"Giving up is not an option." - Darnisha Grant Harrison, Ennaid Therapeutics

Darnisha Grant Harrison is the founder and CEO of Ennaid Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company developing cures for mosquito-borne infectious diseases for nearly one billion people worldwide. The diseases targeted include West Nile Virus, yellow fever, and all four strains of dengue virus, which is one of the world’s fastest-growing pandemics. Darnisha worked for over two decades in the field of Life Sciences as a microbiologist and chemist, and has over sixteen years of experience in pharmaceutical industry. Ennaid Therapeutics is developing a technology that inhibits these viruses by 99% and is expected to be on the market around 2020.

Darnisha’s entrepreneurial journey began by seeking funding from family and friends, then by selling her personal assets, including her home and car. To her this bootstrapping was a testament to her dedication and the conviction in her mission - and it completed her round of seed funding. “Selling my home was acid proof that I wholeheartedly believed in Ennaid Therapeutics.” Darnisha was then able to move on to the next round of funding through seeking grants and venture capital funds.Being female and African American while embarking on the entrepreneurial road has not been without its challenges. However, Darnisha believes that the biggest obstacle of all is not fully believing in oneself. “For females and minorities, it’s often the fact that we don’t represent the majority of founders [and] CEOs out there, [as] most are white males. That in itself can sometimes be immensely intimidating. My advice [is] to continue giving 100% into your venture while maintaining a laser focus on your desired end result, no matter what things look like around you and no matter how many ‘No’s’ you may hear. And always continue moving forward with a settled knowing in the very seat of your soul that giving up is not an option.”

You can learn more about Darnisha and the work of Ennaid at ennaidtherapeutics.com.