Many an entrepreneur starts her company out of her own need. It was no different for Emily Levy, who, as a college sophomore, was diagnosed with Chronic Neurological Lyme Disease. She would have to wear a PICC line — a thin tube that is inserted into a vein in her arm — to continuously feed her medication. To protect the PICC line, health professionals recommended that she wear a cut-off sock over it.

The automated intelligence systems of Instagram and Facebook have repeatedly denied ads placed by small businesses that make stylish clothing for people with disabilities.

The budding entrepreneur, whose mother worked for designer Giorgio Armani and whose father owned a surf shop, drew inspiration from the surfwear industry to create a practical solution that to her knowledge -- and apparently her doctors' -- didn't yet exist.

Emily Levy is the founder of Mightywell, a medical accessories company, along with friend and cofounder Maria del Mar Gomez. Levy was inspired to start Mightywell out of a desire to create the products missing in the marketplace that she wished she had to make the experience of illness easier.

After getting to hear elevator pitches from all 21 finalists, there was one woman I knew I had to interview. As you might have guessed, she and her two co-founders have a fashion-related product, but one that happens to be changing the lives of people with chronic illnesses.

The 2019 Cartier Women’s Initiative Award has named 21 female entrepreneurial finalists, including three women from North America, who will compete to become one of seven laureates. More than $1.1 million in prize money will be distributed among these women business owners.

Don’t underestimate the value of your own intuition. Throughout your journey as an entrepreneur, you will receive thousands of pieces of advice and guidance. Some of these will be extremely valuable to you and your team, however, some won’t be as relevant. Learn to differentiate between what is useful for you, and leave behind what is not.

Emily Levy is a 27-year-old currently living in Providence, Rhode Island. Levy was diagnosed with Lyme disease at the age of 19. Lyme disease is transmitted through the bite of an infected tick. In some cases, you find the tick, get it tested, get yourself on antibiotics right away, and recover. But for others like Levy, who remain undiagnosed for years, Lyme disease is entirely different.

Being an entrepreneur isn't easy for anyone, but layer in having a chronic condition, managing doctors appointments, or days you don't feel well, and it’s a whole other layer of complexity on top.

Brands are opening up to third-party sellers to draw shoppers to their sites—and away from Amazon’s marketplace

This year, the adaptive wear market—clothing made specifically for people with disabilities, chronic diseases and injuries—is predicted to generate $288.7 billion in revenue, $349.9 billion by 2023. But three years ago, when Emily Levy and Maria Del Mar Gomez Viyella launched their company Mighty Well, a consumer brand that designs products for chronically ill patients with long-term medical devices, the category didn’t even exist.

From the chaos brought on by a chronic illness, Levy birthed a business and an industry with her Babson College undergraduate roommate. Multiple awards and recognitions aside, Emily is most proud of the team she has built. "My team is to a point where they can thrive, even in my temporary absence when I have to nap or go to a doctor appointment," says Levy.

Listen to your customer! Value your consumers as the intelligent, knowledgeable adults that they are, and involve them in the production process. When you include your customers from Day 1, not only will you build a product line to fully serve their needs, but you’ll begin to develop the vital relationship between business and consumer.

Sharing your story can be scary, but it can also help create massive change. [...]

When María del Mar Gómez met Emily Levy while they were attending Babson College in Boston, they discovered that they shared a mutual interest in social entrepreneurship. “We both knew we wanted to leave our footprint on the world in an impactful way,” del Mar Gómez says.

A tick bite left Emily with neurological Lyme disease. She had to carry an IV around, but was embarrassed by how it looked. So she helped start a business making medical apparel for those with chronic conditions.

…Do not underestimate the importance of empathy. One of the reasons Mighty Well has succeeded in creating the best products for its customers is that we always listen to our consumers and involve them in our creative and design processes. Value your consumers as the intelligent, knowledgeable users they are.