Editor’s note: This article was first published in April 2013. Pierson is described as CEO of Pierson Labs with more than 20 employees, and the Moneyball screenwriter is described as writing a script about her life, as of then. Her later career is not covered.
Ramona Pierson is the current CEO of the startup Pierson Labs, and she is well known in Silicon Valley for selling one of her earlier creations, a software company, to Promethean World for $10 million in 2010.
Behind every successful entrepreneur there is always a story to tell. In Ramona’s case, her painful and triumphant story is a clear example of overcoming adversity that we can all learn from, since many entrepreneurs go through hard times along the way. Ramona’s story shows us what real problems and hardships in life look like, and that even so, with persistence, drive and a positive attitude, they can be overcome.
In 1984, when Ramona was 22, she was hit by a drunk driver. The car crushed her face, throat, lungs and heart. Once she was admitted to hospital, she fell into a coma that lasted 18 months. Then she had a heart attack, which, instead of killing her, woke her from the coma.
She woke up blind, unable to speak, walk or eat. Doctors rebuilt her through more than 50 operations: a new eye, a plastic nose, some titanium bones and parts of other bones taken from cadavers.
Ramona Pierson told Business Insider that, even so, she not only saw herself as a human being but also found herself attractive when she looked in the mirror. As a former Marine, where “never give up” is the rule, she used that military code to pull through.
She had to start from scratch: learn to speak again, learn to walk again, and above all, after suffering brain damage, she had to “learn how to learn”.
That experience led her to take an interest in how people learn, and she went on to create a social network for students and teachers called The Source. Alongside it, she designed software to help people learn, SynapticMash.
One of the “replacement” bones in her body broke and she had to be admitted to hospital. Ramona asked for her computer to be brought to her, and from her hospital bed, over Skype, she negotiated the sale of her company for $10 million.
Despite everything she has been through, people who know her say she is an optimistic, cheerful woman with a sense of humour, and certainly a fighter. The screenwriter of Moneyball is writing a script about this entrepreneur’s life.
Today, Ramona Pierson is working on countless projects and has more than 20 people on her company’s payroll.
As we can see, an entrepreneur can face a great many problems. When they come along, think of Ramona’s story, and your own problems will probably seem a lot less important.
Further reading
- The man who had to start a business to save his children’s lives
- Steps to reach your goals in life and in business
- Motivational quotes for entrepreneurs
- Entrepreneurs: chasing a dream
Featured image: Michael Coghlan, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr.
