Kayla Foley, MBA ’22 and Jasheah Howard MEng ’22 were recently featured on the Startup Cornell podcast to discuss their startup, StaffOnTap. The company, a member of this year’s eLab cohort, provides a platform to connect long-term care providers with temp nurses in the area.
Full-time and part-time nurses post listings on StaffOnTap’s digital marketplace with customized rates, schedules, and locations. Then, they are connected to nursing homes that need temporary help. The startup helps nurses earn extra income while also addressing the staffing shortages faced by many nursing homes.
“There is a national shortage of nurses working in long-term care, and it has only gotten worse during COVID-19,” Foley said on the podcast. “What we found is that while nurses don’t want full-time positions in nursing homes, they are interested in making extra money through picking up flexible, temporary shifts.”
Both Foley and Howard have deep connections to nursing. Foley comes from a family of nursing home administrators, and many members of Howard’s family, including her mother, are registered nurses. Both women have witnessed the staffing challenges facing long-term care facilities firsthand and wanted to be part of the solution.
The eLab student accelerator has provided StaffOnTap with mentorship, resources, and opportunities to speak with potential customers and investors.
“They’re not only focused on helping you to grow your business, but they’re also mainly focused on just developing you as a professional, as an entrepreneur, as a person,” Howard said. “I recommend eLab to anybody that’s interested in entrepreneurship.”
Come to eLab Demo Day on April 28 to learn more about StaffOnTap and other startups in the current cohort. Attendees will hear business pitches from 20 student teams and have the chance to offer feedback on the ideas. After Demo Day, attendees are also invited to network at the Entrepreneurship at Cornell Celebration.