An exclusive Tech Tribune Q&A with Dr. Anna Kroncke (co-founder and VP) of Clear Child Psychology, which was honored in our:
Tell us the origin story of Clear Child Psychology - what problem were you trying to solve and why?
For years, my business partner and I heard from families that resources were hard to find and not accessible. Families with children ages 5-18 told us that they wished they had found our practice and our therapies earlier. Many traveled from other states and told us how difficult that was and how they wished they had more resources in their own communities. My co-founder, Dr. Marcy Willard, had a background in technology and knew that more could be done in the world of mental health diagnosis and services so that families wouldn't have to wait to get answers. Particularly in the field we most often worked in, assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder, delayed services impacted outcomes. We wanted to create validated assessment tools that would empower parents to get the help they needed for their children. We wanted to create a library of knowledge about mental health written in an understandable way for a layperson, and we wanted to offer assessments that could guide and direct families instead of telling them they needed to wait.
What was the biggest hurdle you encountered in your journey?
It is hard to get the word out there. It takes years to get published in major journals and we are not marketing experts. We have tools and resources that parents and clinicians love but it is hard to be known and to gain the trust of parents and clinicians who do not know us personally. It's more difficult for women tech founders to raise the money needed to build what our clients want and need.
What does the future hold for Clear Child Psychology?
We have parents who want results and resources and parents who want guidance for what they can do right now, at home, for their children. We will continue to provide that and to spread the word about mental health. In the words of one of our wise mentors, we need to get edgy. The mental health system is broken and unfair right now and it is not working for families. We have an ethical imperative to make mental and behavioral health diagnosis and support more accessible.
What are your thoughts on the local tech startup scene in Broomfield?
It is wonderful to see so many brilliant minds thinking out of the box and finding ways to support our community.
What's your best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Never stop trying to change the world. We need creative thinkers and problem solvers to shake things up.
For more exclusive interviews, see our full Profile of a Founder series
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