For as long as he can remember, Avichai "Avi" Kremer (HBS MBA '07) wanted to be an entrepreneur. "I thought I only needed a good idea," Kremer recalls, "but I came to realize that it involves so much more." How he came to this realization is a story of courage, perseverance, and the unfortunate circumstances that created a dire need for entrepreneurial initiative. Avi Kremer became an entrepreneur to try to save lives, including his own.
Realizing that if he wanted to be a successful entrepreneur he needed to build his business acumen, Kremer came to Harvard Business School in the fall of 2004. In the months prior to his arrival at HBS he had begun to notice some twitching in his arms, and eventually went through a thorough battery of tests to determine the cause. Then, in October of his first year he received the diagnosis: He had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. There is no cure, and once diagnosed patients typically have no more than three years to live.
"It was shocking," Kremer recalls. "I had so many plans for the future, so many goals. Suddenly my goals were to walk, talk, and eat."
Despite the devastating prognosis, Kremer forged ahead. "I just wanted to keep my life as normal as possible, as I had planned it." And so, he proceeded with a Rock Entrepreneurial Fellowship at a private equity firm in his homeland of Israel during the summer of 2005. While there, he became involved with the Israeli ALS Association. He was moved when he learned that its founder was in the advanced stages of the disease and not able to function on his own. "The organization needed a push, and I felt I could help them move things forward," he explains. He started spending more time in this role than at his fellowship, and felt that this was unfair to his boss. When he spoke to him about it, he was given permission to devote all his time to ALS activities.
When giving a speech on behalf of the association early on, Kremer was struck by how his words seemed to touch other ALS patients when several told him that he had given them hope for the first time. Realizing that with this hope came responsibility, Kremer, with the help of more than thirty friends, formed Israel's Project ALS, with a straightforward but ambitious goal: to devise a plan to cure ALS. He determined that the best way to execute the plan was to view it from a business perspective, and he created a model to attack the problem.
A three-pronged approach
As he learned more about the disease, Kremer was astounded by how little progress had been made in finding a cure. In the more than 130 years since the disease had been documented, scientists have yet to find an effective treatment to slow the symptoms. Kremer came to the realization that because ALS patients die quickly and the prevalence of the disease is rather low, it is simply considered economically risky for pharmaceutical companies to invest their resources in ALS research.
| Half a year ago, there was no ALS research being done in Israel. Today, six of the best universities in Israel are conducting research, with eight more coming. |
| —Avichai Kremer |
He devised a three-pronged plan centered on reaching out to researchers in Israel, raising funds, and building public awareness of the disease and its lack of a cure. "We did our homework and found out what makes researchers tick: recognition and funding," Kremer explains. "A breakthrough would bring fame, but they need money to do the research."
Kremer's research team began knocking on the doors of researchers, promising that if they would make a commitment to finding a cure, the team would provide funding. They were surprised by the enthusiastic response. "We thought they would throw us down the stairs, because they are so busy," Kremer laughs, "but none of them said no. My friends followed through, pushing the researchers to finish their proposals, making it clear that it was a race against time. Within a month we had twelve proposals that detailed everything they needed—including money."
Meanwhile, another team was working on raising funds. Through a marketing research study they conducted with several hundred participants, the team learned that the number one reason people donate to a disease-related cause is because they had an affiliation with someone who had that disease. The next biggest factor was having an understanding of exactly where the money was going. The team also did benchmarking with the Israeli Cancer Society.
"We determined that there clearly was money to be had," Kremer notes. "We started pitching not only to potential donors but to investors as well."
After attending a couple of investor conferences, they came away with $1 million from two business incubators. In addition to the donations they had raised, this elevated total funding to $2 million.
The third prong of the model involved raising awareness. In talking with media specialists, Kremer says he learned an important lesson: Never launch a media campaign without telling the public exactly what you want them to do.
"I can tell my story and gain a great deal of sympathy," he explains. "But if I don't tell the audience what I want them to do now, I've lost them."
He has appeared on several television shows in Israel, and has never forgotten this message. "All along we viewed ALS research as a product, a service that we're trying to sell to different kinds of customers: researchers, donors, investors, the public, and the media," he notes. "Each one has its own incentives and motivations. We showed them that we can create value for everyone through ALS research."
Opening a door
As Avi Kremer looks at what Project ALS has accomplished in a very short time, he clearly sees the seeds of progress. "Half a year ago, there was no ALS research being done in Israel," he points out. "Today, six of the best universities in Israel are conducting research, with eight more coming. We've raised $2 million. And we've increased awareness through numerous publications and television shows that have covered our efforts. I think these are our greatest accomplishments."
Looking to the future, Kremer will adjust his focus somewhat, though his goals remain unchanged. Confident that Project ALS is firmly in motion, he believes it can continue its work without his direct involvement. He became CEO of the Israeli ALS Association, and worked to build that organization, strengthening it to the point where again he felt comfortable handing the reins to someone else. After taking the fall semester off, in January he returned to HBS and plans to finish his degree.
Kremer looks at his plight without a trace of self-pity, although the disease has begun to limit him physically. "I hope people find it inspiring," he says reflectively. "Despite this very human affliction, we've managed our efforts in a very methodical, structured way to strategize exactly what we want to achieve. I think it makes people look at ALS patients not in pity, but in admiration." Even more importantly, he thinks his approach has demonstrated a path by which others can join the fight.
"I believe that more than hearing about a tragedy without being able to do anything, people want to be involved," he says. "Like me, they want to solve the problem. We've opened that door." 
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Harvard Medical School is now at the forefront of ALS research, launching four projects that will accelerate research for a treatment. For more details, and to support this work, please visit: www.hcnr.med.harvard.edu/programs/ALSconsortium.php |