, anyone can. You’ve just got to believe in yourself and find the people that are going to support you getting there.” For those who are inspired by Tallyfy and are considering entrepreneurship in St. Louis, Pindoria advises, “Validation of your business idea is key. The culture is such that people and businesses are open to finding better ways to do things, so I think testing what you want to offer is much easier. I would highly recommend not getting too carried away in developing and investing money in the idea until you have validated the concept with potential customers. Speak to as many people as possible, not your friends, but people that will give you an honest opinion. Listen carefully to what they say and be open-minded to pivot the idea.”
You can follow and stay in touch with Pindoria’s award winning business on Facebook and at tallyfy.com.