[00:00]Brian Jackson: Welcome to Owl Have You Know, a podcast from Rice Business. This episode is part of our Pivot series, where guests share stories of transformation in their lives and careers.

Andria Monique Pourkarimi, a member of the Online MBA Class of 2025, is a former retail manager who turned life-altering experiences into two purpose-driven ventures. She's the founder of Pourkarimi & Associates, a financial consulting and insurance agency, and the co-founder of Dr. Clara, a digital health startup, focused on improving care for women with endometriosis through AI-powered tools and patient-centered design.

In this episode, we dive into how Monique's personal health journey inspired her mission to drive change in women's healthcare, how she balanced building two businesses while earning her MBA, and why she believes lived experience is one of the most powerful tools a founder can have.

Monique, welcome to Owl Have You Know.

[01:03]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Thank you so much, Brian. It's a true honor to be here, and I'm really excited to just have a discussion with you.

[01:09]Brian Jackson: Well, I am very much honored to have you. And, you know, you are famous amongst the community as being the Online student who was on campus the most. And I couldn't think of a quirkier way to say it, but what I've really loved about your experience with Rice is that, even though you were in the Online program, you found the opportunities to be on campus and to get involved. And I guess, really, where I want to start is, what's driving you to bridge that connection? And, you know, what benefit are you seeing?

[01:41]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yeah. Thank you, Brian. I think that that's a great way to segue into our conversation today, because as you were listing all of the things that I have been involved in, it, kind of, makes me proud to see all the accomplishments that I've been able to achieve. And I attribute a lot of it to Rice.

But it all started, right, two years ago. And at the time, yes, I was very new to starting my insurance business. The reason that I decided to pursue an MBA is because I was very passionate about helping educate individuals in terms of their health and their finances, especially growing up in South Texas, in McAllen, I realized not a lot of people talk about money, talk about health. And that's a priority, you know. At the end of the day, it's not just about the life that you spend working, it's, “How do I find a way to balance it and also live to its full purpose and potential?”

Now, pursuing my MBA, starting the journey, I was working in retail management for Costco — love Costco. Once I started the program, I knew that two years would fly by. And Rice is such a great school where you're able to utilize a lot of resources. And knowing that Rice has been ranked number one in entrepreneurship for the services that we offer, like Rice Alliance, Lilie Lab, competitions that we host through the Rice Business Plan Competitions, it's so many resources available, that I realized, “Wow, I want to make the most of these two years.”

So, I was very fortunate that I had a good relationship with my vice president and my general manager, that they gave me the opportunity to be on a student retention program, so, I didn't physically have to go to work. But I realized to myself I can use this time to be involved with a lot of organizations and be active on campus.

[03:47]Brian Jackson: And you're juggling a career, working with Costco Wholesale and also deciding, “Okay, I need to find the time to put in an MBA.” And I understand how an online MBA makes sense because your classes are in the evening. You can fit a normal work schedule in the day, and then in the evening be in class. And if you need to study or have the option to go to campus to study and get involved, you can squeeze it into your schedule.

[04:13]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Exactly. Yeah, exactly. So, I loved the flexibility, 100%. I think, for me, that was the main reason that I'd pursued the Online MBA. But it's very true, what you say. A lot of people always saw me on campus. I would joke and say, “I'm not your traditional Online MBA student because I'm always at Rice.” But that's the beauty, too, right? You have the opportunity to put in what you would like. So, if you wanted to be involved, you had that ability to do so.

[04:41]Brian Jackson: Yeah. And I think, you know, so much of what we learned through the program, absolutely, is the coursework. But beyond it, it's like the knowledge you gain from your fellow classmates, it's the extended opportunities through any event that's being hosted, but also, even access to alumni. Like, that's all the education. And that's really the value of the program.

So, you're working at Costco. What's the light bulb moment where you're like, “Yes, Rice MBA,” all the stars have aligned, your management's saying you can do it? You know, what's putting you there? What's actually putting you in the seat?

[05:17]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yeah, that's a great question. I think, for me, I was just thinking, wow, there's so much potential that, now, especially with an MBA, there's so much potential that I have personally in growing my businesses. And, like, you said it, too, Brian. I think, just being connected with the other students, I joke, I feel like Rice did all of the background checks for us because I love my cohort. The people at Rice, the alumni, we're one big happy Owl family. And I had a lot of people that believed in me. And they were willing to help. They were willing to, kind of, point me in the right direction.

In December of 2024, I had the opportunity to take New Enterprise. And we were tasked with starting a new business. So, that's how Dr. Clara came about. But everyone was so helpful in terms of saying, “Wow, Monique, you're very passionate about this business. You should pursue it.”

And of course, Alanis and I were… we co-founded it together. So, we both graduated in May. And now, we're tackling it together. But we attended an event that the entrepreneurship association hosted. We had it there at the Lilie lab. And it was Boba, Bytes, and Business. So, it gave us an opportunity for us to connect with undergrads that were studying computer science.

And Alanis and I connected with one of the undergrads and also an Executive MBA, and they loved the idea. They were excited to help push that forward. And now, we're in the very beginning stages of product development and also working with my physician, too. So, it's just endless possibilities. And I think that that's, kind of, where that light bulb moment was, for me, that I could make this happen, especially with that support that was essential.

[07:23]Brian Jackson: Before even starting the program, you knew that there would be just, kind of, an opening of new possibilities. And I don't know, and I don't want to put words in your mouth, but it seems like you had always, kind of, had this entrepreneurial spirit. And this was the gateway to actually understanding, “How does that look? And how do I get there?”

[07:43]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yes. Yes, I think that that's great, the way you said it. I think entrepreneurship runs in my blood. So, my uncle has a logistics company that's here in the U.S. and transports in Mexico as well. My grandmother, she works with him in his business. And my mom has her own insurance brokerage as well, specializing in Medicare, so independent of my pursuits.

My grandmother and my mom are the ones who raised me. So, here, it was three generations of strong Mexican women who were, you know, just under one roof. And I think that's, kind of, what shaped me in terms of the woman that I am today and that entrepreneurial spirit.

[08:31]Brian Jackson: And I was going to ask you what's the “why” — the driver. And I think that, to me, almost just sums it up. It's the upbringing, it's watching it in real time, and seeing the effort. And yeah, I mean, that's a really great story, Monique. And what an inspiration to have!

[08:46]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yeah. Thank you. Thank you so much.

[08:48]Brian Jackson: So, what I really want to think about is Dr. Clara. What was the inspiration? And I know that you had a personal journey here that I think created this mission, like, purpose-driven mission.

[08:59]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yeah. So, for me, I was diagnosed with endometriosis back in 2021. And I've unfortunately had to already have three surgeries now since then, because with endometriosis, it doesn't just go away after surgery. It's something that can come back. And right now, a lot of research is still being done in terms of quicker diagnoses.

For me, the important critical thing was wanting to be heard and feeling validated because I did have to wait for surgery in order for that diagnosis. So, getting those scans, CT scans, MRIs, going to see multiple doctors, and getting back all negative results and thinking to myself, “Well, I'm not making up this pain,” and because I personally went through that, I, kind of, see myself as an advocate in terms of I'm not afraid to share what I'm thinking with the rest of the world. And I can put up with a lot, but there's going to be a lot of women out there that suffer in silence. And I think, with Dr. Clara, it was an opportunity, or it is an opportunity, for us to help a lot of women out there. It's like they say, purpose to pain, right? I think that's, kind of, what started all of that, purpose through pain.

[10:26]Brian Jackson: Well, thank you for sharing. And I think you found such a pain point and that this access to information, the ability to actually have these productive conversations with healthcare just sometimes don't work. And you happen to be in the largest medical center in the world.

[10:45]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yes.

[10:46]Brian Jackson: And if you're finding these challenges across markets, we have to think that those challenges exist there, too, right, when we think of rural medical providers. And it's absolutely an opportunity to help. 

[11:00]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yes, 100%. I love as well that I am based out of Houston, that, with Rice, we have that opportunity for us to leverage, utilize our network. There's something to be said about the fact that, Brian, we got our MBA at Rice, right? There's a reputation that comes with that, because it's an intense program. And I'm very proud of us.

[11:23]Brian Jackson: So, a little more on Dr. Clara. What inspired the name?

[11:27]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Oh, yeah, I love that question. So, of course, in New Enterprise, you're creating a whole business right from scratch. And I was like, marketing is my background, you know. I love marketing, creativity. All of that is, kind of, my thing. So, our slogan is, “Dr. Clara bringing Clara-ty to your endometriosis journey.” And, of course, I mean, right now, we're focusing on endometriosis, but down the line, we would like to be able to offer more services for those suffering PCOS or even just additional help for reproductive journey, if you're having to seek IVF treatments, et cetera.

[12:12]Brian Jackson: I like that “Clara-ty.” I think it's catchy.

[12:15]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yeah.

[11:16]Brian Jackson: Pardon the ignorance, but endometriosis, if you could, kind of, tell me, like, how many women are impacted by it, and what are, kind of, the common issues in the healthcare world right now around it.

[12:31]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yeah, so, great question. The, kind of, definition of endometriosis is excess bleeding during menstrual cycles. But there's other symptoms, right, that we encounter. Ultimately, what the illness is, it affects your daily life. So, if you are having to call out of work a lot because of your pain, you're having to cancel plans because you're bedridden.

My mother also has suffered through it. She had stage four of it — had to have a hysterectomy. She would pass out because the pain was so bad. Some women, also, that I've interviewed were sharing their experiences with me and just talking about how they'd have to be in bed for days at a time because of the pain.

And it's just so unfortunate, you know. You're trying to live your life. You're wanting to go hang out with friends or even wanting to just work, and you can't. And so, imagine having to navigate that with an employer, you know. I think that, to me, is like, “Oh, she's calling out again,” or, “Is she really… like, what's the level of pain that they're having for it to be that bad?”

So, I think that's why, for me, the community aspect of it for women was so important. But again, I think I mentioned that, with endometriosis, it's only diagnosed through surgery. So, there's so many women that go undiagnosed. And especially, if you're having limited access to care, you're, kind of, just suffering in silence.

I'm in discussions right now because I recently had to have another laparoscopic surgery. What a way to celebrate my graduation. But I felt like I'm the guinea pig, because while I was going through the process of recovery, here I was, trying to document some of, like, the medications that I was taking, having to document if I was still experiencing certain sharp pains, what would've helped me, certain foods, you know. It would've been nice if I had access to all of those resources already. Or even if I would have been able to document it and just give that to my doctor, my provider, I think all of that would be helpful.

But because of this, I've been working also with my specialist. And so, Dr. Clara, we're hoping that that becomes something that's post-diagnosis. Now, my specialist is wanting to create something that would help with pre-diagnosis. So, we're hoping that… you know, we're working through that partnership. But if we could offer something that's all-encompassing of pre-diagnosis and post-diagnosis, that would be something that impacts the lives of so many women around the world.

[15:31]Brian Jackson: So, as it's now, it's post-diagnosis; when it rolls out, it'll be a place to take notes to share them with your care provider and to help, like, actually, you know, the identification recovery. Is that, kind of, the pathway of it?

[15:48]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yes. Yes, definitely. Like I said, endometriosis, it doesn't necessarily just go away. I'm hoping, yes, I saw my specialist, this was his first time operating on me. I hope he got it all and I don't have to worry about this again. But again, it could come back. And if so, then it would be great if I had some tool that would help me through this process. My co-founder, Alanis, likes to call me the guinea pig. And that's okay. I'm happy to be the guinea pig so we can make sure that it rolls out smoothly and it’s something that can help the lives of so many women.

[16:21]Brian Jackson: So, what's the timeline to roll out? When are we expecting the grand reveal?

[16:26]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yeah, so exciting. Okay. Well, we actually were in talks with our app developer, product developer, yesterday. So, we've established weekly meetings to just start working on the app. So, we have our customer journey map that's ready. And we have a set deadline to have an app ready to present, actually, to the Rice Business Plan Competition in April of next year. So, hopefully, within the next six months, we have an app that I can show you, Brian.

[17:00]Brian Jackson: I’m adding it to my calendar now [crosstalk 17:03].

[17:04]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Call me up in six months.

[17:07]Brian Jackson: Yeah, I'm very excited. Wow. Awesome.

[17:09]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Thank you.

[17:09]Brian Jackson: So, a lot to be updated on in the next six months. Very good. I want to pivot a little and just talk about, clearly, you were involved at Rice and you received the M.A. Wright Award, the Owl Award, and you were named Poets & Quants Best and Brightest. After the experience, looking back, what does that all mean to you, as you reflect on Rice?

[17:31]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: I'm just so grateful, you know. I don't want to get emotional. But you mentioned earlier that, being at Rice, it opened up so many doors. And I knew that it would. I knew that a lot of doors would open, but I didn't realize, to the extent, right? And when I first started the program, as always, we all ask advice, you know, from former alum, “What's your advice to me?” And I'll always remember, they said, “The academics, it's important. You're going to learn it. It's there. That's to be expected with an MBA. But at the end of the day, it's going to be the people that you meet that's going to change your life.”

And I couldn't agree more. I think a lot of it was the people that I met, my cohort, my fellow students, but also the faculty. I think they're just so willing to help. They want to see you succeed. Yeah, I was on campus a lot because I also really enjoyed… I was in that APSE Office all the time, bothering Danielle. I say bothering, but she always had her door open for me, and I'm so grateful for that. And I know that that wouldn't be possible if we didn't have the support that we do now, you know.

When I was receiving my M.A. Wright Award at our banquet, I just said, you know, “I feel like this award belongs to all of you, to all of the students.” I wouldn't be receiving it if it weren't for them. I saw living in Houston as, kind of, a responsibility because we had students that were attending class from all over the world, right? So, imagine having to chime in to class at 3:00 AM their time and then wake up three hours later to go to work, you know. So, I just realized, you know what? There's so many opportunities on campus that I know about. But what about my fellow classmates? I would love to be able to learn about it. I saw it as a responsibility to be the boots on the ground and share those resources with everybody else. So, I think it goes back to me wanting to help educate others. And I couldn't be more happy to do so.

[19:48]Brian Jackson: Yeah, I think it's great. All I could picture when you were receiving your M.A. Wright Award is that Mean Girls scene where she takes the crown and breaks it and gives it to everybody.

[19:58]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: I wasn't given a crown so I couldn't break it, but I love that.

[20:04]Brian Jackson: But it's very true. It's the classmates. And I do agree. Like, Online program, I had a classmate who was living in Hawaii, and, you know, I was in Boston. And, you know, we did have folks that were in Houston and having that connection, and the physicality and being on campus is important and it's a representation.

So, okay, Pourkarimi & Associates, what was the moment where you saw, “This is a business I want to start, this is a product I understand, and I have the ability to help people manage through the complicated nature of insurance and, kind of, money and the topics we don't talk about?”

[20:43]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: So, again, I grew up with my mom as my role model. And she has her own insurance brokerage, so she specializes in Medicare. For me, because I was working for Costco at the time when I realized, you know what? I do want to dive deep into the health insurance industry, I think, because of what I was experiencing as well, I realized that, working for Costco, I had excellent health insurance. There were great resources available to me, but not a lot of my coworkers knew about it. And I was that person, “Hey, guys, you need to sign up for this. Why aren't you leveraging your flexible spending account? Why aren't you getting stock options? Costco's matching X, Y, Z, you know. You need to do that.”

I realized, wow, you know what? There's so many people in America that don't know about the benefits that are available to them. And I could be that person that helps educate them. I started working on a little draft as well for a book for kids to educate them about money as well. So, it's something that needs to start at a very early age, you know. And it shouldn't be something scary. It should be something fun, you know, about saving money, and how can I invest that money?

[22:09]Brian Jackson: Yeah. I mean, the story of compound interest and the Rule of, what is it, 72? And those were things I don't think I learned about until I got on the phone with one of my uncles. And he explained it to me. And all of a sudden, my eyes opened and I was like, “Well, I've lost the peak earning years. At 18, I should have been saving.”

[22:28]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yes, yes.

[22:29]Brian Jackson: Because the dollars then work way harder than the dollars I save today. And that is, unfortunately, a lesson you only learn with time, and by then it feels too late.

[22:40]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yeah. It's never too late. So, that's the good thing. But yes, if we're able to just start talking about it at such an early age, you know, I think that it will help make positive change. I love it because I am the oldest. I do have two younger sisters and two younger brothers. My sister, the baby, she is 20 years old and she lives with me in Houston. But I love it because she's saving, you know, and she plans to buy a home in two years. And I know that she can get there. But I love it that we're having those conversations. I love that my mom raised me. I think she did a great job raising me. But I think that it's so important to have those conversations with young adults.

And because I am 34, she's 20 years old, I can share my experiences with her and everything that I've learned and maybe how things that I would've done differently. So, I think that, if we take advantage of, also, relationships that we have with those who are older and wiser, we could learn so much.

[23:48]Brian Jackson: I feel like, every time I look at my finances and try to think about retirement, there's always more that I'm like, “I wish I, you know, knew a little more about this.”

[23:58]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yeah.

[24:00]Brian Jackson: You know, we do get to an age, too, where it's like, you might be missing something. And it's possible. There's so many levers and opportunities that are out there. And you were talking about company benefits that we're probably just not thinking about and not taking advantage of because you onboard a new job, they give you a big packet, you check-mark a couple of things, send it off to HR, and you, kind of, forget.

[24:24]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yeah, yeah, exactly.

[24:25]Brian Jackson: Life goes on. Between, you know, dogs, cats, houses, and all the other things that we're managing in life, you know.

[24:32]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yeah. MBAs, you know.

[24:35]Brian Jackson: Yeah. Small things like an MBA and, you know, trying to be a good person. All the stuff we think about. So, okay, next is a possibility of exploring a Ph.D., JD in public policy. You know, what systemic issues are you hoping to change, and why?

[24:52]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yeah, that's a great question. So, my undergrad was in political science. So, government policy, legal studies. For me, I've always been very interested in the ways that we could leverage government. And because of my background in health insurance, helping my policyholders file claims that get rejected. Not to go into too many specifics, right, but having to help a cancer patient get an MRI and having it rejected by an insurance carrier is so disheartening, you know. 

At the end of the day, healthcare, it’s important for us in terms of our lives, you know. You only get one life. So, for me, diving into public policy, just seeing, kind of, the way our healthcare system is now and also personal experiences that I had to face, I think I had to wait about six months just to get an MRI. And that was because I had to go back and forth with insurance.

So, again, because of that experience, because of the physical pain that I was going through, thank God I understood the process, you know. Imagine millions of Americans out there that don't even know. Like, they get a rejection and then they're like, “Okay. Well, that's done. Now, I can't get my MRI.” No, sir. I know what I need to do. I need to go back and have my doctor file again, you know. Was there a code that was not on… You know, I think that there's change that needs to be done.

I joke, I say, “I must really love school.” No, but I think there's change that can happen, but you have to put yourself in those positions. And being at Rice was that perfect opportunity, being right there in the medical center, you know. I think that's why that transition into healthcare was… it's possible.

[26:51]Brian Jackson: No, absolutely. And I think it seems like sometimes the system is there to protect against fraud, and all these codes are required to do so and ensure that, you know, overtreatment. But it gets to a point where, I don't know, I always think of the scales and, like, what are we balancing here?

[27:09]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yeah.

[27:09]Brian Jackson: I guess, you know, when you were in your career at Costco, then when you went to your MBA at Rice, to now, I'm sure the definition of success has evolved a bit. And I would love to know if you could, kind of, summarize that evolution, and what is success meaning to you now?

[27:25]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yeah. I think, for me, success is counting, how many people am I able to help at the end of the day, right? And it's not a number of just benchmarks of, “Oh, okay, I have a quota of helping 500,000 people.” No, it's not about that. At the end of the day, do I confidently know that I've been able to help make a positive impact in this world? 

I think success is, what is my legacy? And if I were to die today, you know, what would people think about me? Did I make a positive impact in people's life? That, to me, is success.

[28:02]Brian Jackson: It's exactly the type of success that, I think, truly matters. And I think it takes a special journey to get there, to understand that that's what it's all about, right? Is the impact we have on others and the good that we do. So, yeah, a perfect answer.

[28:19]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yeah.

[28:19]Brian Jackson: You could have said money, and I would've said that's fine (laughter).

[28:24]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: I mean, yes, who doesn't want money? You need money to make change in this world, you know. Money is important. And I do want a return on investment on my education.

[28:37]Brian Jackson: It's a part of it always, yeah.

[28:39]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yeah, yeah, exactly. I did want to add. So, you, kind of, mentioned how there's two businesses that I'm working on right now. And it's a lot, right? Like, a lot of people say that whenever you're working on something, you know, you want to give 100% to whatever you're doing. I think pursuing an MBA teaches you a lot about time management, also, you know.

[29:04]Brian Jackson: Yeah.

[29:04]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: I was involved in so many things. And I truly believed that time management was important. I realized that it's not just about saying “yes” to everything, but it's also about empowering other people to help you. So, that may have been something that I did struggle with in the past, but I realized very quickly through the MBA, you know what? If I have a project that needs to get done, or if we're trying to prepare for a conference, if I don't have something done, well then I can ask for help. So, same thing with the business. If I know that I'm needing help with something, I have that capability of being able to go and lean on someone and help make it happen.

[29:51]Brian Jackson: No, it's a great point. I feel like time management, it's almost that realization that it's okay to say, “Hey, I've hit my limit,” and to then ask for help. It's not a weakness to say, “I don't have the bandwidth right now. And I can't do this as well as I normally could.” And being under the gun with a full-time job and doing an MBA and then also trying to be involved will teach you that very quickly.

[30:19]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Yeah, exactly.

[30:20]Brian Jackson: Monique, thank you so much for being here and for sharing your story so openly. You've shown how lived experience, education, and purpose can come together to create real impact. And we can't wait to see what's next for you. Thank you.

[30:36]Andria Monique Pourkarimi: Thank you, Brian.

[30:39]Brian Jackson: Thanks for listening. This has been Owl Have You Know, a production of Rice Business. You can find more information about our guests, hosts, and announcements on our website, business.rice.edu. Please, subscribe and leave a rating wherever you find your favorite podcasts. We'd love to hear what you think. The hosts of Owl Have You Know are myself, Brian Jackson, and Maya Pomroy.