Founded a startup from scratch and narrowly escaped death due to a broken healthcare system. That’s why I’m running for Congress

(SeaPRwire) –   I followed all the right steps. At 26, I launched a startup with nothing more than a problem I needed to solve: I couldn’t find a place to print something in my neighborhood. This simple frustration led to the creation of PrintWithMe, which has since grown into a national network of thousands of public printers and employs over 100 people. It’s a business I’m truly proud of. During COVID, I relocated from Chicago to Scottsdale, joining the millions of millennials who re-evaluated their finances and found their money could stretch further in the Sun Belt. We gained more space and enrolled our daughter in a good school. Everything was looking up.

Then, two years ago, a growth began bleeding in my brain. My surgeon informed me I had a limited window of a few months to undergo the procedure, or the outcome could be fatal. I had health insurance, which I believed to be good. However, my insurer denied coverage for the specialist I had been referred to. For weeks, I battled them, submitting appeals and documentation, while a ticking clock in my head grew louder. Ultimately, I had to switch insurance providers. I underwent the surgery and am here to share my story. But I spent a significant amount of time in that hospital bed contemplating how many people do not survive such a struggle.

The economic reality no longer works for the middle class

I am a business enthusiast. I read the Wall Street Journal and Barron’s weekly, in addition to other publications. I understand how capital operates, how markets function, and how incentives influence behavior. When I examine the current economy we’ve constructed for the American middle class, the numbers simply do not add up. My personal experience is a testament to this, yet I recognize I was fortunate. A friend, a constituent in my district, pays $2,800 per month for childcare for her two young sons, which is more than her mortgage. Both she and her husband are employed, and they are doing everything correctly. Despite this, they are facing financial pressure from all sides: housing costs have increased by 50% in five years, student loan payments seem to never decrease, and healthcare premiums rise every January, regardless of whether the plan was utilized. This is not a consequence of individual shortcomings; it is a failure of policy. Research indicates that for every dollar the government invests in universal pre-kindergarten, society receives a return of $7 through economic productivity, tax revenue, and long-term child development. These programs are not a cost; they generate revenue. Yet, we lack the political will to enact them, as too many individuals in Washington are more concerned with protecting the industries that profit from the existing system than with supporting the families struggling within it.

Small businesses are the true economic drivers — so why are they treated as such?

Here is a fact that every member of Congress should be aware of, but apparently requires a reminder: the majority of new jobs created in this country each month originate from small businesses, not large corporations. Large corporations are currently doing the opposite, reducing their workforce and automating jobs. Entrepreneurs and small business owners are the ones hiring, building, and investing their own capital. Despite this, the entire system—including access to capital, trade facilitation, and regulatory compliance—is structured to favor large, established companies. Launching a small business in America still necessitates a network, luck, and a tolerance for chaos that not everyone possesses or should be required to have. I was fortunate to have enough of all three. However, I think about the thousands of entrepreneurs who had the idea and the drive but never received the opportunity because the system was not designed for them. When I reach Washington, I intend to serve on the Small Business Committee, not for appearances, but as someone who has personally experienced these challenges.

The dream remains attainable — but only if we fight for it

I am a Democrat, and in fact, the only lifelong Democrat in my primary race. However, the issues I am campaigning on—affordability, healthcare access, small business investment, and universal childcare—are not partisan. When I engage with voters in Scottsdale and North Phoenix, I hear from moderate Republicans and independents who are weary. They are not ideologues; they are parents trying to manage childcare costs, small business owners concerned about their employees’ health plans, and millennials who missed the opportunity to buy a home and are unsure if they ever will. They want their government to serve their needs, which is not an unreasonable request. I started a company because I identified a problem and believed I could solve it. I am running for Congress for the same reason. The American Dream is not defunct, but it requires someone in Washington who is committed to actively defending it.