NYSOTEC: My First Vision, Its Continued Life, and Why Entrepreneurship Still Matters

When I launched the New York State Occupational Therapy Entrepreneur Collective (NYSOTEC) in 2020, I was driven by a deep belief that the future of occupational therapy depends on the people building new solutions on the ground—those who are innovating in real time, navigating reimbursement challenges, responding to unmet needs, and creating models the profession hasn’t even named yet.

What surprised and energized me most was the overwhelming response. OT and OTA entrepreneurs from across the state raised their hands: clinic founders, product creators, community program developers, mobile practice owners, pediatric innovators, tech-based solution builders, and practitioners quietly dreaming of more autonomy and creativity in their work. People were ready for a space like this.

And here is something important: NYSOTEC still exists today. It lived on after I stepped back, and seeing that brings me nothing but pride. While I didn’t get to shepherd the Collective to its full fruition, its continued life affirms the need I knew was there all along.

My stepping back wasn’t because the idea lacked merit—it simply wasn’t the right time, or the right operational container, for the pace and flexibility required in an entrepreneurial movement.

Entrepreneurship moves fast.
Organizations must move thoughtfully.

Both are valid, but they operate by different rules.

Entrepreneurs think in terms of MVPs, iterations, pivots, and rapid testing. We make decisions quickly because that’s what early-phase business survival requires. Organizational structures, on the other hand, prioritize stability, consensus, and reputation stewardship. They must vet, review, protect, and ensure long-term alignment.

These are different—but not opposing—values.

The truth is: NYSOTA was simply not the environment for the level of pace, transparency, and iterative trial-and-error that a start-up style Collective needed at that moment. And that’s okay. No harm, no foul. A mismatch in timing is not a failure; it’s information.

I am grateful NYSOTEC continued on.
I am grateful clinicians still benefit from it.
And I am grateful for the experience, which shaped my commitment to OT entrepreneurship even more deeply.

Today, I want to share the original model I created—not as a criticism, but as a contribution. My hope is that these ideas find their way to someone out there, in another state or even another country, who feels the pull to build an OT Entrepreneur Collective in their own region.

If my early work can support someone else’s momentum, then this chapter served its purpose.

The Blueprint: NYSOTEC’s Original Vision and Structure

Membership

A statewide virtual community of OT- and OTA-owned businesses, including both association members and non-members. Open to clinicians at any stage of entrepreneurship.

Mission

To unite OT entrepreneurs in brainstorming, networking, learning, and creating shared visibility for OT-owned or OT-inspired business models. To cultivate a supportive, safe community where creativity, innovation, and informed risk-taking are welcome.

Objectives

• Build a statewide community around entrepreneurship in OT

• Strengthen and support OT/OTA-owned business operations

• Identify practical holes, hurdles, and systemic barriers entrepreneurs face

• Highlight the unique value proposition of OT-led businesses

• Create unified action steps that protect and amplify OT relevance in the marketplace

How the Collective Was Designed to Run

Expectations

1. Completion of a business profile form

2. Participation in monthly virtual meetings, featuring:

   • Announcements and updates

   • OT business spotlights

   • Guest speakers on finance, marketing, legal issues, or innovation

   • A monthly advocacy “call to action”

   • Think-tank style group problem solving

3. Engagement in the Facebook group, offering community support, business updates, questions, and peer mentorship

Volunteer Roles 

• Co-Chair

• Community Engagement Coordinator

• Senior Advocate & Strategist

• Secretary

Each role supporting the sustainability and growth of the Collective.

Benefits You Envisioned for OT Entrepreneurs & State Associations

1. Built-In Business Promotion Through the State Association

Entrepreneurship boosts visibility of OT as a profession, so a natural benefit would be:

• Featured profiles of OT- and OTA-owned businesses on the state association website.

• Highlighted businesses in newsletters, social media spotlights, or “Entrepreneur of the Month” features.

• Association-endorsed recognition that OT-owned businesses expand access to rehabilitation, prevention, community health, and wellness across the state.

This is a win-win:
Entrepreneurs gain visibility → Association demonstrates real-world value → Public gains awareness of OT’s full scope.

2. Tiered Membership Levels with Entrepreneur-Specific Perks

State associations often struggle to attract and retain members. Entrepreneurial tiers would offer:

• Access to business-focused continuing education

• Discounts on legal, marketing, or accounting services relevant to private practice

• Access to advocacy representation for small-business OT issues

• A clear reason for entrepreneurs to join and stay

This would create a sustainable membership pipeline while empowering clinicians positioned to grow OT influence.

3. Free or Discounted Vendor Tables at Annual Conferences

For entrepreneurs, conferences are prohibitively expensive. Providing:

• one free vendor table per year, or

• a deeply discounted “OT-owned business” exhibitor rate

…would:

• increase conference engagement

• diversify conference offerings

• boost peer-to-peer collaboration

• highlight the innovation happening outside institutional settings

This also elevates the association’s conference as a place where OT innovation is birthed—not just discussed.

4. Respectful Visibility for Businesses Owned by Collective Leaders

If collective chairs or volunteers own businesses, the association should:

• highlight their businesses as examples of OT-led innovation

• acknowledge the unpaid labor and expertise they contribute

• include them in state-level conversations about practice, reimbursement, and advocacy

This is not self-promotion—it is reciprocity.
It also models entrepreneurial success for students and emerging practitioners.

5. A Blog Series on the Association Website

A regular column such as “OT Entrepreneurship in NY: Barriers, Solutions, and Stories” would:

• normalize entrepreneurship as part of OT identity

• teach clinicians the realities of starting, scaling, and sustaining a business

• offer a safe place to discuss common barriers (licensure, billing, reimbursement, contracting, marketing, documentation, hiring, pricing)

• spotlight business successes that demonstrate OT’s societal value

This strengthens both the association’s content strategy and its relevance.

6. Statewide Roundtables with Government Representatives

Entrepreneurs are the “boots on the ground.” They understand:

• regulatory issues

• accessibility challenges

• reimbursement gaps

• regional service deserts

Roundtables connecting OT entrepreneurs with legislators could:

• inform policy based on real-world practice

• address barriers to community-based OT

• improve Medicaid/Medicare accessibility

• impact direct access and reimbursement policies

This is exactly how grassroots advocacy becomes legislative change.

7. Pipelines to the Small Business Association and Other Support Systems

OT entrepreneurs rarely know how to access:

• SBA grants

• microloans

• business mentorship

• incubators

• accelerator programs

• minority-owned business programs

• rural funding channels

• veteran-owned business supports

A formalized pipeline between the association and the SBA would:

• reduce clinician burnout by improving financial viability

• increase OT-led solutions in underserved communities

• strengthen the profession’s economic footprint across the state

This is how OT transitions from “underrecognized” to unignorable. 

Looking Back — and Forward

My only lament is not seeing the Collective grow into the full vision I had in mind. But that lament is paired with tremendous pride and gratitude that others continued the work. It’s a unique feeling to watch something you began evolve in new hands—and a reminder that ideas belong to the profession, not the creator.

Entrepreneurship will always outpace bureaucracy.
Bureaucracy will always guard structure, process, and longevity.

Both are necessary for a healthy profession.
Both can coexist beautifully when aligned.

But sometimes they must operate in parallel.
And that’s where grassroots innovation thrives.

If you are an OT entrepreneur—or want to be one—I hope this blueprint inspires you to build your own Collective, community, or innovation hub. I am always happy to support, mentor, or advise anyone ready to take up this mantle.