Jasmine Bhatti is a nurse, entrepreneur, and founder of Navi Nurses, a healthcare company that blends science with compassionate care. In this interview, she shares her journey building a business that prioritizes community, cultural connection, and patient-centered care. She emphasizes the power of authenticity in entrepreneurship, highlighting how staying true to your mission can drive meaningful impact. Jasmine also discusses the importance of resilience, the growing role of technology in healthcare, and why young entrepreneurs should act on their ideas. Her advice is simple but powerful—just start, stay connected to what matters, and use every opportunity to grow.
A Calling She Never Planned For
Griffin Connolly: Welcome Ms. Bhatti! Let’s start with your background. How did you find yourself on this path of entrepreneurship and community collaboration?
Jasmine Bhatti: Honestly, I never imagined becoming an entrepreneur. It wasn’t part of my plan. I also didn’t plan on becoming a nurse, but life has a way of leading you in unexpected directions. I’ve been a nurse for 14 years now, and my journey started with a deeply personal experience—caring for my grandmother when she was sick while I was in college. That experience shaped my understanding of what families go through when a loved one needs medical care at home.
When I became a nurse, I quickly realized that my family’s struggles weren’t unique. Millions of people in the U.S. face the same challenge: insurance only covers a limited amount of nursing care after someone is discharged from the hospital, leaving families to figure out how to care for their loved ones on their own. It’s overwhelming—suddenly, people have to become nurses overnight, without the training or support they need.
Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. It was an incredibly difficult time to work in healthcare, and I started feeling burned out. I needed something that would refill my soul again, something that would allow me to make an impact beyond my hospital shifts. That’s what led me to entrepreneurship.
From the Bedside to Building Something Bigger
Griffin Connolly: That’s a powerful personal testimony. I know you worked as a nurse at the Mayo Clinic, but you wanted to do more. Can you talk about that turning point—what made you decide to pivot toward starting your own business?
Jasmine Bhatti: I’ve always felt a pull to make a big impact in healthcare. Before becoming a nurse, I actually thought my path would be through health policy—I even considered going to law school to drive change at a systemic level. But life had other plans.
When I was working in the hospital, I found myself limited in the number of people I could help at any given time. As a nurse, you’re making a difference, but it’s on a one-to-one basis. I kept asking myself, How can I take what I know and use it to help so many more people with the same amount of time and effort? That question became a driving force for me.
Starting my own business wasn’t just about leaving the hospital; it was about scaling my impact. I wanted to take everything I had learned and use it to create something that could help many more people.
The Power of Community in Entrepreneurship
Griffin Connolly: Community is a big part of your journey and obviously something you truly value. Can you expand on the role community has played in your entrepreneurial experience?
Jasmine Bhatti: Oh gosh, I wouldn’t be where I am today without my community—no question. It has shaped everything about my entrepreneurial journey.
I’m currently a PhD student at ASU, and one day, while guiding my ASU 101 students around campus, we stopped at the HEALab—the Health Entrepreneurship Accelerator lab. We listened to a professor talk about all these incredible innovations happening in healthcare. After his talk, he invited students to share their ideas. I don’t think any of my students took him up on the offer, but I did.
That moment was a turning point for me. That professor was the first person to connect me with ASU’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. I had no idea how many resources existed for student entrepreneurs. From there, I started networking, meeting other founders, and engaging with organizations like the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), the Flinn Foundation, and StartupAZ. All of these amazing organizations are here in the Phoenix valley and each of them has played a crucial role in nurturing me and the company I’m building.
But just as I’ve been supported by this incredible network, I also feel a strong responsibility to extend that same sense of community to the company I’m building. Entrepreneurship can be isolating, but I’ve been intentional about creating a culture where community is central to our mission. Interestingly, nursing doesn’t always have that same collaborative culture—at least not in the way I’ve experienced it in the startup world. But within my company, we’ve built an incredible sense of support and connection, and that’s been one of the most rewarding aspects of this journey.
Taking the Leap: Trusting the Process
Griffin Connolly: That’s really inspiring. I’ve spoken with entrepreneurs in many different niche’s around the country, and abroad, and a common theme is the idea of “living in the leap”—just putting yourself out there. Can you talk about how this experience played a role in your journey?
Jasmine Bhatti: Absolutely. Taking that first step is always scary. Entrepreneurship is full of unknowns, and stepping away from a secure job—especially in healthcare—felt like a huge risk.
But I approached it in a methodical way. As a nurse, I deeply understood the problem I wanted to solve, and I made sure to do my research. When I was still working at the hospital, I used every opportunity to talk to patients, listen more intently, and ask questions that would guide the business I was building. I never blurred the lines between work and my startup, but those conversations shaped how I deliver care through my company today.
At the same time, I knew I had to be financially prepared. I set a savings goal, planned my transition, and told myself, If this doesn’t work out, I can always go back to nursing. That safety net made the leap feel a little less daunting.
But more than anything, I didn’t want to look back with regret. I never wanted to wonder, What if I had given it a shot? Now, seeing what I’ve built, I’m so grateful I took that risk. It’s easy to doubt yourself, to think your idea isn’t worthy or that your path won’t lead anywhere meaningful. But sometimes, you just have to trust that leap will take you exactly where you’re meant to be.
Challenges and Lessons Learned
Griffin Connolly: Looking back on your entrepreneurial journey, are there things you would have done differently? Any particular challenges that stand out as you built your business?
Jasmine Bhatti: You know, I honestly don’t think I would have done anything differently. I really believe that everything that’s happened—every experience, both good and bad—has shaped me into the leader I am today.
That’s not to say it’s been easy. Challenges come up all the time, and they’re not always pretty. Some are difficult, even rough, but those moments push us forward. They force us to grow and reach the next level of where we need to be.
The Most Fulfilling Part of Entrepreneurship
Griffin Connolly: I think seeing opportunity and growth in challenges is a key component of the entrepreneurial mindset and definitely a common theme in my interviews. As you reflect on your business launch, what would you say has been the most fulfilling part of your personal pursuit of entrepreneurship?
Jasmine Bhatti: Oh my gosh, I could never have imagined the impact our business would have on people.
When I started this, my main goal was to make healthcare more accessible and available to more people. And that’s exactly what we’re doing. But what I didn’t anticipate was the ripple effect—how much we would also be improving the lives of nurses. We’re changing their family lives, giving them more flexibility, and helping them find greater happiness in their work.
I never could have imagined all the different ways this business would make a difference—not just for patients, but for the people delivering care. That’s what drives me every day. Seeing these positive changes unfold is just incredible.
The Evolving Landscape of Healthcare and Nursing
Griffin Connolly: There’s so much fulfillment to be found in having a positive impact. So, let’s move to talking about your industry in general. Over the past four or five years, since you started your business, what changes have you seen in the nursing and healthcare community?
Jasmine Bhatti: There have been a lot of changes in healthcare, and many of them have been incredible. The rise of telehealth has been a big one—people no longer have to leave their homes to see a doctor or clinician, which has significantly expanded access to care. We’re also seeing more advanced technology being integrated, like virtual reality and augmented reality, which are transforming different aspects of healthcare.
But one of the biggest things I’ve noticed, specifically in nursing, is that clinicians are still really tired. The pandemic was exhausting for healthcare workers, and even though time has passed, many nurses are still carrying that weight. They’re working in tough conditions and reaching a breaking point. Burnout, mental health, and overall well-being are major concerns. You can only run on empty for so long, and a lot of nurses are at that limit, which is why so many are leaving the profession.
At the same time, fewer students are entering healthcare fields. We already had a shortage of clinicians, and now we have an aging population with increasing healthcare needs—but fewer people are willing to go into the profession. A lot of that is probably because of what they’ve seen and heard about the challenges in the field.
Griffin Connolly: That makes sense. Your expertise is unique from many entrepreneurs I’ve interviewed because nursing and healthcare are so human-centered and emotional. Can you expand on the new technologies being introduced in the field and whether you think they’re having a completely positive impact?
Jasmine Bhatti: I think the biggest one that’s on everyone’s mind is AI. There’s absolutely a place for AI in healthcare, and it’s not meant to replace the human touch. It won’t replace what we do as nurses and doctors, but it can enhance our work.
AI can help us make better, more precise decisions, which should lead to better patient outcomes. The key is to embrace it and use it in a way that supports and strengthens healthcare rather than replacing the critical human elements of care.
The Business Model Behind the Mission
Griffin Connolly: As a young, aspiring entrepreneur, I’m really interested in the business side of what you’re doing. Can you talk a little bit about the revenue model of your company and how you’ve structured it?
Jasmine Bhatti: Yeah, so essentially, we’re a private-duty nursing company—those have been around for a long time. But what makes us different is that we’re using science to transform how care is provided. We know that when a patient is cared for by someone who shares their background—whether that’s language, ethnicity, culture, or religion—their health outcomes improve. So, we integrate those human aspects into the way we deliver care.
Our business model builds on what traditional private-duty nursing companies have done, but we apply all the scientific research we have about how to provide the best healthcare. Right now, we attract clients who are able to pay for these services because they recognize the value of personalized care. By operating as a cash-pay service, we’re not restricted by insurance companies telling us what we can and can’t do. Instead, we work directly with our clients to provide exactly what they need, without limitations. The beauty of this model is that it empowers us to deliver care the way it should be done.
Griffin Connolly: I love your unique approach to an existing concept. Are more people are beginning to incorporate a similar approach, or are you still in a fairly untapped market?
Jasmine Bhatti: These types of companies have existed for a long time, and they’re still out there. But what’s really interesting is that, as I mentioned earlier, nurses are exhausted, and many are looking for alternatives. We’re seeing a lot more nurses stepping into entrepreneurship—some are trying to carve out a niche in private care like we have, while others are moving into MedSpa services, offering things like Botox, fillers, and IV infusions. So, there’s definitely a growing trend of nurses shifting into business ownership in various healthcare spaces.
Final Advice for Young Entrepreneurs
Griffin Connolly: One last question—I run a Student Launch Club at my school, where like-minded high school students interested in entrepreneurship collaborate. If you could give us all one piece of advice about entrepreneurship, what would it be?
Jasmine Bhatti: Oh my gosh, it would just be—start! If you have an idea, and something is tugging at you, like, Hey, I feel something about this, I’m passionate about it—then there’s probably something there for you. Give yourself the grace and time to figure out exactly what that is. It may take experience for you to refine your vision and get to where you ultimately want to go, but take every opportunity along the way to explore and deepen your connection with whatever excites you.
Griffin Connolly: I really appreciate that advice. And I appreciate you taking the time to talk with me today, you have a very inspiring story.
Jasmine Bhatti: It’s my pleasure Griffin, if I can ever help with anything, you know where to find me!
Read last month’s interview with VC network founder Mat Sherman here.