Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Barreto.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Brittany. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born and raised in Northern New Jersey. I was actually a foreign exchange student in high school through a Rotary exchange program. I lived with a French family and went to French high school. I returned from France to go to college at Drew University where I received a Bachelor of Arts in Biology with minors in Public Health and French class of 2013.
None of this journey was easy though. I am a survivor of childhood abuse which resulted to having extreme post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Moreover, I am the first person in my family to attend college. I think I have notoriously been a survivor and refuse to let the cards I was dealt dictate my future.
Drew University is also the place where I originally had the idea for a genetic-based dating app. I was in a genetics seminar learning about how scientists can predict who is attracted to who because of 11 genes. I rose my hand and asked the professor if I could make a “geneHarmony.com”. Everyone laughed but the professor said, “Yes, I suppose you could”. Since that day the idea never left my mind.
After my undergraduate career, I was accepted to Baylor College of Medicine’s Molecular and Human Genetic doctoral program in Houston, TX in summer 2013. My thesis was on stress-induced mutagenesis and genomic instability. I really loved science, but I always knew I had too much personality to work in a laboratory for the rest of my career.
During the last year of my doctorate and directly following the 2016 Presidential Election, I decided I wanted to be a woman who shared her opinion with more people than just her Facebook friends. So, I decided to pursue my crazy idea for a genetic-based dating app.
A huge challenge I faced was starting a company while still finishing my doctorate in molecular and human genetics. While one of these occupations is enough to wear someone out, I did both ….at the same time! I was a full-time genetics Ph.D. student which looked like designing and executing experiments in the laboratory, publishing scientific articles (Barreto et al. 2016 J.Bact), presenting research at conferences, and writing and defending a thesis. Meanwhile, I cofounded Pheramor in December 2016. For 11 months I spent my mornings making investor emails and calls, spent the afternoons starting experiments, then attended company meetings from 4-6pm, then went back to the lab from 6pm-1am to finish my experiments. This was absolutely draining physically, mentally, and emotionally. I could not have done it without a deep seeded passion and belief in Pheramor and my amazing cofounder, Dr. Bin Huang. I am grateful for my expert time management skills and for finding someone else as passionate about Pheramor as I was.
I have always found myself drawn to lead groups. This includes school assignments, recreational sports teams, work projects, anything really! My largest, most rewarding leadership position has been founding and building Pheramor. I pitched Pheramor at an accelerator program in the medical center in December 2016. The company now has 6 full-time employees, 2 part-time employees, and a small army of interns. I’ve truly enjoyed meeting people, learning their strengths and own passions, delegating work to them accordingly, and watching them be proud of their work. There have been times of great stress and excitement at Pheramor. As the leader, I feel responsible to be the pillar of stability and positivity in the company. I take this position seriously and feel honored to do it.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has definitely NOT been a smooth road! But all my struggles have made me the resilient woman I am today.
My biggest accomplishment to date is finishing my education. I received a Bachelor of Arts in Biology with minors in Public Health and French from the Honors College at Drew University in 2013. I then finished my doctorate at Baylor College of Medicine in Molecular and Human Genetics in November 2017. It may seem obvious that obtaining this level of education by age 26 is a major success. But I believe for me, the completion of these studies was an extraordinary accomplishment due to the many factors working against me. I feel I am an uncommon story of a woman finishing higher education.
I am the first person in my family to attend college. I did not have anyone in my life encouraging me to study hard and apply for higher education programs out of high school. I always seemed to be self-motivated and had a light in me that drove me to want something more for myself. Moreover, my family did not have the finances to send me to college or cosign student loans. I knew I would have to rely on scholarships and working while going to school in order to attend college. I was recognized by my local Rotary Club for my extraordinary community service efforts during high school. I was awarded the Rotary Youth Leadership Award for Northern New Jersey. This caught the attention of Drew University admissions and I was given a very generous scholarship to attend their Honors College. This was not a full scholarship and therefore I also worked as a medical technician at an optometrist’s office while going to school full-time and maintaining the excellent GPA.
I learned what hard work and dedication looked and felt like. Due to the lack of role models within my own family, I had to be vulnerable and humble to ask questions and request guidance around student/work/life balance to anyone with experience.
Immediately following my graduation from Drew with Summa Cum Laude, I came to Baylor College of Medicine to attend the best genetics doctoral program in the world. Twelve students are accepted every year into this exceptional program. I went from being the tutor for most classes at Drew to needing a tutor for every class at BCM. The humility of going from smartest in the class to a student that felt 3 steps behind was a fantastic life lesson. I was extremely motivated and inspired by the intelligence around me, so I worked hard and stayed focused. I ended up defending my Ph.D. one and a half years ahead of the national average.
The odds were against me for attending college, completing it, going to a doctorate program, and defending successfully. I do not take this accomplishment lightly. I look forward to one day providing scholarships and mentoring to adolescents with similar backgrounds and dreams. Because it is possible.
My biggest personal challenge has been living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I am a survivor of early childhood trauma and abuse. I have experienced the effects of PTSD on the majority of my life. These symptoms include, but have not been limited to, anxiety, depression, flashbacks, and night terrors. This personal challenge is a daily struggle in literally every aspect of my life from work to school to relationships.
I am not sure I will ever entirely overcome PTSD, but I have certainly found ways to manage it. First, I honor it. I no longer deny that I have it. I no longer shame myself for my symptoms and demand my mind and body to “get over” the old memories. Instead, I honor my body’s incredible ability to warn me of danger, even if the danger no longer exists in the present moment. My experience has been that acknowledging, rather than denying, a feeling has always been more effective for changing it. I also cannot walk this journey alone and therefore have surrounded myself that personal cheerleaders. Folks with whom I know I can be my authentic self and rely on to be an attentive ear and a stable shoulder. The thing that has honestly made being a survivor worth it, is being able to help other women with PTSD. I find myself filled with purpose and self-confidence after telling another woman my life story and seeing her fill with hope that she can be a survivor too. Without these deep, meaningful moments, I may wonder in despair, “Why did this happen to me?” But when another woman early in PTSD recovery tells me that I have positively influenced her, I know there is a reason and I feel honored to hold my head high and say I am a woman with PTSD.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Pheramor – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Well first, did you know that the old saying “opposites attract” is biologically true? The more different your immune system genes are from another person, the more likely you are to be attracted to them! That’s why Pheramor is telling singles to SWAB instead of SWIPE for dating. Pheramor combines the genetics of attraction via pheromones and social media meta-data to quantify compatibility between singles based on physical attraction and social alignment. Pheramor is revolutionizing the dating scene by enabling data-driven decision makers to more effectively and efficiently find what they are looking for in a partner.
Pheramor is easy and fun to use. Singles download the free Pheramor app and create a profile. They link their social media accounts or manually enter their interests and values for the social alignment measurements. The user can purchase a genetic Pheramor Kit through the app. The kit includes 4 cheek swabs and is mailed directly to the user’s mailing address with discrete packaging. They swab the inside of their cheek and mail it back to Pheramor. We process the 11 genes responsible for attraction. Users can then see quantified metrics for social alignment and physical chemistry between them and all the local singles on the app.
Not only is the app changing the way singles date, but we also have one-of-a-kind Feel The Spark Singles Events. At these events, singles will be able to get full match reports between them and the other attendees. Speed dating is archaic. Pheramor provides the next-generation of singles mixers. Singles are 5x more likely to have a date with someone they met at the party compared to other speed dating events. These exclusive events are invite-only for Pheramor users who have swabbed and been sequenced.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I hope to grow Pheramor into a very large platform company that offers a multitude of personalized genetics to enhance people’s lives. I see myself leading Pheramor to a successful exit, whether that is an acquisition or IPO. At that time, I believe I will want to spend time giving back to the community and pursuing my passion for empowering women. I want to use my organization, leadership, and business skills to organize non-profits and large fundraisers to help back to groups such as Adore Houston, HAWC, and Cooper’s Crossroad. I may consider running for a political position on a platform of mental wellness and women’s rights.
Pricing:
- Pheramor Genetic Kit $29.98
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pheramor.com
- Email: info@pheramor.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/pheramor
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/pheramor
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/pheramor
- Other: www.linkedin.com/pheramor
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
