From Passion to Prototype: How PRONOVA Founder Jaime Paris Aims to Revolutionize Pet Care

Discover how the MSIM empowered alumnus Jaime Paris to pursue his passion for pet care through entrepreneurship.

Tufts Gordon Institute’s MS in Innovation & Management (MSIM) program empowers students with the innovation and business skills to develop impactful solutions to problems they are passionate about. While MSIM alumnus Jaime Paris was earning his degree, he chose to follow his passion for pet care and develop a venture that would help to create a world where all pets have the health and life they deserve.

With a background in engineering, computer science, and product development from Georgia Institute of Technology, Jaime decided to continue his education with the MSIM program. The program’s focus on “learning by doing” was a large draw for him: MSIM students put all the lessons they learn in the classroom to work through hands-on projects called Innovation Sprints. These fast-paced, immersive team projects ask students to identify key problems in an area they are passionate about, prototype solutions, and plan business and financial models that have the potential to scale in the real world.

As a student in the MSIM program, Jaime had the opportunity to work on every aspect of his venture through the Innovation Sprint model, including financial planning, customer discovery, ethical practice, and more, with the ultimate goal to launch his venture as a fully-fledged startup after graduating.

Jaime Paris in lab — Jaime Paris, Founder & CEO of PRONOVA

Now, a year after graduating from the program, Jaime is making strides towards building his company, PRONOVA, and launching an at-home health monitoring device for pet owners everywhere. He has already raised $200K, getting ready to launch his prototype and building his team and advisory board. We met up with Jaime and asked him some questions to learn how his experience in the MSIM program helped to get PRONOVA to where it is today and what the startup’s next steps are!

What inspired you to start PRONOVA?

My aspirations have always been centered around addressing a meaningful challenge that impacts people across the world. Before joining the MSIM program, I didn’t know I would end up helping animals; it ended up being a full-circle moment for me, as I had always been interested in becoming a veterinarian or marine biologist.

I’ve had dogs my entire life, so I know the challenges of being a pet owner, as well as the unconditional love we share with our animals. The frustration and guilt pet owners sometimes feel when we don’t know what is happening with our pet’s health can be overwhelming. With my background in technology, I knew that with the right team, we could develop a solution that would help pet owners get out in front of any issues with their pet’s health.

At PRONOVA, we are developing non-invasive biosensors for health monitoring in dogs. Using disposable tests, pet owners can check their pet’s key biological functions – such as heart, liver, kidney, inflammation, stress - using a simple saliva swab. All in real time, leveraging data analytics to create actionable health insights.

The MSIM program asks us to search for a real problem that we personally care about and work towards realizing a solution for it. Part of that process involved customer discovery, and through speaking with other pet owners, it became clear to me that PRONOVA’s mission was the perfect alignment of my aspirations and passions.

"I want to create a world where our pets have the health and life they deserve."

What was your most memorable learning experience during the MSIM program?

What I really enjoyed was the breadth and depth of the classes we took. From advanced finance to marketing and negotiation, our instructors took us from zero to one hundred, giving us a solid foundation to build our careers. I was surprised by just how much we managed to learn each semester.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned through the program and launching PRONOVA?

There is a great African proverb that perfectly describes launching a startup: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” While I would also emphasize the importance of finding the right people at the right time, this proverb also applies to solving problems. Making decisions is far easier when making them on your own, but then you have no one to bounce ideas off of in order to reach the right conclusions. Surround yourself with the right team and mentors, and the impossible problems will become only incredibly hard problems instead.

How do you feel the MSIM program prepared you for continuing your venture?

The MSIM program was so packed with knowledge and challenges that I had to overcome in a very short period of time; it set the pace at which we continue to work and push ourselves today at PRONOVA. As with any startup, time is against us, and keeping the momentum going has allowed us to achieve amazing milestones in such a short time. The MSIM program gave me the skills and confidence to continue moving forward, and a network of mentors and peers to give me that extra push when I need it.

What is your hope for the future of PRONOVA?

My vision for PRONOVA is to revolutionize how we take care of animals, unlocking proactive care for every pet. My hope is to create tools that empower pet owners and veterinarians to give their pets the life they deserve. A world where every pet has access to the healthcare they need.

Jaime Paris talking to current MSIM students — Now a year out of the MSIM, Jaime was able to provide invaluable advice for students about to graduate the program

This summer, Jaime returns to Tufts to continue his entrepreneurial education and join the Tufts Venture Accelerator (TVA), hosted by the Derby Entrepreneurship Center at Tufts. The TVA is a full-time, 10-week-long summer venture accelerator that provides structure, accountability, educational experiences, and funding to help Tufts entrepreneurs make rapid progress on their ventures throughout the summer.